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Creatine is a popular dietary supplement used to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Taken by bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, sprinters, and other athletes whose sports involve sheer muscular power and strength, creatine is often considered the king of supplements — second only to, perhaps, protein powder. But what if you’re trying to lose weight? Maybe you’re a...
The post Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight? Registered Dietitians Explain appeared first on BarBend.
Creatine is a popular dietary supplement used to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Taken by bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, sprinters, and other athletes whose sports involve sheer muscular power and strength, creatine is often considered the king of supplements — second only to, perhaps, protein powder.
But what if you’re trying to lose weight? Maybe you’re a bodybuilder in a cutting phase or simply want to reduce your body fat percentage. Whatever the reason, you may be wondering, “Does creatine help you lose weight?”
It’s not an uncommon question, given its reputation as a powerful supplement for strength athletes. Creatine may have more of an impact on body weight and composition than you think, though. I asked two registered dietitians and a professor of allied health and kinesiology to help sort through the complex world of creatine and weight loss. Here’s what they had to say.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a compound created endogenously — inside the body — from the amino acids methionine, glycine, and arginine. It serves as a source of energy in your body during muscle contraction. (1)
It’s especially important for high-intensity, powerful bouts of exercise, like maximal weight lifting and supramaximal attempts, sprints, and jumping. Creatine’s role in the phosphocreatine energy system, one of your body’s two anaerobic energy systems, is what makes it so important during this type of training.
[Read More: Foods with Creatine to Fuel Your Next Workout]
Though your body can make creatine itself, you can get more by consuming creatine-rich foods, including red meat and poultry. Oral creatine supplementation via capsules, powders, or gummies is another way to increase your body’s creatine stores. (If you want the best of the best, check out our top picks for the best creatine supplements.)
Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight?
Creatine does not directly support weight loss, says registered dietician Avery Zinker — at least not in the way you might think. Zinker, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and weight loss.
Creatine isn’t the same as a dietary supplement that, say, promises to increase your metabolism or inherently burn fat.
“Creatine may indirectly contribute to weight loss through its ability to enhance performance during high-intensity workouts and resistance training,” Zenker tells BarBend. “By improving exercise performance, creatine can help support exercise activities that increase muscle growth, and exercise itself uses energy, which helps maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss.”
But that doesn’t mean you should rush to your creatine tub to help you lose weight.
Creatine is not a weight loss supplement and creatine itself does not directly decrease fat mass.
— Avery Zinker[/quote]
For individuals focused on losing weight, Zenker says that creatine supplementation can be beneficial if their fitness regimen includes resistance training or high-intensity workouts.
[Read More: Creatine Benefits All Lifters Should Know About]
“The enhanced performance can support more intense workouts, potentially leading to greater muscle mass and a higher metabolic rate,” she explains. “Increased intensity of exercise may lead to increased energy expenditure, which helps with weight loss.”
However, she continues: “For those whose primary exercise is cardiovascular and are not engaging in strength training, the benefits of creatine might be less pronounced in the context of weight loss.”
Weight Loss Vs. Fat Loss
It’s important to note that there are many factors at play when it comes to weight loss, Zenker says, energy balance being the major player. Zenker encourages anyone pursuing weight loss to pursue a healthy lifestyle that includes:
It’s important to distinguish weight loss from fat loss, too, says Dr. Adam Gonzalez, Ph.D., associate professor of allied health and kinesiology at Hofstra University. Gonzalez is also a certified sports nutritionist and Chief Scientific Officer at SHIFTED.
“Many individuals remain worried about supplementing with creatine when they have a goal of losing fat,” he tells BarBend. “This is likely due to the fact that creatine supplementation can be associated with weight gain, particularly in [cisgender] men. However, research has clearly shown that creatine does not increase fat mass in men or women, and the weight gain is strictly in the form of lean body mass.”
Put simply, creatine can, in fact, increase your body weight. But that weight gain is likely to be in the form of lean muscle mass, not fat mass, Gonzalez says. Reducing body fat but gaining weight via muscle growth is body recomposition, and that’s ultimately what will result in a lean, muscular physique.
As for how exactly that works, Gonzalez explains that creatine monohydrate supplementation increases creatine stores in the muscle by 20 to 40 percent. (2)
[Read More: Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? Here’s What the Science Says]
This increases the amount of creatine phosphate in the muscle, which serves as a reserve of high-energy phosphate that is used to rapidly convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) back to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In other words, Gonzalez says, “Creatine supplementation facilitates rapid energy regeneration during high-intensity activities.”
This can favorably impact body weight and body composition in a few ways, according to Gonzalez:
Creatine and Bloating
But what about the “puffiness” or bloating that creatine users often complain of?
Jenna Stangland, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CLT, is a registered sports dietitian who serves as a nutrition advisor for supplement brand Momentous and as the sports dietitian for the Minnesota Timberwolves. She tells BarBend that this common side effect of creatine, which many people take as weight gain or fat gain, is simply a case of water retention.
“When in the early stages of creatine supplementation, there is a slight increase in total body water when the creatine stores in the muscle increase,” she says.
[Read More: Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?]
“This happens because creatine is osmotically active, so it gets taken up by the muscle via a sodium transporter, which causes water to be taken up as well,” Stangland explains. The good news is that this is not a permanent side effect of creatine. “Studies have shown that this is not a long-term effect, and even after training with creatine for five to 10 weeks, studies showed no increase in total body water.” (3)
Water retention is more likely to occur during a loading phase of creatine, which involves ingesting substantially more creatine than the typical recommended daily dose for a short period of time (usually five to 10 days). After those first days, Stangland says, total body water typically returns to its norm. (3)
How Creatine Affects Your Body
About 95 percent of creatine is stored in the body’s skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, says Stangland. As such, it has a huge impact on muscular function.
“Phosphocreatine contributes to energy availability by recharging your ATP stores during exercise,” Stangland tells BarBend. “Creatine can increase the energy produced during heavy lifting or anaerobically-related exercise, thereby increasing muscle power, number of repetitions and exercise volume, which can subsequently contribute to muscle performance and muscle growth (hypertrophy).”
[Read More: Creatine Side Effects You Need to Know About]
The outcome, Stangland says, would be a change in body weight, as well as body composition, over time.
Additionally, according to Stangland, creatine increases cellular hydration status (remember that part about water retention in muscle cells?), glycogen (carbohydrate) synthesis, growth factor production, and even some cell signaling pathways related to decreased inflammation.
“Besides that, there really are no evidence-based [negative] side effects of taking creatine,” she says. “Some myths about creatine supplementation include creatine causing muscle cramps [and] dehydration; that it is an anabolic steroid; that it is unsafe and it causes kidney damage. All of this has been disproven and creatine does not have any of those side effects.” (3)
Benefits of Creatine
When taken in the recommended dose of three to five grams of creatine daily, this supplement can produce some major benefits.
Increased Muscle Strength
Decades of research prove that creatine helps make you stronger over time. A 2018 randomized controlled trial, for instance, found that just four weeks of creatine supplementation can produce measurable gains in lower-body strength. (4)
Improved Muscular Power
Creatine supplementation improves a key training component for strength athletes and sprinters: power. From sprinting performance to jumping capabilities to one-rep max lifts, creatine is known to enhance several power markers. (5)(6)(7)
Enhanced Muscular Endurance
Creatine is not known—or used, really—as a supplement for cardio exercise protocols. That’s because it hasn’t been studied extensively for endurance due to the different energy pathways required for aerobic exercise. That said, some evidence does suggest that creatine supplementation can improve muscular endurance, or in practical terms, your ability to pump out more reps under heavy loads. (8)(9)(10)
Increased Muscle Mass
Naturally, one might conclude that if creatine supports increased strength, power, endurance, it would also support hypertrophy. And one would be correct. A 2023 meta-analysis in the journal Nutrients concluded that creatine supplementation in conjunction with resistance training improved “direct measures” of muscle hypertrophy in the upper and lower body. (11)
May Improve Energy Levels
Who couldn’t use a boost of energy these days? If none of the above health benefits have yet convinced you to take creatine, perhaps this one will: Research has shown that regular creatine supplementation can reduce mental fatigue. Additionally, creatine might improve cognitive function; this supplement has been attributed to improved intelligence test scores and memory recall. More research is needed in this area, but current evidence is promising. (1)(12)(13)
Different Types of Creatine
Shoppers will come across several types of creatine in their search for a creatine supplement. Here’s a look at a few different types.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard in creatine supplementation, full stop. It consists of one creatine molecule and one water molecule.
According to Gonzalez, “There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any form of creatine would be superior to creatine monohydrate for any body composition or performance goals.”
[Read More: BCAA Vs. Creatine Supplements — Which to Take and When?]
He goes on to explain: “Creatine monohydrate remains the most extensively studied form of creatine that shows efficacy and safety. Alternative forms simply cost more at the risk of being less effective.”
Creatine HCl
Creatine hydrochloride, or creatine HCl, is rapidly gaining popularity in the sports supplements space. It consists of creatine and hydrochloride molecules (you’ll soon notice a pattern in these naming conventions).
This type of creatine is touted for its supposed ability to produce greater benefits with a lower dose, but no research has proven this statement, according to a 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (14)
[Read More: Why You Really Should be Taking Creatine]
Creatine HCl may, however, decrease symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, such as bloating. This is thanks to the hydrochloride molecules, which makes the creatine more water-soluble thus theoretically easier for your body to absorb. You may benefit from creatine HCl if you struggle with GI distress when taking creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Phosphate
This is the same as phosphocreatine, the same compound stored in your body’s muscles. While you may find this available as a supplement — and perhaps think it’s better due to its likeness to what your body naturally produces — no scientific evidence supports the notion that it’s more effective than creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Nitrate
Marketing claims state that creatine nitrate has additional benefits over creatine monohydrate due to the nitrate molecules. Nitrates, such as those found in beetroot extract, are known for their vasodilation properties — that is, they dilate the blood vessels and increase blood flow during exercise.
[Read More: Does Creatine Help You Build Muscle? A Certified Nutrition Coach Weighs In]
But, according to a 2022 review of evidence in the journal Nutrients, evidence regarding the efficacy of creatine nitrate is mixed, and “it remains to be determined whether (creatine nitrate) supplementation has any additional benefit than simply co-ingesting (creatine monohydrate) [and] another source of nitrate.” (15)
Creatine Malate
Creatine malate is formed via an ester bond between three creatine molecules and one malic acid molecule. Existing research on the effects of creatine malate is conflicting: In a 2012 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine malate supplementation had no significant positive (or negative) effect on judo athletes. However, in a 2015 study, creatine malate had ergogenic effects on sprinters. Most importantly, to date, there isn’t any high-quality evidence directly comparing creatine malate to creatine monohydrate, so it’s impossible to say whether it’s more effective or not. (16)(17)
Creatine Magnesium Chelate
Creatine magnesium chelate is creatine attached to a magnesium molecule. Proponents say it’s absorbed more easily and prevents stomach pain and bloating, but as of this writing, there is no evidence supporting the prior claim, and the latter claim is subjective. This type of creatine may be worth trying for individuals with easily upset stomachs.
Creatine Ethyl Ester
This type of creatine has an ester molecule attached. Purportedly, it can be taken in lower doses but have the same effect as creatine monohydrate, or a more significant one. Research doesn’t support this: What limited evidence is available shows that creatine ethyl ester is not more bioavailable than creatine monohydrate, nor is it more adept at eliciting training adaptations. (15)(18)
Creatine Pyruvate
Creatine pyruvate is creatine attached to pyruvate, the end-product of glycolysis, which is the energy pathway in the body that converts glucose (sugar) into pyruvate. Because of pyruvate’s role in aerobic metabolism, it’s been hypothesized that creatine pyruvate may have a greater impact on endurance athletes than creatine monohydrate.
[Read More: Does Creatine Expire? A Certified Nutrition Coach Gives Their Insight]
Limited research suggests that this may be true, but the evidence is far from conclusive. Furthermore, the aforementioned 2022 review of evidence in Nutrients states that there is no evidence directly comparing creatine pyruvate to creatine monohydrate. (19) (15)
Creatine Citrate
Creatine bound to citric acid, or creatine citrate, is said to be more water-soluble than creatine monohydrate, but it has less creatine by weight, meaning a higher dose is likely needed to produce the same effects (if it had similar bioavailability). Additionally, research reveals that “there are no studies indicating that (creatine citrate) is more bioavailable, more effective, or a safer source of creatine than (creatine monohydrate).”(15)
Kre-Alkalyn or Buffered Creatine
Kre-Alkalyn is a branded form of buffered creatine, which is creatine with a higher pH than creatine monohydrate, making it more alkaline. Again, no solid scientific evidence supports buffered creatine as better than creatine monohydrate.
Noticing a trend? At this point, decades of research seem to suggest creatine monohydrate as the way to go.
FAQs
Here are some of the questions we hear more often about creatine and weight loss.
Should I take creatine while trying to lose weight?
There’s no reason not to take creatine while trying to lose weight, Gonzalez says. “Creatine does not interfere with weight loss efforts and will only support energy metabolism and body composition goals,” he explains. “Consuming sufficient protein along with creatine can help maintain muscle mass while cutting fat.”
Is creatine good for losing weight?
Creatine is not a fat-burning supplement, and it does not directly support weight loss goals. However, it does support improved athletic performance, quickened muscle recovery, and energy, all of which can lead to more calories burned while training and more muscle growth — ultimately impacting weight loss efforts.
The bottom line is that creating won’t directly reduce belly fat or fat anywhere else on your body, but it indirectly contributes to fat loss over time.
Does creatine cause weight gain?
Creatine does a few things to the body that people may perceive as unwanted weight gain. In the initial stages of creatine supplementation, typically within the first week — and especially if one is undertaking a creatine loading phase — the body may retain more water than usual, resulting in a puffy or bloated feeling.
This is not a long-term effect. Over the long haul, creatine supplementation in conjunction with weight training can increase muscle tissue in the body, which is the desired effect of taking creatine. Though more muscle mass may mean that you may gain weight, it’s lean mass and not fat mass.
References
[*]Kreider RB, Stout JR. Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):447.
[*]Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.
[*]Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021;(8)2
[*]Wang CC, Fang CC, Lee YH, Yang MT, Chan KH. Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation Combined with Complex Training on Muscle Damage and Sport Performance. Nutrients. 2018;10(11):1640.
[*]Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Aphamis G, et al. Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1140.
[*]Izquierdo M, Ibañez J, González-Badillo JJ, Gorostiaga EM. Effects of creatine supplementation on muscle power, endurance, and sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;34(2):332-343.
[*]Hoffman J, Ratamess N, Kang J, Mangine G, Faigenbaum A, Stout J. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006;16(4):430-446.
[*]Engelhardt M, Neumann G, Berbalk A, Reuter I. Creatine supplementation in endurance sports. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30(7):1123-1129.
[*]Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Aphamis G, et al. Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1140.
[*]Mills S, Candow DG, Forbes SC, Neary JP, Ormsbee MJ, Antonio J. Effects of Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training Sessions in Physically Active Young Adults. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1880.
[*]Burke R, Piñero A, Coleman M, et al. The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023;15(9):2116.
[*]Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003;270(1529):2147-2150.
[*]McMorris T, Mielcarz G, Harris RC, Swain JP, Howard A. Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2007;14(5):517-528.
[*]Fazio C, Elder CL, Harris MM. Efficacy of Alternative Forms of Creatine Supplementation on Improving Performance and Body Composition in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(9):2663-2670.
[*]Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1035.
[*]Sterkowicz S, Tyka AK, Chwastowski M, Sterkowicz-Przybycie? K, Tyka A, Klys A. The effects of training and creatine malate supplementation during preparation period on physical capacity and special fitness in judo contestants. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012;9(1):41.
[*]Tyka AK, Chwastowski M, Cison T, et al. Effect of creatine malate supplementation on physical performance, body composition and selected hormone levels in sprinters and long-distance runners. Acta Physiol Hung. 2015;102(1):114-122.
[*]Spillane M, Schoch R, Cooke M, et al. The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:6.
[*]Chaudhry R, Varacallo M. Biochemistry, Glycolysis. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
The post Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight? Registered Dietitians Explain appeared first on BarBend.
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The post Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight? Registered Dietitians Explain appeared first on BarBend.
Creatine is a popular dietary supplement used to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Taken by bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, sprinters, and other athletes whose sports involve sheer muscular power and strength, creatine is often considered the king of supplements — second only to, perhaps, protein powder.
But what if you’re trying to lose weight? Maybe you’re a bodybuilder in a cutting phase or simply want to reduce your body fat percentage. Whatever the reason, you may be wondering, “Does creatine help you lose weight?”
It’s not an uncommon question, given its reputation as a powerful supplement for strength athletes. Creatine may have more of an impact on body weight and composition than you think, though. I asked two registered dietitians and a professor of allied health and kinesiology to help sort through the complex world of creatine and weight loss. Here’s what they had to say.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a compound created endogenously — inside the body — from the amino acids methionine, glycine, and arginine. It serves as a source of energy in your body during muscle contraction. (1)
It’s especially important for high-intensity, powerful bouts of exercise, like maximal weight lifting and supramaximal attempts, sprints, and jumping. Creatine’s role in the phosphocreatine energy system, one of your body’s two anaerobic energy systems, is what makes it so important during this type of training.
[Read More: Foods with Creatine to Fuel Your Next Workout]
Though your body can make creatine itself, you can get more by consuming creatine-rich foods, including red meat and poultry. Oral creatine supplementation via capsules, powders, or gummies is another way to increase your body’s creatine stores. (If you want the best of the best, check out our top picks for the best creatine supplements.)
Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight?
Creatine does not directly support weight loss, says registered dietician Avery Zinker — at least not in the way you might think. Zinker, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and weight loss.
Creatine isn’t the same as a dietary supplement that, say, promises to increase your metabolism or inherently burn fat.
“Creatine may indirectly contribute to weight loss through its ability to enhance performance during high-intensity workouts and resistance training,” Zenker tells BarBend. “By improving exercise performance, creatine can help support exercise activities that increase muscle growth, and exercise itself uses energy, which helps maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss.”
But that doesn’t mean you should rush to your creatine tub to help you lose weight.
Creatine is not a weight loss supplement and creatine itself does not directly decrease fat mass.
— Avery Zinker[/quote]
For individuals focused on losing weight, Zenker says that creatine supplementation can be beneficial if their fitness regimen includes resistance training or high-intensity workouts.
[Read More: Creatine Benefits All Lifters Should Know About]
“The enhanced performance can support more intense workouts, potentially leading to greater muscle mass and a higher metabolic rate,” she explains. “Increased intensity of exercise may lead to increased energy expenditure, which helps with weight loss.”
However, she continues: “For those whose primary exercise is cardiovascular and are not engaging in strength training, the benefits of creatine might be less pronounced in the context of weight loss.”
Weight Loss Vs. Fat Loss
It’s important to note that there are many factors at play when it comes to weight loss, Zenker says, energy balance being the major player. Zenker encourages anyone pursuing weight loss to pursue a healthy lifestyle that includes:
- A balanced diet
- Quality sleep
- Stress management
- Regular exercise.
It’s important to distinguish weight loss from fat loss, too, says Dr. Adam Gonzalez, Ph.D., associate professor of allied health and kinesiology at Hofstra University. Gonzalez is also a certified sports nutritionist and Chief Scientific Officer at SHIFTED.
“Many individuals remain worried about supplementing with creatine when they have a goal of losing fat,” he tells BarBend. “This is likely due to the fact that creatine supplementation can be associated with weight gain, particularly in [cisgender] men. However, research has clearly shown that creatine does not increase fat mass in men or women, and the weight gain is strictly in the form of lean body mass.”
Put simply, creatine can, in fact, increase your body weight. But that weight gain is likely to be in the form of lean muscle mass, not fat mass, Gonzalez says. Reducing body fat but gaining weight via muscle growth is body recomposition, and that’s ultimately what will result in a lean, muscular physique.
As for how exactly that works, Gonzalez explains that creatine monohydrate supplementation increases creatine stores in the muscle by 20 to 40 percent. (2)
[Read More: Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? Here’s What the Science Says]
This increases the amount of creatine phosphate in the muscle, which serves as a reserve of high-energy phosphate that is used to rapidly convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) back to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In other words, Gonzalez says, “Creatine supplementation facilitates rapid energy regeneration during high-intensity activities.”
This can favorably impact body weight and body composition in a few ways, according to Gonzalez:
- First, it can allow for more work to be done during each workout, which in turn can lead to better muscular adaptations and loss of body fat.
- Second, creatine supplementation has consistently been shown to enhance lean body mass when combined with a resistance training program, which would alter body composition.
- Lastly, when dieting to lose weight, muscle retention is crucial to promote long-term success. Consuming sufficient protein along with creatine can help maintain muscle mass while cutting fat.
Creatine and Bloating
But what about the “puffiness” or bloating that creatine users often complain of?
Jenna Stangland, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CLT, is a registered sports dietitian who serves as a nutrition advisor for supplement brand Momentous and as the sports dietitian for the Minnesota Timberwolves. She tells BarBend that this common side effect of creatine, which many people take as weight gain or fat gain, is simply a case of water retention.
“When in the early stages of creatine supplementation, there is a slight increase in total body water when the creatine stores in the muscle increase,” she says.
[Read More: Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?]
“This happens because creatine is osmotically active, so it gets taken up by the muscle via a sodium transporter, which causes water to be taken up as well,” Stangland explains. The good news is that this is not a permanent side effect of creatine. “Studies have shown that this is not a long-term effect, and even after training with creatine for five to 10 weeks, studies showed no increase in total body water.” (3)
Water retention is more likely to occur during a loading phase of creatine, which involves ingesting substantially more creatine than the typical recommended daily dose for a short period of time (usually five to 10 days). After those first days, Stangland says, total body water typically returns to its norm. (3)
How Creatine Affects Your Body
About 95 percent of creatine is stored in the body’s skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, says Stangland. As such, it has a huge impact on muscular function.
“Phosphocreatine contributes to energy availability by recharging your ATP stores during exercise,” Stangland tells BarBend. “Creatine can increase the energy produced during heavy lifting or anaerobically-related exercise, thereby increasing muscle power, number of repetitions and exercise volume, which can subsequently contribute to muscle performance and muscle growth (hypertrophy).”
[Read More: Creatine Side Effects You Need to Know About]
The outcome, Stangland says, would be a change in body weight, as well as body composition, over time.
Additionally, according to Stangland, creatine increases cellular hydration status (remember that part about water retention in muscle cells?), glycogen (carbohydrate) synthesis, growth factor production, and even some cell signaling pathways related to decreased inflammation.
“Besides that, there really are no evidence-based [negative] side effects of taking creatine,” she says. “Some myths about creatine supplementation include creatine causing muscle cramps [and] dehydration; that it is an anabolic steroid; that it is unsafe and it causes kidney damage. All of this has been disproven and creatine does not have any of those side effects.” (3)
Benefits of Creatine
When taken in the recommended dose of three to five grams of creatine daily, this supplement can produce some major benefits.
Increased Muscle Strength
Decades of research prove that creatine helps make you stronger over time. A 2018 randomized controlled trial, for instance, found that just four weeks of creatine supplementation can produce measurable gains in lower-body strength. (4)
Improved Muscular Power
Creatine supplementation improves a key training component for strength athletes and sprinters: power. From sprinting performance to jumping capabilities to one-rep max lifts, creatine is known to enhance several power markers. (5)(6)(7)
Enhanced Muscular Endurance
Creatine is not known—or used, really—as a supplement for cardio exercise protocols. That’s because it hasn’t been studied extensively for endurance due to the different energy pathways required for aerobic exercise. That said, some evidence does suggest that creatine supplementation can improve muscular endurance, or in practical terms, your ability to pump out more reps under heavy loads. (8)(9)(10)
Increased Muscle Mass
Naturally, one might conclude that if creatine supports increased strength, power, endurance, it would also support hypertrophy. And one would be correct. A 2023 meta-analysis in the journal Nutrients concluded that creatine supplementation in conjunction with resistance training improved “direct measures” of muscle hypertrophy in the upper and lower body. (11)
May Improve Energy Levels
Who couldn’t use a boost of energy these days? If none of the above health benefits have yet convinced you to take creatine, perhaps this one will: Research has shown that regular creatine supplementation can reduce mental fatigue. Additionally, creatine might improve cognitive function; this supplement has been attributed to improved intelligence test scores and memory recall. More research is needed in this area, but current evidence is promising. (1)(12)(13)
Different Types of Creatine
Shoppers will come across several types of creatine in their search for a creatine supplement. Here’s a look at a few different types.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard in creatine supplementation, full stop. It consists of one creatine molecule and one water molecule.
According to Gonzalez, “There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any form of creatine would be superior to creatine monohydrate for any body composition or performance goals.”
[Read More: BCAA Vs. Creatine Supplements — Which to Take and When?]
He goes on to explain: “Creatine monohydrate remains the most extensively studied form of creatine that shows efficacy and safety. Alternative forms simply cost more at the risk of being less effective.”
Creatine HCl
Creatine hydrochloride, or creatine HCl, is rapidly gaining popularity in the sports supplements space. It consists of creatine and hydrochloride molecules (you’ll soon notice a pattern in these naming conventions).
This type of creatine is touted for its supposed ability to produce greater benefits with a lower dose, but no research has proven this statement, according to a 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (14)
[Read More: Why You Really Should be Taking Creatine]
Creatine HCl may, however, decrease symptoms of gastrointestinal distress, such as bloating. This is thanks to the hydrochloride molecules, which makes the creatine more water-soluble thus theoretically easier for your body to absorb. You may benefit from creatine HCl if you struggle with GI distress when taking creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Phosphate
This is the same as phosphocreatine, the same compound stored in your body’s muscles. While you may find this available as a supplement — and perhaps think it’s better due to its likeness to what your body naturally produces — no scientific evidence supports the notion that it’s more effective than creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Nitrate
Marketing claims state that creatine nitrate has additional benefits over creatine monohydrate due to the nitrate molecules. Nitrates, such as those found in beetroot extract, are known for their vasodilation properties — that is, they dilate the blood vessels and increase blood flow during exercise.
[Read More: Does Creatine Help You Build Muscle? A Certified Nutrition Coach Weighs In]
But, according to a 2022 review of evidence in the journal Nutrients, evidence regarding the efficacy of creatine nitrate is mixed, and “it remains to be determined whether (creatine nitrate) supplementation has any additional benefit than simply co-ingesting (creatine monohydrate) [and] another source of nitrate.” (15)
Creatine Malate
Creatine malate is formed via an ester bond between three creatine molecules and one malic acid molecule. Existing research on the effects of creatine malate is conflicting: In a 2012 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine malate supplementation had no significant positive (or negative) effect on judo athletes. However, in a 2015 study, creatine malate had ergogenic effects on sprinters. Most importantly, to date, there isn’t any high-quality evidence directly comparing creatine malate to creatine monohydrate, so it’s impossible to say whether it’s more effective or not. (16)(17)
Creatine Magnesium Chelate
Creatine magnesium chelate is creatine attached to a magnesium molecule. Proponents say it’s absorbed more easily and prevents stomach pain and bloating, but as of this writing, there is no evidence supporting the prior claim, and the latter claim is subjective. This type of creatine may be worth trying for individuals with easily upset stomachs.
Creatine Ethyl Ester
This type of creatine has an ester molecule attached. Purportedly, it can be taken in lower doses but have the same effect as creatine monohydrate, or a more significant one. Research doesn’t support this: What limited evidence is available shows that creatine ethyl ester is not more bioavailable than creatine monohydrate, nor is it more adept at eliciting training adaptations. (15)(18)
Creatine Pyruvate
Creatine pyruvate is creatine attached to pyruvate, the end-product of glycolysis, which is the energy pathway in the body that converts glucose (sugar) into pyruvate. Because of pyruvate’s role in aerobic metabolism, it’s been hypothesized that creatine pyruvate may have a greater impact on endurance athletes than creatine monohydrate.
[Read More: Does Creatine Expire? A Certified Nutrition Coach Gives Their Insight]
Limited research suggests that this may be true, but the evidence is far from conclusive. Furthermore, the aforementioned 2022 review of evidence in Nutrients states that there is no evidence directly comparing creatine pyruvate to creatine monohydrate. (19) (15)
Creatine Citrate
Creatine bound to citric acid, or creatine citrate, is said to be more water-soluble than creatine monohydrate, but it has less creatine by weight, meaning a higher dose is likely needed to produce the same effects (if it had similar bioavailability). Additionally, research reveals that “there are no studies indicating that (creatine citrate) is more bioavailable, more effective, or a safer source of creatine than (creatine monohydrate).”(15)
Kre-Alkalyn or Buffered Creatine
Kre-Alkalyn is a branded form of buffered creatine, which is creatine with a higher pH than creatine monohydrate, making it more alkaline. Again, no solid scientific evidence supports buffered creatine as better than creatine monohydrate.
Noticing a trend? At this point, decades of research seem to suggest creatine monohydrate as the way to go.
FAQs
Here are some of the questions we hear more often about creatine and weight loss.
Should I take creatine while trying to lose weight?
There’s no reason not to take creatine while trying to lose weight, Gonzalez says. “Creatine does not interfere with weight loss efforts and will only support energy metabolism and body composition goals,” he explains. “Consuming sufficient protein along with creatine can help maintain muscle mass while cutting fat.”
Is creatine good for losing weight?
Creatine is not a fat-burning supplement, and it does not directly support weight loss goals. However, it does support improved athletic performance, quickened muscle recovery, and energy, all of which can lead to more calories burned while training and more muscle growth — ultimately impacting weight loss efforts.
The bottom line is that creating won’t directly reduce belly fat or fat anywhere else on your body, but it indirectly contributes to fat loss over time.
Does creatine cause weight gain?
Creatine does a few things to the body that people may perceive as unwanted weight gain. In the initial stages of creatine supplementation, typically within the first week — and especially if one is undertaking a creatine loading phase — the body may retain more water than usual, resulting in a puffy or bloated feeling.
This is not a long-term effect. Over the long haul, creatine supplementation in conjunction with weight training can increase muscle tissue in the body, which is the desired effect of taking creatine. Though more muscle mass may mean that you may gain weight, it’s lean mass and not fat mass.
References
[*]Kreider RB, Stout JR. Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):447.
[*]Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.
[*]Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021;(8)2
[*]Wang CC, Fang CC, Lee YH, Yang MT, Chan KH. Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation Combined with Complex Training on Muscle Damage and Sport Performance. Nutrients. 2018;10(11):1640.
[*]Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Aphamis G, et al. Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1140.
[*]Izquierdo M, Ibañez J, González-Badillo JJ, Gorostiaga EM. Effects of creatine supplementation on muscle power, endurance, and sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;34(2):332-343.
[*]Hoffman J, Ratamess N, Kang J, Mangine G, Faigenbaum A, Stout J. Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006;16(4):430-446.
[*]Engelhardt M, Neumann G, Berbalk A, Reuter I. Creatine supplementation in endurance sports. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30(7):1123-1129.
[*]Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Aphamis G, et al. Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1140.
[*]Mills S, Candow DG, Forbes SC, Neary JP, Ormsbee MJ, Antonio J. Effects of Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training Sessions in Physically Active Young Adults. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1880.
[*]Burke R, Piñero A, Coleman M, et al. The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023;15(9):2116.
[*]Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003;270(1529):2147-2150.
[*]McMorris T, Mielcarz G, Harris RC, Swain JP, Howard A. Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2007;14(5):517-528.
[*]Fazio C, Elder CL, Harris MM. Efficacy of Alternative Forms of Creatine Supplementation on Improving Performance and Body Composition in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(9):2663-2670.
[*]Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1035.
[*]Sterkowicz S, Tyka AK, Chwastowski M, Sterkowicz-Przybycie? K, Tyka A, Klys A. The effects of training and creatine malate supplementation during preparation period on physical capacity and special fitness in judo contestants. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012;9(1):41.
[*]Tyka AK, Chwastowski M, Cison T, et al. Effect of creatine malate supplementation on physical performance, body composition and selected hormone levels in sprinters and long-distance runners. Acta Physiol Hung. 2015;102(1):114-122.
[*]Spillane M, Schoch R, Cooke M, et al. The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:6.
[*]Chaudhry R, Varacallo M. Biochemistry, Glycolysis. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
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