Creatine for Women: Benefits for Fitness, Strength and Healthy Ageing

While creatine has long been associated with sports performance, due to its role in building and maintaining muscle, it is now being investigated for its relevance to women’s health and fitness through different life stages. Women typically have a lower dietary intake of creatine than men.

In addition, their ability to metabolise creatine, and then turn it into energy that directly affects the use of calories, muscle strength and storage of body fat, is also different from how men metabolise creatine.

These differences have inspired nutritional research studies, the results of which have opened up potential new uses for creatine to be targeted towards women’s health needs. It is proving to be especially useful for women through their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, when reducing fat, strengthening muscle and supporting balance and stability become increasingly important, not just to maintain health, but to prevent injury.

While creatine may be the ingredient that is in the news now, a balanced approach to healthy ageing should extend beyond just one headline nutrient. This thinking has inspired the formulation of White Wolf Nutrition's new product, Elevated Creatine+, which provides five purposefully-selected ingredients that each bring different, yet complementary, benefits to a product designed with strength, movement and healthy ageing in mind.

1. Creatine monohydrate. This is one of the most extensively-researched ingredients in sports nutrition. Creatine monohydrate increases the availability of phosphocreatine in muscles, which supports the body’s ability to rapidly regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), its primary source of cellular energy. For women with a busy and active lifestyle, creatine is therefore particularly relevant, especially if they practise high-intensity exercise and strength-based training.

2. Marine collagen. Nicknamed the ‘building block’ of the body, collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body and a critical structural component of skin, bones, connective tissue and cartilage. The body’s natural production of collagen decreases with age, making collagen supplements a safe and helpful addition to a wellness routine for women. Marine collagen provides collagen peptides in a form that is easy for the body to utilise.

3. Glycine. This is an amino acid which the body produces naturally, as well as being present in protein-rich foods. Glycine is found naturally throughout the body, as well as being a major component of collagen. Glycine plays several roles within the body, including being involved in the synthesis of creatine.

4. Coconut water powder. Hydration is not just about drinking enough water. Electrolytes are minerals which play an important role in fluid balance, muscle function and related processes throughout the body. Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes, especially potassium, levels of which may become depleted during intense exercise. Whether the day is going to see you heading to the gym, going for a run, or simply navigating a busy round of appointments, supporting hydration is an important foundational step.

5. Vitamin C. Well-known for its role in supporting immune system function, vitamin C is also necessary for the normal production of collagen in the body, which in turn supports the function of skin, cartilage, bone and other tissue. Combining vitamin C with creatine, glycine, marine collagen and coconut water powder gives it a clear purpose within the complete formula.