Introducing... Creatine by Cynthia Thurlow
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in your body’s muscles and brain. As with most of our naturally occurring elements, the production decreases as we age (think collagen), so we must take proactive measures to add what our body needs in an effort to continue to thrive and feel good in our bodies.
How does it work?
Creatine is an amino acid that helps create ATP (energy source for our bodies); it helps deliver energy to our mitochondria (powerhouses of our cells) positively impacting lean muscle strength and brain cognition.
It is naturally found in animal products, but can be damaged by cooking, which is why supplementation is so beneficial. Creatine by Cynthia Thurlow is monohydrate: pure, unadulterated form of creatine that our body can easily utilize.
Who needs it?
EVERYONE
Menstruating women
Perimenopause
Menopause
Research demonstrates that vegetarians, vegans and those on plant based diets need MORE creatine than the average omnivore.
Why do you need it?
- Gender Differences
- Creatine characteristics vary between males and females
- Females have 70-80% lower endogenous creatine stores than males
- The menstrual cycle may influence creatine homeostasis (equilibium/stability) due to the cyclical nature of sex hormone production
- Age related decreases in estrogen in perimenopause and menopause contributes to loss of bone and muscle mass (sarcopenia) as well as strength (dynapenia); lower estrogen contributes to inflammation and oxidative stress and may impact muscle protein synthesis
- Creatine supplementation has been shown to be a potential countermeasure to middle age decreases in muscle, bone and strength combined with strength training
2. Brain Health
- Brain health can be impacted by lifestyle choices, including nutrition, physical activity
- Creatine can play an important role in brain health and function, specifically areas of the brain that impact cognition, attention, memory (frontal cortex)
- The brain is one of the major organs for energy production in our bodies and it is why adequate creatine stores can be instrumental to support brain health and cognitive performance. As we age, our stored creatine levels tend to decrease.
- There’s also research to support that creatine supplementation may aid in increasing dopamine levels (feel-good hormone) and improves mitochondrial function
3. Muscle Health Benefits:
- Increases strength, power and athletic performance without changes in body weight
- Supplementation with creatine monohydrate can help increase your muscles’ creatine stores (as phosphocreatine), this directly impacts ATP (energy), which allows your body to produce more ATP and can help exercise performance
- Augments lean body mass, bone composition
