Protein and Creatine for Women’s Health: What Experts Want You to Know
Protein and Creatine for Women’s Health: What Experts Want You to Know
Author: Emily Grochowski, Certified Functional & Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
There’s a lot of high quality evidence suggesting that muscle health has a critical impact on your body’s ability to keep functioning well as you age. But, while resistance training has always been shown as a key method for building and maintaining muscle mass and function, the body also requires specific nutrients — especially amino acids (protein building blocks) — to support these highly dynamic structures in your body. In this article, Emily Grochowski, a Certified Functional & Integrative Dietician, breaks down why and how to get these amino acids through a steady supply of protein-rich foods and creatine.
Do Americans really get too much protein?
Despite increasing awareness of the importance of muscle health, there persists the unsupported belief that Americans consume too much protein. This idea exists in stark contrast to the latest research demonstrating that roughly 40% Americans are falling short of consuming even the minimum daily protein intake to prevent deficiency — about 0.8 grams/kg.¹ Women over 35, especially those managing chronic stress, are particularly at risk for low protein intake — raising their chances of sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass, strength, and function), osteoporosis, insulin resistance, cognitive decline, and increased fall risk.
For these reasons, and the fact that almost every body structure is primarily composed of proteins (along with water), many nutritional experts consider protein (or essential amino acids more precisely) to be the most important of the macronutrients in the diet. Despite increasing prices of certain protein rich foods like eggs, consuming meals and snacks centered around protein from both minimally processed/whole foods and potentially protein supplement sources is worth prioritizing.
How much protein does the average woman need?
For most adult, non-pregnant women, aiming to consume at least 100 grams of protein per day is an appropriate low-end threshold for adequacy in most situations. That said, to best support many wellness goals it's likely that a more optimal daily protein intake is closer to 1 gram per pound of body weight. To get protein in more easily, try easy-prep foods like hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, canned salmon, and beans. You can also supplement with protein powders and bars to fill gaps on busy days, but remember — whole food sources are always best for staying satiated, and often come with added vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrients and bioactives.
It’s also worth noting that since plant proteins contain a lower density and poorer balance of amino acids which are absorbed less efficiently, some experts suggest that people following vegetarian, but especially vegan diets, prioritize consuming 20-30% more than their omnivorous counterparts. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, try eating a variety of protein sources like lentils, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, and legumes to cover your bases.
Creatine: Not just for gym bros
Now let’s talk creatine — a nutrient that’s often misunderstood (and seriously underrated) when it comes to women’s health. In contrast to proteins which consist of many amino acid building blocks and play key structural roles in muscles and all other organs, creatinine is polypeptide (small protein made of just three amino acids) that can be created to some extent (especially in youth) without direct, significant dietary consumption.
Creatine is found in many tissues throughout the body, however, about 95% resides in the muscles where it plays a key role in fast-acting and/or high demand energy and power production. Despite being considered a non-essential nutrient by some experts, research suggests that creatine’s synthesis in muscle, heart, brain, and other organs declines with age, and that supplementing your body’s creatine levels through diet can have a positive impact on how you feel.²
Why take creatine supplements?
Even those individuals consuming an omnivorous diet that includes adequate or optimal protein including land animals and seafoods (the best dietary sources of creatine) may only get about 1 gram per day. And since plant proteins do not contain creatine, it may come as no surprise that lower levels of muscle creatine are routinely observed in those following vegan and vegetarian diets.
These insufficiencies/deficiencies are problematic, considering the many substantial negative impacts low creatine has on muscle hydration, performance, mass, and recovery. A significant body of scientific evidence also suggests that suboptimal levels may make one more vulnerable to greater overall fatigue, increased menstrual symptoms, cardiovascular disease, bone health, blood sugar related imbalances, neurocognitive issues, and may impair recovery from traumatic brain injuries.²
Supplementation of creatine monohydrate at 3–5 grams is generally recommended to avoid these symptoms. Creatine has an excellent acute and long-term use safety record across many demographic groups and can be taken any time of day since its benefits have been observed to occur over the course of days and weeks (not hours). This also means that consistent daily supplementation (versus just on workout/exercise days if you’re using it for athletic benefits) is likely to be most effective. The most common side effect is bloating and other digestive issues, however, these tend to be mild, resolve quickly, and can easily be mitigated by dividing the generally recommended dose in half (2.5 grams twice daily) or switching to a buffered form of creatine monohydrate.
The bottom line
All in all, consuming enough high quality protein ( and the amino acids within) is critical to long-term health and may not require supplementation to optimize intake. On the other hand, to maintain creatine levels, supplementing is key. If you've ever felt like “doing it all” has left your body running on empty, hitting your protein and creatine targets can be one way to refill the tank with science-backed fuel that helps you thrive.
Sources
1 Mathis, A. (2024, November 4). What Happens to Your Body When You Don't Eat Enough Protein. EatingWell. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7867087/what-happens-to-your-body-when-dont-eat-enough-protein/
2 Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7998865/
Emily Grochowski (MSN, RDN, CD (WA), CLT, CFIN) is a Certified Functional & Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from UW-Madison and Master of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She practices evidence-based, personalized, holistic medical nutrition therapy at the Institute of Complementary Medicine.
*Please note that while larger energy deficits can work well for some people in certain, short-term circumstances, be mindful to avoid overly aggressive calories restriction to minimize the risk of side effects like excessive hunger, hyper fixation and/or binging, fatigue, trouble sleeping, nutrient deficiencies, and generally stressing out your body to the point of unsustainability and/or regression. Importantly, excessive energy restriction is also counterproductive for sustainable body recomposition because it tends to increase losses in muscle mass and other lean tissues, which are critical in determining metabolic rate and supporting overall long-term wellbeing.
This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website, or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
