The Creatine Glow-Up: Strength, Brainpower, & Baby Benefits
When I was in high school, my then boyfriend now husband, Chase, mentioned one of his buff buddies was taking creatine.
Gasp. “Isn’t that like a steroid or something!?” Ha!
I think back and laugh, now knowing more about this amazing molecule.
In reality, creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied and safest health supplements on the planet — over 1,000 peer reviewed published studies. And even better, the clinical research on benefits specifically for women (and babies) is growing fast!
I’m committed to finding and using supplements and tools to support me in aging well. But aging well isn’t just about what your pores and forehead wrinkles look like…it’s also about how your brain is working and how much muscle you are able to retain as you age.
I’m going to share 10 reasons why you should consider taking creatine if you aren’t already. And if you do, which kind is best, and which to avoid. Let’s talk about it.
Brain-Boosting Power // Creatine supports cognition and intense mental tasks, even under stress or sleep deprivation. Some studies like this one show it helps busy women by supporting short term memory and improving brain energy levels. So maybe the days of walking into a room and completely forgetting what you went in there for are over?
Supports Bone Health // Creatine may enhance bone mineral density by supporting muscle mass and strength, which places healthy stress on bones. This is especially important for women as we age or approach menopause.
Boosts Lean Muscle Without Bulk // Contrary to popular belief, creatine does NOT bulk women. No matter what you do in the gym, we women are not going to accidentally get bulky overnight. Women get bulky from overeating and inactivity, not from creatine. Rather, it helps build lean muscle and improves performance—think more toned, more energy, and better recovery. It’s like a secret weapon for your strength goals.
Speeds Up Recovery // In addition to supporting you inside the gym, creatine also improves recovery outside the gym by decreasing muscle soreness. High fives for fitness consistency! AND it’s very safe to take long term so you don’t have to worry about when to cycle on and off.
Potential Benefits During Pregnancy // Animal studies show protective aspects of creatine for baby’s brain, specifically labor stress related to prolonged labors or emergency C-sections. Creatine also helps maintain ATP levels which is absolutely critical for proper fetal development. It has also been shown in some studies to improve mood with it’s antidepressant-like features, which could be very helpful with pregnancy mood swings and/or that infamous Progesterone drop post partum.
Women Naturally Store Less // Creatine is naturally occurring in animal-based foods like red meat and fish. But women tend to have lower baseline creatine stores than men, which means we may benefit more and feel even better from supplementation —especially if vegetarian, pregnant, or under high physical/mental stress. (who isn’t under high stress?)
Supports Mitochondrial Function // Creatine plays a role in cellular energy production, helping mitochondria generate ATP (your body’s energy currency) more efficiently. This has positive ripple effects on energy, endurance, and even aging. Hell yeah!
Better Sleep Quality // This study shows creatine as supportive to sleep quality especially on training days when our body needs more restorative zzzz’s.
May Help with Iron-Related Fatigue // While not a direct iron supplement, (I have strong feelings about iron supplementation — perhaps for another blog post) creatine helps replenish energy stores in cells, which can be a huge help for women with low ferritin, heavy periods, or borderline anemia—reducing fatigue and brain fog.
It’s Delicious! // Okay, I fibbed. Most creatine out there tastes like dusty-nothing powder. But Organifi’s Creatine Cherry Chews are actually delicious! Instead of just putting the boring powder and a swig of water in my mouth, these chews are like a little treat in my day. And with just 2 chews I’m getting the recommended daily amount of 3 grams of creatine.
As an added bonus, Organifi uses a superior type of creatine called Creapure.® Creapure® comes from Germany and has higher manufacturing standards than alternatives manufactured in China. Creapure® is 99.99% creatine monohydrate while other generic creatine products contain impurities like dicyandiamide (DCD), dihydrotriazine (DHT), or even heavy metals. Creapure undergoes rigorous third-party testing to ensure those are not present. Holllerrrr!
In my opinion it’s not worth buying or supplementing with anything that ISN’T Creapure®. You just don’t know how much other gunk you are getting.
If you are inspired to try creatine, I highly recommend Organifi! And with my discount code MIMIFIT you get an extra 20% off. And if you’re reading this in July, Organifi is also offering free shipping.
My Personal Experience
I genuinely feel better when I take high quality creatine. My mental clarity is noticeably better and I feel stronger in my workouts overall. When we’ve run out of the Organifi Cherry Chews I can feel the lack.
At this point I’m not really interested in taking a bunch of supplements that I can’t feel at all. Capsule fatigue is a real thing! Which is one more reason why I love the Cherry Chews.
I hope you are inspired to at least give creatine a try for a month or so, and see how you feel.
I get about 10 different brand deal opportunities in my inbox every single day. I only share what I genuinely love and what has significantly impacted my life in a positive way. It’s the only way I can sleep at night!
If you have questions or comments, leave them below or shoot me a IGDM @mimi_themedicin.
