Creatine has quietly evolved from a niche performance enhancer into one of the most widely used supplements in modern fitness.
Once associated almost exclusively with elite athletes and bodybuilders, it’s now a staple in everyday routines — from gym newcomers to experienced lifters — thanks to its well-documented benefits across both physical and cognitive performance.
But what happens when someone pushes beyond the recommended dose?
That’s exactly what menopause fitness expert Debra Atkinson set out to explore — albeit unintentionally — after she found herself taking significantly more creatine than usual over a two-week period.
Creatine plays a crucial role in how the body produces energy. Naturally stored in muscles, it fuels short bursts of high-intensity activity — the kind of explosive output needed for sprinting or lifting heavy weights. While small amounts can be obtained through foods like red meat and fish, supplementation allows users to significantly increase their available stores.
This boost is why creatine has become so popular. It’s widely recognised for improving strength, supporting muscle growth, and even contributing to better focus, mood, and short-term memory.
For Atkinson, however, the experiment began by accident.
“So, I was doing about three times [around 21-24g] the normal dose [around 5g],” she explained on YouTube.
The 61-year-old, also known as Flipping50 online, had used creatine before. But now, five years post-menopause, this was a fresh attempt — and at a much higher intake than typically advised.
What followed was a noticeable shift in how she felt day-to-day.
One of the most immediate changes came in her cognitive performance and energy levels. Rather than fading as the day progressed, she found herself maintaining clarity and focus well into the evening.
She said she was no longer “losing my attention span later in the day” and instead remained “attentive and focused”.
It went further than that.
No longer “losing my train of thought”, she also noticed she wasn’t “exhausted at the end of the day”.
“I realised, okay, this works,” she explained. “And I was focusing better. I was not sleep deprived.”
For many, that kind of sustained mental energy is just as valuable as any physical gain — particularly in a stage of life where hormonal changes can impact both mood and cognition.
Another unexpected area where Atkinson saw improvement was migraines.
Travelling frequently, she admitted, headaches were a regular issue.
“I had a major headache and migraine – and I get them every so often,” she said. “And a lot of women in midlife menopause and beyond tend to get them more than they ever did, maybe for the first time in their lives.”
However, during her two-week period of increased intake, she felt there was a noticeable difference.
She believes that by “upping” her creatine, she was able to “decrease my risk of migraines”.
While some research has suggested creatine could support brain energy metabolism — potentially influencing headache frequency — it’s important to stress that Atkinson’s experience is anecdotal rather than definitive scientific proof.
Physically, though, the results were less dramatic.
Despite the higher dosage, she didn’t observe any visible changes in her body composition over the two weeks. But that didn’t come as a surprise.
Already well-trained and consistent with strength work, she described herself as being “closer to the end goal”, meaning rapid or noticeable muscle growth in such a short timeframe was always unlikely.
Her experience highlights an important reality: creatine isn’t a quick fix.
Even at standard doses, the supplement works gradually. Muscles need time to absorb and store it, with most people only beginning to notice tangible benefits after several weeks of consistent use.
Experts typically recommend a daily intake of 3–5g, emphasising consistency over timing.
Strength and conditioning coach Andy Vincent explained to Women’s Health: “The aim is to saturate all of your body’s creatine stores, so as long as you take it every day (at any time), you will reap the rewards.”
Dr Stacy Sims reinforced that approach, adding: “This is the ideal dosage proven to improve performance, brain health, bioenergetics and gut health, without any risk of bloating or gut issues.”
Taking significantly more than that, as Atkinson did, isn’t generally advised.
While her experience pointed to some positive outcomes, higher doses can increase the likelihood of side effects — including stomach discomfort and temporary weight gain due to water retention in muscles.
Creatine may be one of the most researched supplements in the world — but as this case shows, how you use it still matters.
And sometimes, even the most unexpected experiments can reveal just how powerful the basics already are.
Featured image credit: Flipping50 / YouTube / Sport Manual (Created with AI to help illustrate this story)
