How to Supplement with Real Food: Creatine

Creatine and Its Natural Food Sources: Fueling Strength and Energy

Creatine is one of the most studied and effective compounds in sports nutrition. Known primarily for its role in enhancing exercise performance and muscle growth, creatine also plays a crucial role in energy metabolism within our cells. While creatine supplements are widely popular, it’s important to recognize that creatine is naturally found in certain foods and produced in small amounts by our body.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound made from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscles, where it helps regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the primary energy currency of our cells. This is especially important during short bursts of high-intensity activity such as sprinting, weightlifting, or jumping.

Benefits of Creatine

• Improves strength and power: Supports repeated short, intense efforts during exercise.

• Increases muscle mass: Promotes water retention in muscles and supports lean mass growth.

• Boosts recovery: Helps reduce muscle fatigue and enhance recovery between workouts.

• Supports brain health: Emerging evidence suggests creatine may improve cognitive function and protect against neurological decline.

Creatine for Women in Perimenopause and Menopause

Recent research led by Dr. Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist specializing in female physiology, has highlighted the unique benefits of creatine supplementation for women in midlife. Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause — particularly the drop in estrogen — can negatively affect muscle mass, bone density, strength, and cognitive performance.

Dr. Sims’ key findings on creatine in menopause:

• Helps combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia): As estrogen levels decline, muscle mass is harder to maintain. Creatine supports muscle strength and can help preserve lean tissue when combined with resistance training → A randomized controlled trial by Forbes et al. (2021) found that postmenopausal women who supplemented with creatine during resistance training saw greater improvements in lean mass and upper body strength compared to a placebo group.
  Study link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111518

• Improves brain function and mood: Studies show creatine may help improve working memory, mental clarity, and reduce symptoms of depression, which are common during the menopausal transition. Brain fog, memory lapses, and mood fluctuations are common in perimenopause.
  → A review by Avgerinos et al. (2018) reported that creatine supplementation may enhance working memory, reduce mental fatigue, and improve mood, especially in women with lower dietary creatine intake.
  Study link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.10.019

• Supports bone health: Estrogen also plays a role in bone remodeling. Creatine, combined with resistance training, may help slow bone mineral density loss → Chilibeck et al. (2015) found that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training helped preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
  Study link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2015.03.003

• Boosts energy availability: With lower estrogen, women may experience greater fatigue. Creatine helps replenish ATP, enhancing energy production at the cellular level → Dr. Stacy Sims highlights in her book Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond (2022) that creatine is a key tool for supporting cellular energy and mental clarity in perimenopausal women.
  Book link: https://www.drstacysims.com/books

Many studies emphasize that creatine is not just for athletes, but is especially valuable for women over 40 to support healthy aging, muscle integrity, and cognitive resilience. These studies also point out that women tend to have lower baseline creatine stores than men, making supplementation even more beneficial.

Best Whole Food Sources of Creatine

Although the body synthesizes about 1 gram of creatine per day, most adults require about 2–3 grams daily for optimal function. Food sources provide an additional 1–2 grams depending on diet.

Here are the top natural sources of creatine:

• Red Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb): Among the richest natural sources. A 3-oz (85 g) serving of beef provides about 0.9–1 g of creatine.

• Poultry (Chicken, Turkey): Contains moderate amounts (~0.4 g per 3 oz serving).

• Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Cod, Herring): Excellent sources, with herring offering up to 1 g per 3 oz serving.

• Game Meats (Venison, Elk): Similar to beef, high in creatine content.

• Note for Vegetarians and Vegans: Plant-based foods contain little to no creatine. Because of this, vegetarians and vegans often have lower baseline muscle creatine levels, which makes supplementation particularly beneficial for these groups.

Should You Supplement?

For individuals who train intensely, creatine supplementation is an efficient way to saturate muscle creatine stores. While food can provide a steady intake, achieving the levels shown in research to maximize performance (about 3–5 g/day) often requires supplementation.

But creatine isn’t just for athletes.

For women over 40, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, supplementation can be a powerful tool. As hormonal changes accelerate muscle and bone loss, creatine can help counteract these effects — especially when paired with resistance or strength training. This has been emphasized in both clinical trials and by experts like Dr. Stacy Sims, who advocates for creatine as a fundamental supplement for women in midlife.

Ways to Improve Creatine Absorption

1. Take Creatine with Carbohydrates (and/or Protein)

• Carbohydrates increase insulin release, which helps shuttle creatine into muscle cells.

• Studies show combining creatine with carbs (like fruit juice or oatmeal) or carbs + protein (like a smoothie with milk and banana) enhances uptake compared to taking creatine alone.

2. Stay Consistent with Daily Intake

• Muscles need to become saturated with creatine for you to see benefits.

• Consistency matters more than timing. Most people take 3–5 g/day.

• Skipping days can lower intramuscular creatine stores.

3. Hydrate Well

• Creatine pulls water into muscle cells, so dehydration can reduce effectiveness.

• Adequate water intake helps maximize performance and minimize any risk of bloating.

4. Post-Workout Timing (Slight Advantage)

• Taking creatine after exercise, especially with a carb/protein-rich meal, may improve muscle retention slightly compared to pre-workout.

• However, the key factor is daily total intake, not timing.

5. Combine with Resistance Training

• Creatine works best when paired with strength training.

• Exercise increases blood flow and enhances nutrient delivery (including creatine) into muscle.

6. Avoid Excessive Caffeine

• High doses of caffeine (5+ cups/day) may blunt some performance benefits of creatine.

• Moderate coffee or tea consumption is generally fine.

Looking for ways to incorporate these nutrient-dense foods into your meals? Explore our recipe section for delicious, easy-to-make dishes that help maximize nutrient absorption!

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Sources:

• J Appl Physiology – Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans (2020)
• JISSN- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine (2017).
• Experimental Gerontology. Association of Klotho with physical performance and frailty in middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review (2021)