Creatine For Women For Weight Loss

Creatine supplements are popular among athletes and bodybuilders because they improve athletic performance. Creatine sales are estimated at $14 million per year in the United States alone. Side effects of creatine include bloating, which has kept many women from jumping on the creatine bandwagon, but in recent years, more and more women are using creatine supplements to gain strength and lose weight.

Creatine in the Human Body

Creatine is a natural amino acid found in fish and meat as well the human body. It is made mainly in the liver, kidneys and pancreas and converted to creatine phosphate. It's then transported in the blood, where it is used for energy. During very intense, short bouts of exercises such as weight lifting or sprinting, it is converted into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, and used as energy.

Performance Enhancing Abilities

Supplementing with creatine has been shown to improve strength, power and lean muscle mass because it gives the user the extra energy needed to perform intense exercise. In studies, bodybuilders have been shown to lift heavier weights and thus build bigger muscles, while sprinters benefit from increased explosive power that could lead to faster starts. Creatine also helps the recovery process so that users can exercise more often. The University of Maryland Medical Center cites numerous side effects to supplementing with creatine, including muscle cramps, muscle strains and pulls, high blood pressure, liver dysfunction, kidney damage and weight gain.

Weight Loss

Many women are afraid to supplement with creatine because of the risks of weight gain, but some studies have found that creatine can lead to weight loss in women because it offers the same benefits for women as for men, without the added fat gains. Women can use creatine to work longer and harder in the weight room to build muscle. This means they will be burning more calories at the gym and even when they are at rest, because muscle burns more calories than fat. Burning more calories throughout the day will lead to weight loss as long as women follow a sensible diet.

Dosage

In the past, it was recommended that athletes who were new to creatine supplementation begin dosage with a loading phase of 20 g to 25 g of creatine to make sure their muscles were full. Researchers now say loading isn't necessary, and supplementing with 3 g to 5 g of creatine a day is enough to keep your muscles loaded. Begin with 3 g for four to six weeks until your body becomes accustomed to the supplements and slowly increase the dosage to 5 g. The best time to take creatine is 20 to 30 minutes after your workout as part of your post-workout recovery snack.