Energy crisis? Take creatine and magnesium together

ENERGY CRISIS? WHY CREATINE AND MAGNESIUM ARE A GREAT TAG-TEAM

Energy, do you know her? If you’re struggling to keep up with work, kids, mental health, your energy crisis might not be as expensive a fix as you think. No, you don’t need a PA (wouldn’t that be nice?).

Here’s the science behind your energy system, but Netflix-friendly so the acronyms stick. There are three main characters: ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which carries energy; magnesium, which makes it usable; and creatine, the plot-twist mic-drop that tops ATP back up when demand peaks.

When these run low, we feel out-of-control-tired. Stress eats magnesium (most of us are low). Women also tend to be lower in creatine because we generally eat less meat, and modern diets don’t help. We're not eating organs for breakfast or living off mineral-rich soil anymore.

Add in hormones, menstruation, or the fireworks of peri and menopause, and energy becomes less about performance and more about survival, keeping our head above water.

THEY NEED EACH OTHER: WHY YOUR ENERGY SUPPLY NEEDS A TEAM

Can you see where all of this is heading? Energy systems. Recovery. Resilience.

It’s not one or the other. Magnesium and creatine don’t do the same thing. They’re different characters supporting different scenes in your own personal (Netflix) energy series.

Magnesium supports the energy system under stress, low mood, and fatigue. We use more of it during periods of stress(like exams), and low magnesium levels have been associated with anxiety. Supplementation has also been linked to improvements in people withdepression and chronic fatigue.

Creatine helps replenish energy quickly when demand is high, in both the body and the brain. Sports science research since the 90s has shown creatine supplementation improves physical performance, muscle size, lean body mass, and recovery, with growing support for its role in maintaining muscle as we age.

More recent research shows that creatine also supports energy production in the brain, with links to improved cognition and brain health under stress and sleep deprivation, potential benefits for symptoms of depression, and support for brain recovery following injury.

Your energy system needs them both to function. Creatine feeds into the same energy system that depends on magnesium. Foundational biochemistry established decades ago shows that ATP only functions with magnesium, while smaller, more recent studies suggest that how much magnesium we have may also influence how effectively creatine supports strength outcomes. 

Different roles. Same system. Taken together, your energy crisis shifts from wrung out to resilient.

HOW TO DO CREATINE AND MAGNESIUM RIGHT

Let’s start with creatine, which has the most chat around how to take it. Unless you’re an athlete or working with a health expert for medical reasons, we recommend going low and slow.

Start with a 2.5g per day and gradually build up to a regular 5g daily dose over 1-2 weeks. You should still see results without upsetting your system.

We chose the form Creatine monohydrate for High Flyer because it's the form used in thousands of studies. Researchers favour it because it’s identical to the creatine your body already produces, making it highly bioavailable. Other forms (ethyl ester and buffered creatine) haven't shown any clear advantages, and newer forms like creatine hydrochloride (HCl) don’t have the research backing.

High Flyer uses Creatvitalis^®, a micronised creatine monohydrate made with a water-based wash, rather than acid processing. The result is a super-fine powder that’s easier to mix, produced with no impurities, and for many, easier to tolerate.

Magnesium is less about protocol and more about choosing the right form. There are more than 12 forms, absorbed differently depending on what they’re bound to. Forms like glycinate, citrate, chloride, and aspartate are typically better absorbed. We use magnesium bisglycinate in Ready & Rested because glycinate has a calming effect and is gentle on the stomach. 

Most adults need around 300–400mg per day,  which is a hard flex from food alone (you’d need to eat around 12 bananas a day). Three capsules of Ready & Rested will give you 375mg. That’s your daily dose sorted.

As for timing, consistency matters more than precision. Creatine can be taken at any time, though timing it around your workouts might work for you. Magnesium is great to take towards the end of the day, after dinner, to help soothe your nervous system. 

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIFT TO BENEFIT FROM MAGNESIUM AND CREATINE

Once your energy system has the right materials to work properly, the world is your oyster, biologically speaking. Creatine is best known for helping people train harder, improve performance and increase muscle mass. But for women managing hectic schedules and hormones, while shouldering the task of keeping everything ticking over, the benefit is real life, not gym life. Research now suggests creatine also supports energy in the brain, particularly under stress, or when we’re tired and sleep-deprived (that woke us up, too). 

And no, you don't have to lift to feel it. The benefits of creatine aren’t limited to resistance training. Gardening, yoga, running after (or away from) the kids, carrying the grandkids, and chasing the dog, it all counts.

Magnesium supports recovery in every sense: muscles, bones, and the nervous system.

When sleep patterns get put through the ringer and you’re coping without sleep during the day, magnesium helps soothe the nervous system into a more sleep-ready state, while creatine supports cognition if you’re functioning on two hours kip a night.

Cramps of any sort, hormonal or inexplicable (banjo leg at night, is that you?), can be eased with magnesium. It’s also been linked to improved nervous system regulation. And for women holding their breath through PCOS, menstrual cramps or the bigger hormone ballbusters like endometriosis and adenomyosis, magnesium is often the go-to nutritionist's recommendation to their clients to manage the pain and discomfort.

Together, magnesium and creatine offer the kind of main-character energy you actually need, with none of the fritzed-out synthetic highs and lows of sugar, caffeine, or other mood-fandangoing fixes.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS WORK FOR YOU

Whilst it’s not rocket science, there is a knack to supplement life. Start from the bottom: choose clean-label supplements with as few ingredients as possible, and ones that tell you (clearly) what's inside. Follow the instructions. Always. More is never better. Start slow. Always.

Hydration matters more than most people realise. Your body needs water to absorb and use supplements properly. If you’re pushing your body hard in training, travelling, or spending time in hot climates, electrolytes can help you stay balanced. Especially if you’re regularly getting a sweat on.

Our team have refined their own supplement protocols over the years, and when it comes to magnesium, we’ve consistently seen our sleep and recovery improve by supplementing towards the end of the day.

Above all things, always listen to your body. Some people prefer spreading creatine and magnesium throughout the day, while others need to take everything together to stay consistent. Finding what works for you and your digestion is always more important than following a strict protocol.

IS IT SAFE? YES. HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT EVEN SAFER

Both creatine and magnesium are generally well tolerated by most people. As with any supplement, if you’re taking something new and have existing health concerns, particularly kidney or heart conditions, or if you’re on medications, we’d advise you to speak with a health practitioner first.

Creatine does come with some ‘care instructions’, especially at higher doses. In the first couple of weeks, people notice mild bloating or slight nausea. This is normal. Creatine draws water into your muscles, which can feel uncomfortable for some at first. If you're prone to tummy issues, try taking creatine with a meal (with plenty of carbs) or in a shake to improve absorption.

Historically, creatine picked up a bad reputation for "affecting kidney function",  this came from creatinine (a normal by-product of creatine metabolism) being mistaken as a medical marker of kidney strain. Extensive long-term research studies show no harmful effects on kidney or liver function in healthy people, even at high doses. However, let your doctor know that you are taking creatine so they can interpret your blood tests more accurately, as your creatinine levels will increase.

Listen to your body and introduce creatine gradually into your routine, and you should find the experience much more comfortable.

Creatine and magnesium. The stuff that keeps your energy system humming. We can’t promise miracles, because life will always get in the way, but keeping your magnesium and creatine stores sufficiently stocked makes it easier to maintain steady energy, recover well, dust yourself off, and go again.

Now you’ve got the power, what are you going to do with it?

References:

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