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Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements in the world. It has been proven to help improve performance, strength and support the growth of muscle mass. 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 be actually noticing 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.
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 explosivity, 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
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.
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.
No. Again, creatine can not lead to fat gain, which only occurs when you are in a calorie surplus and consuming more calories than your body needs. Creatine is calorie free and does not contribute to caloric intake, therefore, regardless of what your caloric intake is, creatine will not be causing an increase in fat mass.
Creatine itself will not cause you to gain more muscle. However, the outcome from creatine giving you the ability to consistently lift more weight for more reps, essentially training harder for longer, may lead to greater muscle hypertrophy over time.
There are certain situations where you might want to consider whether creatine is a suitable supplement; for example, if you are involved in a weight class limited sport, such as MMA, boxing or grappling, you may need to cut weight (and water) for fights. In cases such as these, the water retention caused by creatine may not be ideal, as you will be slightly heavier than if you weren’t taking creatine. This does not mean combat athletes shouldn’t take creatine, but instead, perhaps discontinue taking creatine before weigh-in.
The water retention from creatine supplementation typically dissipates within 1-2 weeks after discontinuing creatine use. However, this can vary based on individual factors.
When you stop taking creatine, you may notice -
It's important to note that these effects are primarily due to water loss and not muscle loss. The strength and size gains you've made from training while using creatine should largely remain intact.
Several factors can influence how quickly you lose the water weight gained from creatine. The amount of creatine you've been taking and for how long can affect how much water you've retained and how long it takes to lose it. Some people may retain more water than others when using creatine, and their bodies may also eliminate it at different rates.
Creatine itself does not directly burn fat, however, like building muscle, it can support it indirectly. Through improving strength and general athletic performance, creatine will help you train at higher intensities which may potentially lead to higher calories being burned. Additionally, increasing the muscle mass from resistance training can increase your resting metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn whilst resting), helping you burn more calories over time.
To conclude and reiterate the answer to this common question: no, creatine does not cause you to gain fat. The only way to gain fat is by consuming more calories than you burn. Creatine supplementation however can lead to weight gain due to water retention in the muscle cells and potentially helping to increase muscle mass over time. When used chronically, creatine can support you in building a leaner, more muscular and stronger physique by helping you to train harder.
