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Instagram/@haileybiebr; Arrae Beauty Diet & Fitness I Tried Hailey Bieber’s Favorite Creatine Gummies for Two Months, and I Have Thoughts I Tried Hailey Bieber’s Favorite Creatine Gummies for Two Months, and I Have Thoughts Why these candylike gumdrops have converted me into a creatine-lover—plus, the other formulas I love
The supplement landscape has never been murkier, more confusing, or more overwhelming. While I have a pretty extensive wellness regimen, it feels like there are a million and one powders, pills, and gummies I “should” be adding to my routine. One supplement that keeps coming into the spotlight is creatine .
I first heard about creatine from my 62-year-old mother, who waxed poetic about the supplement. As someone who isn’t one to experiment with supplements, my ears perked up. Then, the influencer of all influencers, Hailey Bieber, posted on Instagram a few weeks later touting the same supplement—this time, a gummy version from Arrae. I thought: That’s it, I’m taking the creatine plunge.
“Creatine works like an energy recycler,” says Roxanne Pero , a Dallas-based obstetrician and gynecologist and part of O Positiv’s Medical Advisory Board. “Every cell in the body needs energy, and that energy comes from a molecule called ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. Creatine helps the body regenerate ATP more quickly, especially when energy runs low, and especially in tissues that use a lot of it, like muscle and the brain.”
As someone who works out five times a week, often in heated classes that push my body to depletion, I figured I was the perfect candidate for creatine. However, creatine is one of those supplements anyone can benefit from; it kicks in when our cells need more energy, like during strenuous exercise, but also during sleep deprivation and stress —and even perimenopause, menopause, and postpartum for women—which everyone experiences at some point.
“Active women in their 20s and 30s may benefit from improved training performance, while women approaching menopause or experiencing it may be interested in supporting muscle strength as part of a broader strategy that includes resistance training and adequate protein,” says Rachel Brief , a registered dietitian and wellness advisor at the Lanby. However, the supplement has gained traction among women in their 40s and above. “As a woman enters menopause and postmenopause, the decrease in estrogen contributes to age-related muscle and strength loss,” says Shilpa Raut, the vice president of R&D at Cymbiotika, who holds a master’s degree and a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. Creatine can help women maintain muscle mass, support steady metabolic health, and improve cognitive resilience, which often declines with age.
If you’re wondering why everyone isn’t already taking this “magic” supplement, well, I was too. I quickly discovered that this “gym bro” supplement had a bad reputation for causing bloating, which is not a risk I’m willing to take as a girl with a sensitive gut. However, Bieber’s favorite creatine, Arrae’s Tone gummies, are known for the benefits without the bloat. Not to mention, the brand swaps the typical chalky, white powder that creatine conjures for candylike gummies. “Creatine had always been marketed to men, because no one had ever presented it in a way that felt like it was made for women,” Arrae’s cofounder Siffat Haide…