Why I Started Taking Creatine in My 40s

More strength, fuller muscles, faster recovery

October 5, 2026 at 12:00 am

By

Cory Ohlendorf

Editor in Chief

@coryohlendorf

Published

October 5, 2026

Cory has been reporting on men's style, grooming and lifestyle pursuits for over 20 years. He is the co-founder of Valet.

Published

October 5, 2026

Photography

Courtesy

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I’ve been working out fairly regularly for about five years now. Not obsessively. I’m not weighing chicken breasts or waking up at 5 a.m. to deadlift. But I lift, I sweat, I try to stay consistent and, somewhere along the way, exercise became something I genuinely missed when I didn’t do it. Still, as I moved out of my 30s and into my 40s, progress seemed to require a little more effort. Recovery definitely took longer. And adding muscle got harder. That is to say, the same workout didn’t quite produce the same results.

Then, a little over three months ago, I started taking creatine every day. I just mix it into my first cup of coffee and I noticed a difference surprisingly quickly. My muscles started looking fuller. I felt stronger. I was recovering faster and could come back to the gym ready to work rather than still feeling beaten up from the last session. Some of that visible fullness is exactly what creatine is supposed to do—it increases water content inside muscle cells—but research also supports creatine supplementation alongside resistance training for increasing strength and muscle mass.

But there are some unexpected benefits outside the gym, too. I’m talking about brain power and memory, particularly in older adults. I can’t scientifically prove that my morning scoop is making me sharper. But I’ll put it this way: my muscles feel fuller and, some days, my brain does too. If you’ve been thinking about trying creatine or worried that you’re not getting as much from your workouts, than this primer is for you.

It Helps You Get More From Your Workout

To be clear: You’re not going to take a scoop and suddenly feel compelled to throw another plate on the bar. It’s not a stimulant. Instead, your muscles store creatine as phosphocreatine, which helps replenish ATP (the energy your cells use for short, intense bursts of activity). That’s why it’s particularly useful for weightlifting, sprinting and other high-intensity efforts. In practical terms, that can mean squeezing out another rep or maintaining a little more power through your sets. Over time, those small improvements add up.

Your Muscles Look Better, Too

Honestly, this was the first thing I noticed. Creatine pulls more water into muscle cells, which can make your muscles look and feel fuller. Yes, that means some of the initial change on the scale is water weight. But don’t confuse that with simply being bloated. The water is being stored in the muscle. According to the Mayo Clinic’s doctors, when creatine is paired with consistent resistance training, it leads to greater gains in muscle size and strength as well. And when you’re in your late 30s or 40s and have been training for a while, seeing a noticeable change in the mirror is pretty damn motivating.

Recovery Feels a Little Easier

After the pump, this is the benefit I appreciate most now. At 25, you could destroy yourself in the gym, sleep six hours and somehow feel fine the next day. That is not currently my experience. Cleveland Clinic researchers found that people who regularly exercise often see improved recovery after intense exercise and even injuries. For me, the difference has been simple: I feel more prepared for the next workout. And at this point, anything that makes consistency easier is worth paying attention to, right?

There May Be Benefits Above the Neck

Your brain, like your muscles, requires a tremendous amount of energy. And creatine can increase phosphocreatine availability in the brain. Richard Keider, PhD, a creatine researcher and director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University, has been investigating whether supplementation can support memory and cognitive performance. He says that it not only helps you gain lean muscle mass as you get older, but it helps boost your brain’s memory and function.

It’s not going to turn you into Bradley Cooper in Limitless. But the fact that one of the most thoroughly studied sports supplements may have benefits beyond your biceps makes that unremarkable white powder suddenly much more interesting.

Should You
Creatine “Load”?

The idea is to take around 20 grams a day, split into several doses, for five to seven days to quickly saturate your muscles. After that, you drop down to a maintenance dose of about three to five grams daily.

But you don’t actually have to load. Taking a standard daily dose will eventually get you to essentially the same place—it just takes a few weeks instead of several days. Loading produces results faster, but those larger doses can often cause some stomach discomfort.