Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of creatine supplementation for improving strength and exercise performance in females, particularly pre- and post-menopausal women.
Results Summary
Creatine supplementation was found effective for improving strength and exercise performance in pre-menopausal females, while post-menopausal females may benefit from high doses (0.3 g·kg) in skeletal muscle size and function. Hormone-related changes suggest supplementation may be particularly important during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, and menopause.
Population
Females, specifically pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women.
Effective Dosage
High doses (0.3 g·kg) for post-menopausal females; specific dosage for pre-menopausal females not mentioned.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
creatine supplementation | increase | strength and exercise performance | pre-menopausal females | - | appears to be effective for improving | #1 |
creatine supplementation | increase | skeletal muscle size and function | post-menopausal females | - | may also experience benefits in | #2 |
- | decrease | endogenous creatine stores | females | 70-80% lower | exhibiting | #3 |
Despite extensive research on creatine, evidence for use among females is understudied. Creatine characteristics vary between males and females, with females exhibiting 70-80% lower endogenous creatine stores compared to males. Understanding creatine metabolism pre- and post-menopause yields important implications for creatine supplementation for performance and health among females. Due to the hormone-related changes to creatine kinetics and phosphocreatine resynthesis, supplementation may be particularly important during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, during and post-menopause. Creatine supplementation among pre-menopausal females appears to be effective for improving strength and exercise performance. Post-menopausal females may also experience benefits in skeletal muscle size and function when consuming high doses of creatine (0.3 g·kg