If you’ve spent any time in the fitness or wellness world lately, you’ve probably heard about creatine. But what exactly is creatine, what does it do, and is it just for athletes?
Here’s a simple breakdown.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a compound naturally produced by the body and also found in foods like meat and fish. Most of the creatine in your body is stored in your muscles.
Creatine plays a role in the body’s energy system by helping replenish ATP, a molecule your cells use for energy. This is especially relevant during short bursts of high intensity activity, like lifting weights or sprinting.
Creatine is also available as a dietary supplement. Creatine monohydrate is the most widely used and studied form of supplemental creatine.
What Does Creatine Do?
Creatine helps increase the amount available in your muscles. Research on creatine supplementation has traditionally focused on its role in exercise, strength, power and training.
But creatine research is no longer limited to the gym. Scientists are also studying creatine in areas including healthy aging, women’s health and cognitive function.
Is Creatine Just for Athletes?
No. While creatine has long been associated with athletes and bodybuilders, researchers are studying it across a much wider range of populations.
That includes women, older adults and people interested in areas beyond exercise performance.
What About Creatine for Women?
Creatine has historically been marketed heavily toward men, but women naturally produce and use creatine too.
Research specifically focused on creatine for women is growing. Scientists are studying how creatine may relate to exercise, aging and different stages of a woman’s life.
There are still important gaps in women-specific research, so there’s more to learn about how factors like hormones, age and life stage may influence creatine metabolism and supplementation.
Does Creatine Have Cognitive Benefits?
Creatine isn’t only found in your muscles. It also plays a role in energy metabolism in the brain.
That has led researchers to explore creatine and cognitive health. Some research has found potential benefits for areas such as memory, attention and processing speed, while the overall evidence is still developing and results have not been consistent across every study.
In short: creatine and brain health is an exciting area of research, but there’s still more to learn.
An Easy Place to Start
New to creatine? Adding it to your routine doesn’t have to mean another complicated step.
A commonly studied daily amount of creatine is around 3–5 grams. Koia Elite + Creatine contains 1,000 mg (1 gram) of creatine per bottle, making it an approachable way to introduce creatine into your routine or an easy addition to the creatine you’re already getting elsewhere.
As with any dietary supplement, consider your total creatine intake, follow product directions and talk with a healthcare professional if you have questions about what’s right for you.