Oles in the News: Student research featured in Women’s Health
An undergraduate research study at St. Olaf was recently featured in Women’s Health. Published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the study, led by Lauren Hall ’27, found that creatine supplementation could benefit women during perimenopause and post-menopause.
Overseen by Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Jenny Miller, Hall and her co-researchers explored the effects of taking five grams of creatine daily alongside twice-weekly resistance training for 14 weeks in 15 women that were perimenopause and postmenopause. Participants showed meaningful improvements in muscle strength — especially in the lower body — better body composition, enhanced sleep quality, and even cognitive function. Notably, one-third of postmenopausal women improved from mild cognitive impairment to normal cognitive scores.
“While creatine is well-established for its role in muscular strength and performance, the positive changes in perceived sleep and cognition, especially among postmenopausal participants, were encouraging,” Hall said in Women’s Health.
Hall explained that creatine may support brain energy metabolism and neuroprotection, helping stabilize sleep and cognitive resilience during hormonal changes.Read the full story in Women’s Health.