In a brief interview, JJ Virgin discusses recent research showing creatine improves depression in menopausal women and outlines its broader benefits for cognition, bone health, skin health, and exercise performance. She notes surprising resistance and skepticism from the audience, particularly concerns that creatine causes water retention and weight gain in women.
Can you give us the tea on creatine?
Great study in menopausal women helping with depression. So we know it helps with cognition, it helps with bones, it helps with skin, it helps you work out harder. And I have been amazed because as I've been talking about creatine, I have gotten so much resistance that I'm blown away. Like, I have gotten more feedback on this supplement than anything else ever.
Is it the water retention, weight gain concern is the big one for women?
It is. Some of that fluid retention is amazing. It's in the That's the one, right? Goes back to you gotta use a bioimpedance scale because then you'll go, oh, this is awesome. I have more water in my muscles. And I don't know about you, but when I started taking creatine, I'm like, where has this been all my life? When I even did loading, 5 grams 4 times a day, because what you have to do is get your creatine stores up. But I have now a different way I would teach people to do it based on all the feedback I'm getting from people. And I've been taking 5 grams at least ever since.
