I’m A Busy Mom — This Is How Creatine Has Helped Me Build Muscle*

I have a confession to make: Despite having over a decade of experience in health and well-being, a nutrition degree, and a love of fitness, I was late to the creatine party.

I tried a couple of brands of creatine over the past several years (albeit inconsistently) and didn’t notice any big changes other than feeling bloated. I’ll also admit that I wasn’t keen on adding yet another supplement into my rotation, especially if it wasn’t feeling worthwhile and came with side effects.

Then, last year, as I began to pick up progressively heavier weights and focus more on strength and function, it occurred to me that there may be truth to all the hype—and my curiosity about creatine grew. Maybe adding it to my routine was worth another shot.

It absolutely was. 

Making the most of every workout

As a busy mom and Health Editor for mindbodygreen, I am all about efficiency. So, if I find the time to work out, I better make that time count. Creatine is a powerful tool to increase the efficiency (and results) of workouts—especially mindbodygreen’s creatine+ with taurine.

Right off the bat, I noticed I didn’t feel bloated the way I had with other brands. That instantly made it easy for me to commit to taking it every day (and I learned I should do so even on rest days). 

After about a month of consistent use, it was clear that creatine+ was totally worthy of a place in my daily routine.

I finally started to notice progress at the gym

Finally, I felt like I was getting more out of my strength training sessions. I’m far from a fitness influencer, and that’s okay, but I noticed with creatine+ I was getting more definition from my workouts (even in my legs—which have always been harder to tone).* 

 I also started to pick up heavier weights during my workouts—progress that I haven’t seen in years. Overall, I began to feel leaner and stronger. I had more energy during and after workouts, and it seemed like I was recovering more quickly.*

An unexpected bonus? When life got extra busy over the summer and I found myself hitting the gym less often for a bit, I stuck with my daily creatine+ and felt like my body had a strong and steady baseline that was harder to knock down. 

I didn’t feel like my hard work was rapidly disappearing just because life got crazy—which is a major win I’m sure any mom can relate to. I assume this is the magic of more muscle mass at work.

It’s helped me change my body composition*

We live in an amazing age of data, and it turns out creatine is one of the most researched supplements of all time.

Adding to that, people taking creatine lost 1-2% more fat mass than those not taking it.* 

While I haven’t done a true body composition measurement, I certainly feel like I’m gaining muscle.

It also makes sense that I now recover from even my toughest workouts more easily than I used to since creatine has been found to help reduce muscle fatigue.*

I also know I’m supporting my brain*

Then there are the numerous brain benefits, which I need in my life now more than ever. 

Creatine has been linked to improved cognitive performance, like better memory, attention, and reaction time, while offering extra support against mental fatigue (a constant threat for me). 

The addition of taurine is a game-changer 

And we can’t forget about taurine.

There are a lot of creatine powders out there, but few (if any) also combine it with the amino acid taurine. 

Taurine helps boost exercise recovery, minimizes muscular fatigue, and supports strength gains along with significant heart health benefits.* I’ll take it.

The takeaway

I’ve officially been on team creatine for about 7 months now, and I continue to feel and see the results. While I’ve followed a lot of crazy supplement protocols over the years, I can honestly say that creatine+ is one of the easiest, most effective, no-nonsense supplements I’ve used.*

I leave that pretty blue bag on the counter to jog my memory to take it. I usually put it in a glass of water first thing in the morning, or I add it to my water bottle if I’m on the go. 

That’s it—there’s no reason for me not to stick with something so simple yet beneficial.