Pursuit of Wellness
Episode: The Creatine & Strength Mashup Every Woman Needs
Host: Mari Llewellyn
Guests: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Dr. Andy Galpin, JJ Virgin
Date: August 18, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode tackles two pillars of women’s health and longevity: strength training and creatine supplementation. Host Mari Llewellyn brings in leading experts to bust myths, share personal stories, and lay out the science guiding women to take muscle health seriously—from their 20s onward. The conversation is radically honest, practical, and deeply encouraging, with clear takeaways for women at any fitness stage.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Breaking Down Myths: Creatine for Women
- Creatine is not just for “bros” or bodybuilders.
- JJ Virgin (01:02): “I wish I’d started this much sooner…when I was training people at Gold’s in Venice, it was such a bro dude thing. I was like, none of that, you know? And I just never looked at it.”
- Women often have less tissue stores of creatine, especially plant-based women, making supplementation more relevant.
- JJ Virgin (01:40): “If you’re a plant-based woman and you’re not getting enough, you’re not going to get it from your diet. You’re only going to make about a gram.”
- Creatine supports more than muscle: mood, cognition, bone health, and skin.
- JJ Virgin (01:50): “Great study in menopausal women, helping with depression. We know it helps with cognition, bones, skin, helps you work out harder…”
Myth: Creatine Causes Water Retention and Bloating
- JJ Virgin (02:17): “I have gotten more feedback on this supplement than anything else ever.”
- Reality: Fluid retention with creatine is intracellular (in the muscle), which is a good thing.
- JJ Virgin (03:23): “I have more water in my muscles. This is what I want, right? This is the best thing ever. I did not take creatine and put on body fat.”
- Dr. Andy Galpin (34:56): “Is it possible that some women might feel like watery or bloated from creatine? Yeah, but... on aggregate, is it a moderate risk? No. Do you see that reported a lot in literature? No.”
Dosing: Start Low, Increase Gradually
- JJ Virgin (04:59): “Now what I would do with someone is I would start them with a gram, then take them to two, then to three, depending on their size…somewhere between three to five grams and then you just always stay there.”
2. Strength Training: An Investment for Life
Why Start Early?
- JJ Virgin (07:03): “If you had it to do over again, you would start investing [in muscle] from the time you were born… the earlier you start, the better.”
- “It’s never too late.” Starting in your 20s or 60s, you always add dividends by building muscle now.
- JJ Virgin (08:27): “You would never tell a 60 year old, well, you didn’t start investing… I’d say here, start now.”
Encouraging the Older Generation
- Leverage what your parents already know: calisthenics, resistance (body weight), and the “Jack Lalanne” era.
- Progression is key: Even morbidly obese clients or those in pain can start with assisted squats and chair stands.
- JJ Virgin (16:00): “I’m doing this with someone right now who is morbidly obese...First thing was squats, but they weren’t even squats over a chair… just side of the chair.”
3. “Muscle Mommy” Phenomenon & Social Change in Women’s Fitness
- The “Muscle Mommy” movement is a reflection of female strength being normalized and celebrated.
- Dr. Andy Galpin (19:25): “You had a whole generation of females from that 1990s who were like, wow, I’m kind of getting to strength training. I’m kind of getting these things…Now these…turn into MDs and strength coaches and scientists, and now they’re… the Gabrielle Lyons. It’s now coming to the forefront.”
- Shift away from “bulky” fears—strength benefits are universal for women in performance and health.
4. Why Muscle Matters for Lifelong Health
- Introduction of the concept of Strength Span—living as long as you’re strong.
- Dr. Andy Galpin (26:23): “Your wellness span is going to be dictated in large part by your strength span because as soon as you start losing strength at age, then nothing else will function.”
- Physical strength enables independence, reduces sense of burden, and supports mental health.
- Dr. Andy Galpin (28:33): “When people feel like they're a burden, they don't want to do anything… Social isolation is a massive driver of long term joy, connection, purpose.”
- Strength training is causally linked to reduced risk of dementia and better cognition.
- Dr. Andy Galpin (29:43): “Grip strength predicted 30% of dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
5. Creatine as a “Life Supplement”—More Than Just a Performance Aid
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Creatine isn’t just for performance. Its benefits cover bone density, mood, brain health, mental health, and more.
- Dr. Andy Galpin (30:25): “So the small issues you see with creatine…on aggregate it’s an incredibly safe supplement to take. Benefits are in muscle and performance…there’s a little bit of research...on bone mineral density, mood, brain health, cognitive function…So you have so many benefits…with a high safety profile.”
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Safety and dosing:
- Dr. Andy Galpin (32:58): “Postmenopausal women took 4x the normal dosages for 2 years and had no issues.”
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Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (38:45): “Creatine is one of the safest supplements…but not only that for women, there might be additional benefits for women. Women have what seems to be lower creatine stores…”
6. Creatine: Evidence-Based Recommendations
- Best dose: 3–5g per day; higher doses may benefit brain and mood.
- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (40:31): “One pound of red meat might have half a gram of creatine…if you need a minimum of 3 grams, 3 to 5 grams for muscle, 10 for brain health.”
- Particularly helpful for:
- Those with low dietary intake (vegetarian/vegan)
- Women in phases of menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, or aiming for fertility support (discuss with your doctor)
- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (41:20): “If we know that women seem to have lower levels of creatine in the brain and that they are very responsive to creatine and it improves mood and memory, that’s extraordinary.”
7. Muscle: The Ultimate Organ for Longevity
- “The more healthy muscle mass you have, the greater your survivability against nearly anything that’s going to kill you.”
- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (45:29): “The most important organ from my perspective when it comes to longevity is muscle.”
- “The more healthy muscle mass you have, the stronger you are, the greater your survivability…There’s nothing more important. And it’s the only thing that we can control.”
- Women should resistance train 2–3 times per week, aim for higher protein intake, and prioritize functional movement.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- JJ Virgin [02:17]: “You might as well just say, take this and you’re gonna blow up... I have gotten more feedback on this supplement than anything else ever.”
- Dr. Andy Galpin [26:23]: “Your legs and your hands are the things that make you move throughout the world… they are your interface with the world.”
- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [41:20]: “If we know that women seem to have lower levels of creatine in the brain and that they are very responsive to creatine and it improves mood and memory, that’s extraordinary.”
- Dr. Andy Galpin [29:43]: “One paper found...low grip strength predicted 30% of dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
- Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [45:29]: “The more healthy muscle mass you have, the greater your survivability against nearly anything that's going to kill you… It’s the only thing we can control.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–04:30: Why Creatine is for Women, Not Just Men (JJ Virgin busts myths)
- 07:03–09:30: The “Investment” of Muscle—Start Early, Reap Benefits for a Lifetime
- 13:44–17:00: Beginner Progressions for Resistance Training and Functional Movements
- 19:13–22:37: The Rise of “Muscle Mommies” and Normalization of Strong Women (Dr. Andy Galpin)
- 26:23–29:50: Strength Span, Social Isolation, and Cognitive Health
- 30:25–34:52: Creatine as a “Life Supplement” and its High Safety Profile
- 38:34–43:41: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s Essential Supplements for Women and Nuances of Creatine Dosing
- 45:29–46:20: Muscle as the Cornerstone of Longevity—Training, Diet, and Metabolic Health
Takeaways
- Creatine is a powerful, safe, and underutilized supplement for women—benefiting not just muscle, but also mood, cognition, bone, and metabolic health, especially in periods of life with increased need.
- Strength training is foundational for functional independence, injury prevention, quality of life, and longevity. It’s truly never too late—or too early—to start.
- Empowering message: Women can define for themselves what “fit” or “strong” should look like—strength and health are for everyone, not just a certain image or gender.
For more expert interviews and practical tips on women’s health, subscribe to Pursuit of Wellness.