Con-Crēt, Vireo Systems’ creatine brand, announced a clinical study that found creatine hydrochloride supported cognitive test improvements in perimenopausal and menopausal women.

The randomized, double-blind, study of 36 women, published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association, compared a placebo group against a group of women receiving a low (750 mg) dose of creatine HCl, a medium (1,500 mg) dose of creatine HCl, and a combination of creatine HCl and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) daily for eight weeks.

Across a cognitive test battery, the low-dose group saw significant improvements in measures of alertness, executive control, processing speed, and reaction time. The medium-dose group experienced enhanced reaction times, reduced mood swings, and concentration difficulties. The combination group saw improvements in measures of anxiety and alertness. Meanwhile, no significant changes were observed in those taking a placebo.

The low-dose creatine HCl group saw the largest increase in brain creatine levels across nine of the 13 brain regions, including frontal gray and white matter. The medium-dose group and the HCl/EE group saw elevated brain creatine concentrations, but to a lesser extent.

The interventions were each well-tolerated, with no serious adverse effects or weight gain reported. Mild side effects such as heartburn were transient.

“For decades, creatine research has centered on creatine monohydrate and on men. This study marks a major shift, highlighting benefits for menopausal women and looking at a more bioavailable form of creatine,” said Mark Faulkner, founder and CEO of Vireo Systems. “This is significant because creatine is the most important, foundational supplement people can take because it is the rate-limiting molecule for all cellular energy in the body, and women often need more supplementation of this compound because their bodies store less.”

Vireo reported that it is planning follow-up studies examining creatine in women, and for additional health indications outside of (peri)menopause.

According to Con-Crēt, Creatine HCl has seven-times greater concentration and 59-times higher solubility than creatine monohydrate. This heightened absorption allows for the use of smaller doses and improved results, along with reduced side effects like bloating, cramping, water retention, and digestive discomfort, the company reported.