Stacy Sims backs 3 grams a day with resistance training

stacy sims and menopause researchers are focusing on creatine as a low-cost add-on for women over 40, especially during and after menopause. The strongest case comes when it is paired with resistance training: that combination may help muscle, cognition and, possibly, bone health.

Women naturally have 70 to 80 per cent lower baseline creatine stores than men, and the gap is part of why the supplement is drawing more attention in menopausal and postmenopausal care. A 2021 study found that creatine supplementation with resistance training can help preserve muscle mass, improve strength and potentially support bone health in menopausal and postmenopausal women.

Dr. Michelle Jacobson on bone protection

Dr. Michelle Jacobson, a menopause specialist in Toronto and co-founder and medical director of Coven Women’s Health, said bone health may come through the tissues around it first. “The thought is that bone health is a bit of a secondary benefit from improving the other soft tissue structures that help make bones stronger,” she told Yahoo Canada.

She added: “If you improve the muscle mass and you improve the ligaments and the tendons, then you will better protect the bones. […] Resistance training and lifting heavier weights, in addition to doing the things you enjoy, really does have an important role in osteoporosis prevention, in preventing falls, in burning more calories and keeping your cholesterol down.”

3 grams a day, 3 times weekly

The European Food Safety Authority recommends at least 3 grams a day, combined with regular resistance training three times per week, to improve muscle growth among adults over 55. For readers deciding whether to try creatine, that puts the supplement in the same practical category as exercise programming: the dose only makes sense alongside the lifting plan.

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied supplements on the planet, and it is already used for exercise performance, lean muscle mass, strength, performance and recovery. It is a naturally occurring compound stored mainly in the muscles, where it serves as a fast-acting energy reserve. Micronized creatine monohydrate powder is the most popular and cost-effective form.

Brain fog and aging women

Emerging research links creatine to healthy aging, especially for menopausal and postmenopausal women. The supplement may improve cognitive functioning and help combat menopausal brain fog, memory loss and mental fatigue, which makes it more than a gym counter purchase for women navigating the menopause transition.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: if a woman over 40 is already lifting, creatine may be worth discussing as a support for muscle, function and possibly cognition. The harder edge of the story is the same one that shapes osteoporosis prevention: the benefit appears strongest when supplementation is tied to regular resistance work, not treated as a standalone fix.