Does creatine work for menopause symptoms? doctors have weight

it may seem Creatine is everywhere, with podcasters, wellness influencers, and maybe even your neighbor promoting the product. In fact, creatine market Is Estimate to increase in America and Canada.

The supplement, favored by some lifters and runners, is now promoted for memory and cognitive issues during healthy aging such as perimenopause and menopause. But doctors say that the evidence in this regard is not solid.

If you’re already taking creatine or are considering doing so, here are some factors to consider including who might benefit, what’s less obvious, as well as the safety of the product.

What is creatine and what does it do in the body?

Creatine is a nitrogen-containing compound that people can get from their diet by eating meat and fish. Since creatine is not found in it plantsScientists say vegetarians and vegans can benefit From supplements, most of which are synthesized without being extracted from animals.

Animals, including humans, store creatine primarily in muscles. When we get enough amino acid building blocks through the diet, such as by eating oily fish like herring, the liver and kidneys also synthesize creatine.

As far as its role is concerned, during muscular activity, creatine helps to create short-term supply of energy Which is necessary for maintaining heartbeat, growth and repair of cells.

Who traditionally takes creatine supplements?

athletes have used creatine supplements To enhance resistance training, such as in bodybuilding. researcher It has also been suggested that it may improve performance in sports that require intense activity.

While studies have focused on creatine supplementDoctors say supplements should include factors such as size, length and quality of research.This matters a lot for reliability. It is worth noting that studies on athletes may not apply The average person who doesn’t exercise that much, is sedentary or is already tired enough creatine From their diet.

Like protein supplementCreatine is promoted by some wellness influencers and podcasters for both weight gain and anti-aging, along with strength training.

Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, professor of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster Children’s Hospital, studied the effects of creatine with resistance training. among men And Without In women over 65 years of age.

Taking creatine supplements “clearly shows significant improvements in muscle creatine levels as well as muscle strength and muscle function,” said Tarnopolsky, who owns his own company that sells creatine supplements.

A “hefty teaspoon” of four to five grams is probably a sweet spot, he said. In contrast, some influential people suggest 20 grams per day, he said, which seems like too much.

Find reliable old answers

The latest message appears to be focused on how creatine can help aging bodies and minds, including those with menopause and perimenopause. This is an extrapolation based on studies that found that vegans given creatine supplements raised their muscle level aand improved His memory and concentration, Tarnopolsky said.

Other doctors say there is less evidence that creatine helps cognition or so-called brain fog. For example, some social media poSTS recently discussed one of the 36 trials perimenopausal and postmenopausal women More than two months. The researchers concluded that the supplement “may be a promising, safe, effective, and practical dietary strategy to improve clinical outcomes and increase brain creatine concentrations.”

For Dr. Jerilyn Pryor, professor emerita of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of British Columbia, the trial had too few participants and too many objectives to draw solid conclusions.

pointed to first Another observational study A sample of women in America gave several suggestionslet’s omenDiet does not meet the estimated requirement of creatine to remain healthy.

“I think it (creatine) should probably be on our radar and we should study it better,” Pryor said.

Dr. Christa Mullaly, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Fredericton, who promotes awareness of menopause symptoms, has another caution.

Medical researchers often look for statistical significance of a treatment – ​​evidence that the effect was beyond what might be expected by rolling the dice. But then it also has clinical significance – evidence that the effect of a treatment is big enough to make a real, meaningful difference to a person’s health, function or quality of life.

Because they aren’t always the same, Mullaly said, the study’s results may not apply in the real world.

Doctors say randomized controlled studies are needed that enroll larger numbers of people to test the supplement’s effect on brain function compared with placebo.

A look at security

A case study raised concerns that creatine is linked to kidney The supplement is not recommended for those with kidney disease and those with kidney disease. chronic disease. But it has no effect on kidney function healthy people.

Tarnopolsky said he has studied people who were given creatine and mitochondrial supplements for 25 years with no symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy or primary mitochondrial disease. Any harm, which suggests there is little risk when taken in moderate amounts.

For most people, if they take large amounts of any supplement, including creatine, it can cause gastrointestinal upset such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. That’s why he recommends taking it with food.

“People should take creatine in powder form, not gummy forms, which are mostly sugar,” Tarnopolsky said. “It’s not very expensive, which is why people are coming up with all these health care frauds because they’re trying to make money.”

In one review, researchers concluded that not enough is known about its safety. teenage athlete.

Women going through menopause often want to stay as healthy as possible and feel good for as long as possible, Mullaly said. But there is no magic pill.

Instead, Mullaly suggested:

• Get regular physical activity, including weight or resistance training.
• Eat a balanced diet that minimizes processed foods, simple carbohydrates, such as sugar or fruit juice, and alcohol.
• Stay socially active while managing high blood pressure or risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol levels.
• Get regularly screened for cancers that affect women in perimenopause, such as colon, breast and cervical cancer.
• Get enough sleep, including using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Mullaly said, “We sometimes get caught up in trends and forget the compelling, excellent evidence for basic behaviors that are fundamental but don’t make for interesting media.”