Boost your muscles, your mood and your sleep

“During perimenopause, women experience hormonal changes that can impact energy levels, bone health, and muscle mass,” says Bonnie Jortberg, PhD, RDN, associate professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Taking a creatine supplement may help alleviate some of these symptoms and physiological changes.”

“The decline and loss of estrogen and progesterone can reduce creatine levels—which can increase the risk of muscle and bone loss—as well as mood changes,” says Mindy Goldman, MD, clinical professor emeritus and director of the gynecology program for cancer survivors and women at risk at the University of California, San Francisco. “There is emerging evidence that it may improve bone health, cognition and mood. There is also evidence that it may increase resting metabolic rate, which may improve insulin sensitivity, which helps manage weight and maintain more muscle mass.”

Research evaluating their use in the perimenopausal population has been extremely limited, although a small study recently explored the potential health benefits for women in perimenopause and menopause. “The study is still undergoing peer review, but the results are consistent with previous research showing that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training can support cognitive function, bone health, and muscle health in aging populations,” says the study’s lead author, Lauren Hall, an undergraduate student at St. Olaf College in Minnesota (working under the direction of Jenny Miller, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology). “What’s new – and exciting – is how these benefits extend specifically to perimenopausal women. This group often experiences fluctuating symptoms that aren’t always captured in traditional menopause research.”

“This is particularly significant because sleep problems often begin during perimenopause and can develop into other health problems,” says Hall. “We observed cognitive improvements in postmenopausal women, consistent with creatine’s known role in brain energy metabolism. In perimenopausal women, the cognitive effects were more subtle but still promising.”