By Previnex®
In short, yes, creatine monohydrate is beneficial for women’s health. However, it does not have the same effect on women as it does on men, but it supports them differently. Having a muscle health supplement—especially one that contains creatine monohydrate—is a great way to support your body as you work to lose weight, build muscle, and optimize your overall health.
Does Creatine Affect Hormones in Females?
No, creatine does not have a significant impact on hormones in females. When it comes to hormones, studies show that creatine supplementation is actually beneficial for women. It helps improve muscle and brain PCr (phosphocreatine) levels, which helps improve strength and exercise capacity. Creatine has shown improvement in mood and cognition, as well.
To put it simply, creatine helps your body by activating satellite cells in the muscles, which in turn, help heal the microtears that come from exercise.
Since men have higher testosterone levels than women, they tend to see faster and more significant muscle-building benefits from creatine. Given the naturally lower testosterone levels in women, more intentional (and more intense) training and diet are needed for muscle growth vs simply supplementing with creatine. For women, creatine supplementation helps them feel stronger and more toned, but it does not have the same impact on muscle growth as it does in men.
When Should a Woman Take Creatine?
The best time for women to take creatine is around the time of exercise, whether it’s before or after. It’s more important to be consistent with daily intake than to have a precise time. Additionally, taking creatine with a balanced meal may help increase absorption and protein synthesis.
When it comes to the benefits of creatine for women, it can:
-
Improve exercise performance - studies showed a 15% increase in exercise performance after supplementing with creatine for 10 weeks.
-
Increase muscle mass and strength - it’s important to note that this will look different for women than it does for men, and a more stringent diet and exercise plan, particularly a higher protein, higher calorie diet, may be necessary for women to see bulking results.
-
Improve mood and cognitive function - creatine has been shown to reduce mental fatigue. One review showed that women who struggled with a major depressive disorder and augmented their daily antidepressant with 5g of creatine saw remission in their disorder twice as fast as those who did not supplement with creatine.
-
Counteract menopausal muscle, bone, and strength loss - in combination with resistance training, creatine has been shown to decrease muscle, bone, and strength loss in menopause. This is thanks to creatine’s ability to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and bone resorption.
When it comes to workout performance, recovery, and weight loss for women, creatine helps enhance energy, boost muscle growth (in conjunction with a caloric surplus), and help your muscles recover after exercise. Taking a muscle health supplement like Muscle Health PLUS is great for recovery and optimal performance because, in addition to creatine monohydrate, it has other clinically studied ingredients that are beneficial for muscle growth and muscle health.
What Creatine is Best for Females?
The best creatine for women is creatine monohydrate, as it’s the most studied and most widely available. There are two popular forms of creatine: HCL and Monohydrate.
Creatine HCL is creatine bound to a hydrochloric acid molecule, which helps enhance solubility and absorption, meaning your body breaks the creatine down and absorbs it more efficiently.
Creatine Monohydrate consists of a creatine molecule and a water molecule, and it’s found naturally in the body. It’s made up of three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. It increases strength and water content in your muscles, which helps your muscles grow. Creatine monohydrate is the most popular and clinically effective form of creatine.
For women 40 and up, creatine has many benefits. It can support and enhance muscle growth, which is important since our muscle mass naturally declines as we age. Thanks to its ability to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the energy currency in our cells—creatine increases protein synthesis, which allows women over 40 to maintain their lean muscles. Creatine also improves strength and exercise performance for women over 40, which means you’re able to get more out of your strength training, you’ll see improved endurance, and improved efficiency in your workouts overall. Creatine is linked to reduced muscle damage, especially after working out, by reducing post-exercise inflammation. This allows your body to recover more quickly. As we get older, our cognitive abilities can decline just as our muscles do. Creatine can help enhance memory by supporting your overall brain health and function, improving working memory, and improving recall.
Does Creatine Affect Women’s Hair?
There is currently no strong evidence to suggest that creatine has a negative effect on women’s hair. In fact, the only evidence for the argument that it does cause hair loss is from a 2009 study that took place among rugby players. While the study did not look at hair loss in the players, dihydrotestosterone (DHT)—the hormone that causes hair loss—levels were elevated. During the study, the rugby players participated in a loading phase of creatine, where they did a 7-day loading phase (took elevated levels of creatine for a short period to try to jumpstart benefits), during which time DHT levels increased over 50 percent. However, besides observing the levels themselves, there was no evidence that hair loss was actually present.
If you’re concerned about hair loss or are predisposed to it, the best way to minimize the potential for it and decrease any concerns is to focus on dosing your creatine properly (and avoiding any loading phase), hydration, and a nutrient-rich diet. Some food groups and nutrients to focus on are protein, biotin, collagen, and antioxidants. These compounds work together to help your hair grow and keep it healthy.
Conclusion
Whether you’re focusing on losing weight, building muscle, or just overall optimal health, adding a muscle health supplement with creatine monohydrate into your regimen is a great choice. Muscle Health PLUS is a clinically effective, pharmaceutical-grade muscle supplement with ingredients designed specifically to help you build muscle, aid in muscle recovery, boost protein synthesis, and enhance your strength. It uses creatine monohydrate, myHMB®, branched-chain amino acids, and Astragin® to support your athletic performance, muscle health, and muscle recovery. Ready to take your workouts to the next level? Grab Muscle Health PLUS today!
