I Stopped Taking Creatine for a Month — And WOW, Did I Feel It

Ania Nadybska
Jul 8
3 min read

Let’s set the scene: I’ve been lifting, training, moving my body like it means something for years. And for the past few of those, creatine was a staple. A scoop here, a scoop there. Nothing dramatic, just quietly part of my routine like brushing my teeth or talking to myself in the mirror.

But then I thought — is this stuff actually doing anything? I wasn’t seeing any fireworks. No Hulk strength. No dramatic before/after moments. So I did what any mildly skeptical, science-loving midlife woman would do: I stopped taking it.

Thirty days. No creatine. Cold turkey.

Here’s what happened.

Week 1: Nothing to See Here (Or So I Thought)

The first week was business as usual. My workouts felt fine. No sudden drop in energy. I was feeling smug, like maybe I’d just been shoveling expensive powder into my smoothie for no reason.

But then...

Week 2: The Subtle Slump Begins

By the middle of week two, I started noticing something: I was tired. Like, muscle-deep tired. The kind where you finish a workout and instead of that juicy post-lift high, you just feel... spent.

Recovery started taking longer. I wasn’t bouncing back between sets. My legs felt heavier, and weirdly? My brain did too. Like someone replaced my spark with a soggy dishrag.

Still, I pushed through. Because science. Because curiosity. Because I’m stubborn as hell.

Week 3: Okay, This Is Not a Coincidence

By now, I was sore in places that hadn’t been sore since I started lifting. Not good sore. What-the-hell-did-I-just-do sore.

Climbing stairs? A punishment. Doing squats? A threat. Even my walks felt like a slog. My muscles just weren’t recovering the way they used to.

And my strength? Down. Not dramatically — but enough to notice. I couldn’t lift as heavy, couldn’t push through the burn. My gym confidence started shrinking a little. Not dramatically. But enough.

Week 4: Mood Swings, Motivation, and WTF Fatigue

The physical effects were real, but the mental ones were sneakier. I felt cranky. Unmotivated. And for someone who usually lives for her morning lift — this was weird.

That sluggish recovery? It creeps into your brain. I started questioning my program, my schedule, even myself. Maybe I was just tired. Maybe I was overtraining. Or — maybe creatine had been quietly doing a hell of a lot more than I realized.

What I Learned From Quitting Creatine

Let’s be clear: creatine is not magic. But it is one of the most studied, safest, and most effective supplements out there — especially for women in midlife.

Here’s what it had been doing for me all along:

Helping my muscles recover faster
Boosting my strength output
Supporting brain function and mental clarity
Keeping inflammation at bay

When I stopped? I lost all of that. Slowly. Quietly. Until I was a sore, cranky shell of my gym self.

TL;DR: I’m Back on Creatine and Never Looking Back

The moment I started supplementing again, my recovery improved within the week. I was lifting heavier, sleeping better, and actually enjoying my workouts again.

Moral of the story? Don’t wait until you’re crawling up the stairs to realize what’s working.

So yeah — creatine works. Maybe not with glitter and fireworks. But if you’re a woman in midlife looking to stay strong, clear-headed, and ready to take on the world? It’s worth its weight in gold.

Just don’t wait to find out the hard way.

midlifeTHRIVING