Why patients are wondering about creatine for healthy aging

The megatrend of the week: the name change of creatine for healthy aging

“Creatine” may conjure up a specific type of person: the athlete or fitness enthusiast focused on performance and muscle gains. But your patients who don’t go to the gym might be trying it too.

Creatine is having a big year. It’s also in the process of changing its name as it reaches a new demographic. SmartScout marketplace data shows Amazon’s annual sales nearly doubled, while “creatine for women” generated around 174,000 monthly searches on the platform, a 24% year-over-year increase.

A recent survey of around 2,000 creatine users tells us a little more about what women want from this supplement. Compared to men, female respondents were more likely to report “healthy aging” as a goal and less likely to report athletic performance.

Patients who ask about taking creatine for healthy aging could be referring to anything from a stronger body to a sharper brain. Probably both, if you look at what products are marketed to them in social media feeds.

Research is emerging in areas such as menopause and brain health, which may spark interest among patients concerned about muscle loss, brain fog, and associated mood changes.

So how should you approach conversations with patients who express interest in taking the supplement? Dosage is a pragmatic point to address.

“The practical outline is simple,” says Sohaib Imtiaz, MD, chief medical officer of Verywell Health. “Either a short load of about 20 grams (g) per day divided into four doses for 5 to 7 days, or just a constant dose of 3 to 5 g/day, which achieves the same muscle saturation over about a month.”

Overview of the week

What we see: Last month, editors noticed an increase in traffic for some articles about supplements, including creatine. One article on the effects of creatine on brain health, in particular, found a 60% increase month over month.

Why it matters: Readers are increasingly curious about the benefits of creatine outside of the gym. However, because research in this area is still emerging, patients may need help distinguishing promising research from proven benefits and setting realistic expectations.

Prepare for this patient question

Is there any reason for me to take creatine if I’m not focused on my fitness goals?

Internal medicine physician Mike Ellis, DO, explains how to provide context for patients curious about the benefits of creatine beyond fitness.

After age 40-50, maintaining muscle mass, strength and power becomes increasingly important but also more difficult. Loss of muscle mass and strength can lead to fragility, falls and loss of independence. Creatine and resistance training can help maintain lean body mass, strength and functional capacity. For brain health, studies in humans show that creatine supplementation can help improve memory, with the greatest benefits seen in older adults and those with low dietary creatine intake. There is less data available to support benefits for attention and executive function. When the brain is under metabolic stress from insufficient sleep, increased availability of creatine may help maintain cognitive performance and reduce some effects of mental fatigue.

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MIKE ELLIS, DO, INTERNAL MEDICINE DOCTOR

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