Habits and Hustle

Episode 489: JJ Virgin on HRT and Creatine HCL: The Protocol That Actually Works for Women

October 3, 2025

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  • Starting Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) at the first signs of hormone shifts, such as those experienced in perimenopause, can prevent issues like weight gain resistance, poor workout recovery, and other symptoms. 
  • Creatine HCL is presented as a superior form of creatine for women compared to monohydrate because it has significantly higher bloodstream absorption (over 85% vs. 15%), leading to fewer GI side effects like bloating. 
  • Tracking body composition via methods like DEXA scans is crucial for optimizing health, as demonstrated by a case study where a 3-pound net weight change resulted in a dramatic shift from 25% to 10% body fat by changing muscle and fat mass. 

Segments

Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet
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(00:00:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Prolon is a patented, plant-based fasting mimicking diet developed at USD’s Longevity Institute that triggers cellular repair.
  • Summary: The Prolon five-day program is designed to optimize function by triggering the body’s natural repair and renewal process at the cellular level. It is not a cleanse or crash diet, but a structured, plant-based program that keeps the body in a fasting state. Benefits include deep cellular rejuvenation, fat-focused weight loss, and improved metabolic health.
JJ Virgin’s HRT Protocol
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(00:02:16)
  • Key Takeaway: JJ Virgin began HRT in her early 40s upon noticing specific symptoms like feeling cold, constipation, and eyebrow loss, treating thyroid issues first.
  • Summary: Starting HRT at the first signs of hormone shifts, which can occur in the late 30s or early 40s, changes everything for women’s health and metabolism. JJ Virgin initially treated low thyroid function (TSH of 2.25) and later added testosterone, avoiding progesterone initially due to negative side effects like weight gain. Finding a doctor specialized in menopause is crucial because standard training often leaves physicians unprepared to manage individualized hormone replacement therapy.
Creatine Benefits and HCL Superiority
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(00:07:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Creatine is the single most important supplement for women over 40, aiding energy production, mental focus, and mood, especially when using the HCL form.
  • Summary: Creatine supports the phosphocreatine system to make ATP, benefiting both muscle and brain function, and is vital as women have lower tissue stores than men. Creatine monohydrate is poorly absorbed (only about 15% enters the bloodstream), causing GI distress and fluid retention for many women. Creatine HCL allows for a much smaller dose (1/7th the amount) with full absorption, eliminating bloating and GI issues.
Creatine for Travel and Cognition
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(00:16:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Creatine supplementation is highly effective for mitigating jet lag and improving mental performance during sleep deprivation.
  • Summary: JJ Virgin found creatine to be the best jet lag formula during extensive international travel by taking doses upon landing and throughout the day. Studies show that creatine helps maintain mental performance even when an individual is sleep-deprived, provided enough is available to cross into the brain. Researchers are now using the highly absorbable HCL form in neurodegenerative studies, replacing high doses of monohydrate that caused distress.
Body Composition Over Scale Weight
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(00:12:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Movement alone, like rebounding, will not change body composition; tracking what weight is made of, not just the number, is essential.
  • Summary: The body is not a bank account where exercise perfectly balances caloric intake, and focusing solely on cardio often yields poor body composition results. A case study showed a husband achieving a transformation from 25% to 10% body fat with only a 3-pound net weight change by implementing testosterone, adequate protein tracking, and creatine. Moving off the bathroom scale and focusing on body composition metrics like DEXA scans reveals true progress.