Hi everyone!  Andria Van Mierlo here.  For those of you who don't know me, I am the owner of VM Fitline a personal training and nutritional coaching  company and one of the co-founders of VMA Labs.  I am also a competitive athlete and runner.  Today I am going to give you the low down on creatine and why I personally take  VMA Labs creatine daily and why I recommend my clients take it as well. 

 For years, creatine was labeled as a “bodybuilder supplement.” If you walked into a supplement store in the early 2000s, creatine was typically marketed only to young male athletes trying to gain muscle.

But science has come a long way since then.

Today, creatine is recognized as one of the most researched and scientifically supported supplements in the world, with benefits that extend far beyond muscle building. Research now shows that creatine can support strength, recovery, brain health, cognitive performance, and healthy aging.

At VMA Labs, creatine is one of the foundational supplements we recommend for nearly everyone — from athletes and active adults to women navigating perimenopause and menopause.

And it’s a supplement our entire VMA Labs family personally uses.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in the body and in small amounts in foods like red meat and fish. It plays a critical role in helping your body produce ATP, which is the primary energy currency of your cells.

ATP fuels nearly everything your body does, especially:

• Muscle contractions

• High-intensity exercise

• Brain function

• Cellular repair and recovery

Because the body’s natural creatine stores are limited, supplementation helps increase the amount available for both muscles and the brain.

Creatine for Strength, Power, and Recovery

The most well-known benefit of creatine is its ability to support strength and athletic performance.

Decades of research have shown that creatine helps:

• Increase muscular strength

• Improve high-intensity performance

• Support lean muscle development

• Speed up recovery between workouts

Creatine works by helping regenerate ATP faster during intense activity. This allows muscles to perform more work before fatigue sets in.

For athletes, that means:

• More power

• More reps

• Better training output

Over time, those small performance improvements translate into greater strength and muscle development.

Research also shows that creatine supplementation improves exercise performance and strength gains in both men and women.

Creatine for Women (Especially During Perimenopause and Menopause)

Creatine isn’t just for athletes—it may be particularly beneficial for women as they age. 

During perimenopause and menopause, women naturally experience:

• Loss of muscle mass

• Declines in strength

• Increased fatigue

• Changes in metabolism

• Increased risk of bone density loss

Creatine helps address several of these challenges.

Research suggests creatine supplementation can improve muscle strength, muscle mass, and bone health, especially when paired with resistance training.

Studies have also shown that creatine supplementation in peri- and post-menopausal women leads to significant improvements in lower-body strength and overall physical function.

For women trying to stay strong, active, and independent as they age, creatine can be an incredibly valuable tool.

Creatine and Brain Health

One of the most exciting areas of creatine research right now involves the brain.

Just like muscles, the brain requires enormous amounts of energy to function properly. Creatine helps supply this energy by supporting the brain’s ATP production.

Recent research suggests creatine may support:

• Memory

• Focus

• Processing speed

• Mental fatigue resistance

Studies show creatine supplementation can improve aspects of cognitive performance such as memory, attention, and information processing speed.

Scientists are also exploring creatine’s potential role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Early research suggests that increasing brain creatine levels may support brain energy metabolism and cognitive function.

While more studies are ongoing, the potential implications for long-term brain health are extremely promising.

Creatine and Sleep Deprivation

Another fascinating benefit of creatine that researchers have discovered in recent years is its potential role in supporting cognitive performance during sleep deprivation.

When the brain is fatigued from lack of sleep, its energy systems are under stress.

Creatine appears to help support brain energy metabolism during these periods.

Research suggests creatine supplementation may improve cognitive performance and mental resilience when the brain is challenged by sleep loss.

For people juggling busy careers, long work hours, intense training schedules, and family life, that extra support for brain energy can make a meaningful difference.

Why We Believe Creatine Is for Everyone

At VMA Labs, we believe supplements should be practical, effective, and backed by science.

Creatine checks every one of those boxes.

It is one of the most studied supplements ever developed, with decades of research supporting its safety and effectiveness.

And unlike many trendy supplements that come and go, creatine continues to show new benefits as research evolves.

Creatine can support:

• Strength and muscle development

• Athletic performance

• Workout recovery

• Brain health and cognitive performance

• Healthy aging and muscle preservation

• Energy production throughout the body

That’s why it’s a supplement used daily by our entire VMA Labs family — Greg, Andria, Jackie, and Axel.

Whether you're a competitive athlete, someone focused on longevity, or simply trying to stay strong and sharp as you age, creatine can be one of the simplest and most effective additions to your routine.

The Bottom Line

Creatine has evolved far beyond its reputation as a “gym supplement.”

Science now shows it supports both physical performance and brain health, making it one of the most valuable foundational supplements available today.

For athletes of any age, active adults, and especially women navigating perimenopause and menopause, creatine can play an important role in supporting strength, recovery, and long-term health.

At VMA Labs, we’re proud to include creatine as part of our supplement lineup because it’s a product we truly believe in—and one we personally use every day.