JJ Virgin4x NYTimes Best Selling Author, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Hall of Famer

Why Women Should Take Creatine

7 Jan 2025 · 1 min

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In this monologue, JJ Virgin recounts her initial perception of creatine as a “bro‑dude” supplement and explains how she discovered its relevance for women, especially those over 40. She argues that creatine is likely the number‑one supplement for this demographic because it supports muscle strength, bone density, cognitive function, and skin health. Virgin cites a 2021 literature review in the journal Nutrients that documents significant benefits of creatine for women experiencing hormone‑related changes, and she highlights research indicating that women naturally possess 70–80 % lower endogenous creatine stores than men, making supplementation particularly important.

Chapters

Why didn't I know about this years ago? And in fact, I did know about it years ago, but I thought it was for the bros. Back when I was in college and graduate school, I used to take clients to Gold's Gym in Venice, the mecca of bodybuilding, to really show them what was possible when you leaned into resistance training. All the guys there were taking creatine. So I always thought it was a bro dude thing, and I never paid any attention to it. I now know that it is probably the number one supplement for women over 40. It helps with muscle strength, bone health, cognitive health, even skin wrinkles. There's lots of studies out there to support it. I'm gonna tell you about a 2021 lit review published in Nutrients Journal that found that creatine supplementation offers significant benefits for women over 40, particularly in the context of hormone-related changes. And it turns out that women have 70 to 80% lower endogenous creatine stores compared to men. So supplementation for us is even more important.