Creatine Health Benefits

Susan Davis Nutritionist
3 days ago
3 min read

What is creatine?

Creatine is a supplement mostly used by body builders. It is well known to support muscle growth and power. It supports physical performance especially those that require quick short bursts of explosive power. New research suggests that creatine might also have potential benefits for cognitive function and mental performance. This has really taken interest in the longevity enthusiasts and those that want to peak their cognitive faculties including myself.

Health Benefits of Creatine Supplementation:

Creatine and Cognitive Health

Creatine supplementation has been shown to help improve cognitive function. The limitation maybe to get creatine into the brain and higher dose supplementation may be needed such a dose of 20gr/day. This may support memory, reaction time and mental resilience. It may be especially useful when experiencing stress or lack of sleep and in those experiencing cognitive decline or those with a degenerative condition such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease. Just like your muscles your brain needs energy to function optimally. If you have a task demanding extra mental effort such as prepping for exams creatine may be give you a helpful boost.

Creatine and Strength and Endurance

Creatine has mostly been used to support muscle growth and recovery in the sports and competition industry. The benefits for supporting muscle growth is well documented. for women it may be especially important especially during and after menopause to help preserve muscle mass. 5gr/day can be helpful long term as can aid to saturate the muscles in 21 days.

Creatine and Bone Health

Creatine may be helpful in preserving bone mass and this is especially important for women during and post menopause having lost the protection from declining hormones. 8gr/day may help slow bone resorption, especially with the support of resistance training.

Who Should Consider Supplementing With Creatine?

If you have a heavy exercise routine including explosive movements, power and resistance training consider creatine supplementation to support muscle growth, performance and recovery.

Women should also consider creatine supplementations as they have lower stores compared to men. Women during and post menopause should consider supplementing with creatine to benefit it's muscle, cognitive and bone preserving benefits.

Although our bodies make a certain amount of creating in the liver, kidneys and pancreas active people following vegetarian and vegan diets may benefit from creatine supplementation as their diets are deficient in creatine. Creatine is found in animal produce such as meat, fish and chicken.

How To Supplement With Creatine?

For individuals in athletic performance and power sports the general recommendation is to start with a loading dose of 20gr/7 days to saturate the muscles. After the loading phase the dose can be reduced to 2-3gr/day.

Some people may experience water retention and gut discomfort with the loading dose if this is the case it is helpful to know that taking 5 gr/day for 21 days will also saturate the muscles and it may be a more comfortable approach for many.

The dose is certainly an individual thing as we all have different requirements based on our activity level, weight and stress exposure also we are at different phases of our life journey.

I like to take 5gr/day for ongoing support owing to all the health benefits associated with creatine. The main reason for this is I do benefit from it when I exercise intensely and it definitely helps with my recovery. The other reason is to boost my mental performance and resilience.

If you have an existing health condition or you are professional athlete consult your doctor or health professional before making any drastic changes to your supplement regime.