I’m asked all the time what’s in my cupboard. What do I actually take, as someone who spent years in pharmacology before I became a menopause coach? People expect a long list. A shelf of powders and pills, some clever stack I’ve been quietly perfecting.
The honest answer is much more boring than that. There’s really only one supplement I take every single day, without fail, and have done for years.
It’s creatine.
Not because it’s having a moment on Instagram, although it is. Because when you strip away the marketing and look at what’s actually been studied, creatine is one of the most-researched, best-evidenced supplements there is. And for women in midlife specifically, it works on the exact things that quietly start slipping in our forties and fifties.
Let me tell you why it earned its place.
First — no, it’s not just for gym bros
This is the myth I most want to bin. For decades creatine was marketed almost entirely to young men chasing muscle, so that’s who we picture: the protein-shake, big-arms crowd. And because of that, a whole generation of women wrote it off as “not for me.”
That’s a shame, because the research on women — and midlife women in particular — is genuinely encouraging. Here’s the thing worth knowing: women naturally store less creatine than men, and we tend to get less of it from our diets. So topping it up isn’t about chasing “gains.” For us, it’s closer to filling a tank that was running lower to begin with.
What it actually does (and what I’m honest about)
I’ll give you the pharmacologist’s version — measured, not hyped.
Muscle and strength. This is the best-established benefit. Paired with resistance training, creatine helps you get more out of the training you’re already doing — a little more strength, a little more in the tank for those last hard reps. And since holding on to muscle is one of the biggest challenges of menopause, when falling oestrogen makes it harder to keep, that matters enormously.
Bones. This is a newer and really interesting area. There’s growing evidence that creatine, combined with strength training, may support bone health — and bone density is something we lose faster after menopause. It’s not a magic bullet, but as one more thing on the side of your skeleton, it’s welcome.
Brain, energy and mood. This is the part almost nobody told women about, and it’s the one I find most exciting. Your brain is an energy-hungry organ, and creatine plays a role in how cells produce energy. The emerging research suggests it may support memory, focus and mood — especially during times of hormonal change, stress or poor sleep. Which, let’s be honest, describes most of us in perimenopause. I want to be clear that this evidence is still developing — but the mechanism makes sense, and it’s partly why I take it.
How I actually take it
This is where I save you money and faff, because the marketing overcomplicates it.
You do not need a “loading phase.” That advice — 20g a day for a week — comes from old studies on young athletes, and for the rest of us it’s unnecessary and just upsets your stomach. Three to five grams a day is all you need. The effect builds gently over a few weeks, so consistency beats cleverness.
I take one small scoop, every morning, in whatever I’m already drinking — water, coffee, a smoothie. Mine’s unflavoured, so it just disappears. Same time every day, so I don’t forget. That’s the entire routine.
The three worries — answered honestly
Because I’d want to know, here are the three questions I get asked most.
“Will it bloat me?” Creatine draws water into the muscle, not under the skin — so any small early change on the scales is water going exactly where you want it. It doesn’t make you puffy.
“Will it hurt my kidneys?” In healthy people, creatine has a strong safety record. The genuine caveat is that if you have kidney disease, or you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should check with your doctor first — as with anything.
“Will it make me bulky?” No. “Bulky” needs a calorie surplus, heavy training and hormones we simply don’t have. What it does is help you keep and build the muscle that keeps you strong and independent.
Why I made my own
Once I was convinced enough to take it every day, I got fussy about what I was taking. So much creatine is sold in tubs covered in flames and “EXPLOSIVE GAINS” — nothing that speaks to a woman in midlife looking after her brain, her bones and her energy.
So I made PausePower: pure creatine monohydrate, unflavoured, no fillers, no blends, no nonsense. Just the well-researched stuff, in a form made for us. It’s the one I reach for every morning — which felt like the only honest way to sell it.
If you’ve been curious about creatine but weren’t sure it was “for you,” I hope this settles it. It’s not a magic powder, and it doesn’t replace strength training, protein or sleep — nothing does. But as one simple, evidence-based thing to stack on top of looking after yourself in midlife? It’s the one I’d never skip.
If you want the full science — what the research actually shows on muscle, bones and brain, the right dose, and the safety questions answered properly — I’ve written a complete guide here: Creatine for Women Over 40: the full guide.
Marleen Konijnenberg is a pharmacologist and Women’s Health & Fitness Coach, and founder of FemVital and PausePower Creatine. Her self-paced 6-week course, Strong Through Menopause, helps women build strength that lasts.
General information, not medical advice. Speak to your GP before starting a new supplement if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a health condition such as kidney disease.