This episode cuts through the noise and explains why creatine is one of the most effective, well-researched supplements for women, not just for building muscle, but for thinking sharper, recovering faster, and staying steady when life is heavy. We break down the physiology, the misconceptions, and the real-world benefits so you can use creatine with clarity and confidence.

I used one main paper to research all the mechanistic stuff for this episode. It is free to access and it's AMAZING:

Creatine Supplementation Beyond Athletics: Benefits of Different Types of Creatine for Women, Vegans, and Clinical Populations — A Narrative Review
Gutiérrez-Hellín J., Del Coso J., Franco-Andrés A., Gamonales J.M., Espada M.C., González-García J., López-Moreno M., Varillas-Delgado D.
Nutrients (2025).PMCID: PMC11723027 | DOI: 10.3390/nu17010095

Then some of the other studies I mentioned can be found here:

1. Single Dose Creatine Improves Cognitive Performance and Induces Changes in Cerebral High-Energy Phosphates During Sleep Deprivation
Gordji-Nejad A., Matusch A., Kleedörfer S., Patel H.J., Drzezga A., Elmenhorst D., Binkofski F., Bauer A.
Scientific Reports (2024).PMCID: PMC10902318 | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54249-9

What it’s aboutA high single dose of creatine helped offset the cognitive decline and metabolic stress caused by sleep deprivation, temporarily boosting brain energy systems and mental performance.

2. Creatine Promotes Endometriosis Progression by Inducing M2 Polarization of Peritoneal Macrophages
Chen S.-M., Liu Y.-K., Ma X.-Q., Wei C.-Y., Li M.-Q., Zhu X.-Y.
Reproduction (2024).
DOI: 10.1530/REP-24-0278 | PMID: 39679878

What it’s aboutThis study found that creatine can shift peritoneal macrophages into an M2, pro-growth state, which may accelerate inflammation, angiogenesis, and lesion development in endometriosis.

3. Effects of Long-Term Low-Dose Dietary Creatine Supplementation in Older Women
Lobo D.M., Tritto A.C., da Silva L.R., de Oliveira P.B., Benatti F.B., Roschel H., Nieß B., Gualano B., Pereira R.M.R.
Experimental Gerontology (2015).
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.07.012 | PMID: 26192975

What it’s about
A year of very low-dose creatine (1 g/day) was safe but too small a dose to produce measurable changes in bone health, lean mass, or muscle function in postmenopausal women.

Hi friends - this is a slightly different episode this week and it's designed to be used as a guided relaxation. If you're unsure of why a guided relaxation might be beneficial then please listen to episode #36 where I break down the science.

I don't want to say much on this script, just that I hope you get what you need (and more) from it.

Please let me know how it felt for you.

xx

Shona

Back pain is one of the most common health problems in the world — but also one of the most mysterious. Scans don’t always match symptoms, treatments don’t always provide relief, and many people feel stuck with ongoing discomfort.

In this episode, I explore chronic, non-specific low back pain through a biopsychosocial lens. Basically, we’re looking beyond just the spine to understand how biology, psychology, and environment all shape the way pain is experienced.

You’ll hear about:

• What makes non-specific low back pain so puzzling
• How pain perception actually works (pain ≠ tissue damage)
• Why the biopsychosocial model is key to understanding pain
• The role of self-regulation in shaping pain responses
• What research says about meditation for back pain
• How to reframe back pain when you feel like you’re hitting a wall
• Journal prompts to reflect on your own experience
  

By the end, you’ll have a new way to think about back pain, one that expands the options for healing beyond the body alone.

• Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129–136. (Origin of the biopsychosocial model)
• Study on self-regulation and pain: Wager, T. D., et al. (2013). An fMRI-based neurologic signature of physical pain. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(15), 1388–1397. (and related follow-up studies on cognitive self-regulation impacting autonomic markers — you summarised one in your notes)
• Systematic review on meditation and back pain: Cramer, H., et al. (2022). Meditation for adults with non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (Included 8 RCTs, ~1,234 participants, moderate-certainty evidence of small benefits for disability and long-term pain