Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight? Your Questions Answered by Our Experts

Creatine is a popular dietary supplement used to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Many of the best creatine supplements are popular amongst bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, sprinters, and other athletes whose sports involve muscular power and strength. But what if you’re trying to lose weight? Maybe you’re a bodybuilder in a cutting phase, or maybe you 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 creatine’s reputation as a powerful supplement for strength athletes. That said, creatine may have more of an impact on body weight and composition than you think. We 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)

Creatine is especially important for high-intensity, powerful bouts of exercise like maximal weightlifting 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. 

[Related: Why You Really Should be Taking Creatine]

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.

Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight? 

Creatine does not directly support weight loss, says registered dietitian Avery Zenker — at least not in the way you might think. Zenker, M.S., R.D, is a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and weight loss.

“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. 

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. 

“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, with 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%. (2)

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. 

—Dr. Adam Gonzalez, Ph.D.

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. “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.”

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,” Stangland explains. (3)

Creatine can increase the energy produced during heavy lifting or anaerobically-related exercise, thereby increasing muscle power, number of repetitions and exercise volume.

— Jenna Stangland, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CLT

Water retention is more likely to occur during a creatine loading phase, 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% 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).”

The outcome, Stangland says, would be a change in body weight and body composition over time. Additionally, 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 3 to 5 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. 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.”

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) 

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 and potentially 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. 

However, according to a 2022 review of evidence in the journal Nutrients, evidence regarding the efficacy of creatine nitrate is mixed. “It remains to be determined whether (creatine nitrate) supplementation has any additional benefit than simply co-ingesting (creatine monohydrate) [and] another source of nitrate,” it reads. (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. 

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. (15)(19)

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: Does Creatine Help You Lose Weight?

References

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