BY CLAIR WHITTY
By now we all have seen the benefits of creatine monohydrate to help build muscle in the gym. Big muscular men (and women), working out with a glass of creatine in one hand and a barbell in the other.
As well as helping with muscle building there is increasing evidence that it benefits women in peri menopause and post menopause.
As Estrogen declines it impacts how the body uses and stores creatine. Creatine is made in our body using 3 amino acids, arginine, glycine and methionine. We also can get creatine from protein rich foods such as red meat and fish.
As we age, we have a decline in muscle storage, called sarcopenia. With less muscle storage, we have less skeletal muscles to store creatine. Aging also shrinks type II muscle fibres, which hold the highest concentrations of creatine.
Lower creatine phosphate levels reduce the body’s ability to regenerate ATP. ATP equals energy for our cells. Our brain uses a lot of ATP. As we age creatine levels are reduced in the brain causing mild cognitive decline and mental fatigue. Because of the reduced amount of creatine in our muscles, the physical loading capacity is reduced, which indirectly accelerates bone mineral density loss.
Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. Daily creatine consumption can enhance the effect of resistance training on muscle strength in adults over the age of 55. With weight bearing exercise, creatine can help increase muscle mass and restore lower body muscle groups which are the muscles most aggressively degraded by the aging process, therefore improving functional mobility and helps increase bone density.
But studies also suggest that it boosts memory, attention and mental fatigue, depression and sleep!
Creatine might be something to consider for us peri menopause and post menopause women.
For men, the extra benefits of creatine are there for you too! You also lose muscle and ATP as you age. Taking creatine will boost you cognitively as well.
One Nutrition Pure Monohydrate Creatine is one of our customers favourites, as it its highly micronized it is more easily dissolved in water and absorbed in the body. One Nutrition Pure Monohydrate Creatine is a clean, single-ingredient formula with no additives
Drink plenty of water while taking any creatine supplements.
Call in for more information.
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