Does Taking Creatine Make You Fat?

You must be already aware of creatine from your trainer, but this blog will tell you briefly what goes into your shaker bottle every day. Creatine is a compound, an amino acid derivative, that helps boost the production of ATP inside the body. But does it increase body weight, too?

You must have heard about the highly researched, most popular nutrition supplement – Creatine! Although it is a completely naturally occurring compound found in the body, it is surrounded by a lot of doubts about its consumption. Does creatine increase weight? Or does it make you gain fat? This blog will burst all the myths and throw some light on the benefits of this magical compound. 

How Does Creatine Work In The Body?

We all know ATP (Adenosine tri-phosphate) is the energy currency inside our body. When our body oxidises carbs, protein, or fat, it gets converted to ATP by the body. This ATP regenerates more ATP and allows us to drive energy for every process inside the body by hydrolysing a phosphate group. When a phosphate group is hydrolysed, heat energy is released, and this is further used to carry out other cellular functions. For example, during heavy muscle training. Now, since one phosphate is lost from the tri-phosphate formula of ATP, it becomes Adenosine Di-phosphate or ADP.3     

Next, when creatine enters our body via supplementation or is produced inside the body, then it binds with a phosphate molecule to form a creatine phosphate, which functions as ATP and provides an immediate energy source to power muscle contractions quickly. 

Does Creatine Make You Gain Fat?

No, creatine doesn't make you gain fat. In fact, taking creatine as a supplement has its upside. Creatine helps you produce more ATP so that you can increase your workout potential; it is especially beneficial for athletes. Some people think that creatine will make them fat. This might also be because you might have heard others complain of looking plump or swollen shortly after starting the supplement intake.

Creatine hydrates muscle cells; this leads to an increase in protein synthesis. On top of that, when your muscles hold more water, they look bigger and more pumped up. While creatine is extremely popular with fitness enthusiasts and athletes, it has a number of other benefits, such as better brain performance, glucose metabolism, bone mineral density, etc.

How to Use Creatine Effectively Without Gaining Weight?

Gaining water weight due to creatine intake does not have a lasting impact. You can see it is a temporary pump. So, here are a few steps to help you take creatine without gaining weight:

1. Increase your water intake: If you drink a lot of water, it stimulates urination. Urinating frequently leads to the removal of excess toxins and water from the body.

2. Lower the sodium intake: high levels of sodium in the body lead to higher water retention. To reduce sodium intake, you may eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and limit the intake of processed foods and fast food. Keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day.

3. Lower your intake of carbs and calories: Carbs are important for energy, but excess carbs cause your body to hold water. Thus, carbs intake must be between 225-325 grams per day. 

And lastly, exercise regularly. Regular workouts also help reduce water retention. The more you work out and train your body, the less water you’ll retain.

Does Creatine Cause Water Retention?

Yes, creatine causes water retention. Creatine is osmotically active, which causes it to pull water inside the cells. It is because of this that creatine supplementation leads to a temporary increase in water retention, disguised as weight gain. 

However, this water retention can actually help boost performance and endurance during exercise and stimulate protein synthesis. 

To reduce fluid retention or bloating, it is advised to keep yourself hydrated and ensure that you're taking the right dose of creatine and the proper timing of creatine intake.

Creatine and Body Composition: What Studies Show

According to research, creatine supplementation can contribute to body composition in the following ways:

1. It leads to muscle growth, especially when combined with resistance training. 

2. It leads to a reduction in body fat percentage, helping in managing obesity.

3. Appropriate creatine supplementation can help maintain or increase bone density.

4. If combined with HIIT or resistance training, creatine also helps in increasing muscle mass.

5. Other benefits of creatine supplementation include increased strength, improved performance, and faster production of ATP.

Factors Influencing Weight Gain While Taking Creatine

Understanding these factors can help you determine whether the weight gain is temporary or indicative of muscle growth. Below are the most common reasons why weight may increase while using creatine:

1. Water Weight: This is the type of weight gain that happens due to fluid retention. Creatine draws water weight into your muscle cells, because of which it might cause rapid water weight gain. Your muscle cells hold water, resulting in bloating or puffiness around your arms, legs, or abdomen. It might make the muscles appear plump even if you have recently begun strength training. 

2. Muscle Mass: Creatine's main function is to provide energy. It is undoubtedly an effective supplement for increasing endurance and strength. But, over time, it might show an increase in your muscle strength or size. 

This is all due to the water weight that gets retained, leading to an increase in muscle mass. However, as you grow muscles as a result of regular training, the water weight eventually becomes less noticeable. 

3. Calorie Intake: This gain in weight might also be a result of an over-intake of calories. One scoop of creatine per day (approx. about 5 grams) does not add any calories. But if you stay active and eat a healthy diet, then you are not likely to put on fat. 

Conclusion

Now we hope you have the answer to the question- does creatine make you fat? A regular dosage of creatine can boost your energy and improve your athletic performance, but it might also lead to some water weight gain. Fluid retention might be temporary, or it might go on for some days. However, it will be gone with regular exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Should you be concerned about weight gain with creatine?

No, you should not be concerned about weight gain due to creatine supplementation. While creatine may cause some temporary water weight gain, but it is well observed that it does not lead to long-term fat gain. In fact, it promotes muscle gain.

2. Why do people believe that creatine makes you fat?

Creatine supplementation makes muscle look a little fuller due to water retention in muscles.This might also make some people feel bloated for a while. But is you exercise regularly, this creatine will fuel powerful movements give an energy boost.

3. Can creatine help with muscle growth without adding fat?

Yes, with appropriate dosage and heavy training, creatine can support muscle growth without significant fat gain.

4. Can I use creatine while trying to lose weight?

As a matter of fact, creatine does not directly affect weight loss, but it may help improve performance, and recovery with exercise. Our body stores creatine and uses it during physical activity to provide energy to the muscles, which might make the muscles look pumped for a temporary while.