Creatine does not cause fat gain. Any early weight increase comes from water being pulled into muscle cells, not from added body fat
Creatine increases intracellular water, not extracellular water. This supports muscle function, strength, and performance rather than bloating or fluid retention under the skin.
Over time, Creatine may lead to more muscle mass indirectly by allowing you to train harder and lift more. Muscle gain can increase scale weight, but this is a positive adaptation, not fat gain.
Introduction
Creatine is one of the most researched fitness supplements in the world. It has been proven to help improve performance and strength and support muscle mass growth.
However, there is a common myth that creatine can cause fat gain, primarily due to people noticing weight gain whilst taking it. In short, what people are likely to notice is weight gain resulting from increased water retention within muscle cells, and greater muscle mass over time. This article will explore this myth and explain the science behind what is happening.
What is Creatine
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound, which is found in certain foods. However, in most cases you will find people supplementing it in the form of creatine monohydrate. Creatine is mainly known for its ability to help aid athletic performance, strength and power, which with consistent training and time may also lead to more muscle gain.
Whilst you’re here, be sure to check out our full breakdown in our article on what is creatine and the different forms of creatine
Why does Creatine cause Weight Gain?
Creatine works by drawing water into muscle cells, leading to an increase in intracellular water. This osmotic effect results in muscle cell volumisation, giving the muscles a fuller look, which may also lead to a slight increase in overall body weight. We must make the distinction that this increase in weight is not due to fat gain, but instead just water retention and perhaps increased muscle size.
Intracellular Water vs Extracellular Water
To understand the effects of creatine on body weight, we must differentiate between intracellular water (henceforth ICW) and extracellular water (ECW).
- ICW is specifically fluid inside the cells
- ECW is fluid outside the cells, which includes blood plasma and interstitial fluid.
- Studies have shown that creatine increases ICW, but not ECW. This is key to the efficacy of creatine because an increase in ICW is what is associated with muscle growth, strength, and improved athletic performance.
Does Creatine lead to an increase in Fat Mass?
To understand the effects of creatine on body weight, we must differentiate between intracellular water (henceforth ICW) and extracellular water (ECW). ICW is specifically fluid inside the cells, whilst ECW is fluid outside the cells, which includes blood plasma and interstitial fluid. Studies have shown that creatine increases ICW, but not ECW. This is key to the efficacy of creatine because an increase in ICW is what is associated with muscle growth, strength, and improved athletic performance.
Does Creatine cause fat gain?
Creatine itself will not cause you to gain more fat or muscle. However, the outcome from Creatine giving you the ability to consistently:
- Lift more weight for more reps, essentially
- Training harder for longer, which can may lead to improvements in muscle mass and strength.
- Greater muscle hypertrophy over time.
