Does Creatine Cause Weight Gain? Creatine Pros and Cons

Nikkiey: If you're just supplementing creatine but you're not working out, that will cause weight gain. You're going to see the weight gain come because it's pulling water into the muscle. It's making them appear larger and fuller. But this is not fat.

What's going on, you guys? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott, co-founder and brand personality of WarriorBabe, where we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I am your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode number 15, where we're going to talk about what I feel is one of the hottest topics in the fitness space, and that is creatine.

So in this podcast today, I want to talk about the pros and the cons of taking creatine, because some people swear by it, and others say it's just a total waste of time. So what's the truth? Before I deep dive into it, I want you guys to know that creatine has been extensively studied in the fitness space, and it has been shown to have several benefits. However, like any freaking supplement that is out there, it has both its own pros and its own cons.

So in the podcast today, I'm going to break down the most common pros and cons of taking creatine, some pros being increased muscle strength, improved exercise performance and muscle mass. We're going to cover it all. Plus, we're going to discuss the potential downsides of it, such as weight gain and potential kidney damage.

And so please, you guys, before you take any of my advice today and you start implementing creatine into your routine, please make sure that you consult with your healthcare provider before taking action on anything that I share with you today. All right?

Now, I know that for a lot of you guys this is a hot topic, because again, like I said, some people swear by it and think it's the best thing since sliced bread, while others say that it's a total waste of time and money. So what's the truth? Is creatine worth taking or is it not?

Before I dive in, we're going to start with the pros first. I want you guys to know that you can naturally get creatine by eating animal-sourced food products. So anything that was made by a mom and a dad, aka chicken, mom, dad, egg. There's natural creatine inside of that meat source. So you can naturally get creatine. You don't have to supplement for it. I do believe sometimes it's a waste of money. But there's benefit, though. If you're plant-based and you are vegan, you don't eat animal-sourced products, so you're not naturally getting that creatine. So this is where I would say it is beneficial to take.

So let's dive right into it. Let's get started with pro number one. Creatine has been shown to increase muscle strength and power. And it does that by increasing the availability of phosphocreatine in the muscle. Phosphocreatine is a compound that helps to generate the energy molecule ATP. I'm getting a little sciencey here for you guys. ATP is needed for muscle contractions. So the more phosphocreatine available in your body, the more energy the muscle can produce, thus allowing for greater strength and power during your exercise.

To break it down a little bit more, creatine supplements work by increasing the amount of creatine stored in the muscle. Creatine is then converted, like I just said, to phosphocreatine, which is used to generate ATP, which is the primary energy source for muscle contraction. So by supplementing with creatine, the muscles can produce more ATP, which leads to that greater strength and power during high-intensity exercise.

So you're going to find supplementation with creatine pretty common in athletes like bodybuilders who are looking to increase muscle strength and power, or those who participate in sports that require short bursts of power, such as sprinting and jumping, or even Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting as well.

So you're going to find that in athletes, but creatine supplementation can also be super beneficial for older adults, especially women going through menopause. In your later years of life, supplementation with creatine can be really beneficial for those of you looking to improve muscle mass and strength. Because, like I've mentioned before and alluded to in previous podcasts, as you go through menopause, estrogen decreases. And so you're more likely to experience osteoporosis and fractures within your body if you don't have good muscle structure supporting your bones. So you're going to see it's common for older adults to supplement with creatine to help them improve muscle mass and strength.

So to recap on number one, creatine increases muscle strength and power.

Now, pro number two kind of alludes to what I just spoke to. Creatine can improve muscle mass. And it does that by promoting muscle cell hydration and protein synthesis. Creatine supplements cause the muscles to retain more water, and that makes the muscle appear larger and fuller. I'm going to talk about this in the cons, because you guys may experience this mentally in another way, and I'm going to break down that mental barrier. But what's happening here is that the muscles retain more water, and this can help to improve muscle endurance and recovery and all that jazz.

Now, as I just alluded to as well, creatine has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis, which is the process by which the body builds new muscle tissue. Muscle cell hydration is important for muscle growth and repair, as well as for muscle function. When the muscles are hydrated, they're able to contract and relax more efficiently, which can lead to improved performance and muscle growth. So creatine has been shown to increase muscle hydration and improve muscle endurance, which allows for greater muscle growth over time. So this is a key benefit.

And I'm going to talk about this in a con, because when you're taking creatine and all this hydration is going on, and protein synthesis and X, Y, Z, you've got to make sure you're hydrated as well. The muscles are pulling in this hydration, so on top of it, you've got to make sure that you're staying hydrated for the whole functionality of your body.

Protein synthesis is another important aspect of muscle growth, as I've already spoken to. To deep dive a little bit more, protein synthesis is the process by which the body uses amino acids to build new muscle. And like I just mentioned, creatine has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis, which can lead to greater muscle mass over time. So that's number two.

Number three is that creatine improves exercise performance. To piggyback off of number one, as I mentioned, the more phosphocreatine available, the more energy the muscle can produce, leading to improved exercise performance. Creatine supplementation can improve exercise performance in a variety of ways. For example, it has been shown to increase muscle strength, power, and endurance, particularly during high-intensity, short-duration activities.

Additionally, creatine can improve muscle recovery, which allows for greater training intensity and frequency over time. It has also been shown to improve performance in endurance activities as well, and it does this by delaying muscle fatigue and by reducing muscle damage. This can lead to improved endurance and faster recovery after training. So that's how creatine will improve muscle performance, breaking down everything I just mentioned for pro number three.

Now, leading into pro number four: creatine improves brain function. This really doesn't have anything to do with muscle and training and performance and growth and X, Y, and Z. But it improves brain function, and this has been studied and shown. It's been shown to improve it by increasing the availability of our favorite compound, which I've touched on multiple times already, phosphocreatine, in the brain.

Again, as I've stated before, phosphocreatine is a compound that helps to generate the energy molecule ATP, which is also needed for brain function. So the more phosphocreatine available, the more energy the brain can produce, leading to improved cognitive function. Research suggests that creatine supplementation can improve cognitive function, particularly in tasks that require high levels of mental energy, such as memory and intelligence tests and all that jazz. Some studies have found that creatine supplementation improves memory, learning and overall cognitive function in healthy adults, and in individuals with cognitive impairment too. I thought that was pretty interesting.

And like I said, this is one of the most extensively studied supplements out there. Not many supplements are studied or backed by scientific research, but this has been. And that's why I want you guys to have this type of information, so you can make a better judgment call on whether you want to take it or not.

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Before I dive into the cons, I want to touch on the fact that I personally take creatine, and I've been taking creatine every single day for at least the past month. Even though it's a short amount of time, and you need to let it compound over time to really see the true benefits, every pro that I just alluded to, I have personally experienced in this month span of taking creatine consistently. So I definitely believe in the supplement. I definitely would recommend it. But again, before you take any of my advice today, I would highly recommend speaking with your healthcare provider about what they think and whether they think this is a supplement worthy of you taking, because I'm going to talk about some cons here, and this is why it would be important to talk to a healthcare provider.

So, some cons. Let's dive into it. Con number one: weight gain. Now, before you guys panic, I just want to break down this mental barrier, because you will experience this, but it's not fat. Okay? You will experience weight gain because, as I already alluded to in the pros, creatine causes muscles to retain water, which can lead to weight gain. Creatine pulls water into the muscles, making them appear larger and fuller. That's beneficial for muscle growth and performance, but it does lead to weight gain, especially if an individual is not engaging in regular physical activity.

If you are just supplementing creatine but you're not working out, that will cause weight gain. You're going to see the weight gain come because it's pulling water into the muscle. It's making them appear larger and fuller, but this is not fat. This is why I fucking hate the scale. You're going to see the weight maybe increase a little bit, but it's not that you're getting fat. Take photos of yourself from day one of taking creatine to day 30 of taking creatine, or even day seven, and you're going to be like, holy cow. And even in the gym, you're going to be like, wow, my muscles appear larger and fuller. It's because it's pulling water into the muscle. That is what's happening.

Additionally, some people may find that the added weight makes them feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. But this weight gain, as I've already alluded to, is not fat gain, and it's usually temporary. It's usually water weight that's accruing here, as I've spoken to, and sometimes also an increase in muscle mass. However, some people may still find the weight gain a concern.

So if you're sensitive to weight gain and you want to avoid it, it's important to track your weight and body composition while taking creatine. Like I've already said, take pictures instead of stepping on the scale. And understand that the number you do see on the scale, and I just want to drill this into your heads, isn't fat gain. It's usually water weight, and it's only temporary. So that's number one.

Number two: creatine can cause digestive issues, such as stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and bloating. These side effects can occur when creatine is taken in large doses or when it's taken on an empty stomach. I've definitely felt this in my time of taking it. I've taken it on an empty stomach before, and I was cramping for like an hour after. What happens here is that the digestive issues are usually caused by an osmotic effect of creatine, which can pull water into the intestines, causing diarrhea. Some people may be sensitive to creatine and may experience stomach discomfort or other digestive issues when consuming it.

So I would just pay attention to this and make sure you're consuming it in a way that minimizes the risk of digestive issues. What's recommended is a low dose of creatine, usually just five grams per day, and then gradually increasing it over time. And it's best to take creatine with food, like a protein shake or something with carbohydrates. I take it post-workout. I put it inside my protein shake with unsweetened almond milk and frozen bananas and strawberries. That will help you absorb the creatine and minimize any discomfort. So that was number two, digestive issues.

Number three: kidney damage. Creatine is primarily excreted through the kidneys, and some studies have suggested that long-term creatine supplementation may cause damage to the kidneys. However, a lot of studies have found that creatine supplementation is safe for healthy individuals and does not cause significant kidney damage. So if you're somebody who has kidney damage, would I recommend you take creatine? No. But if you're a healthy individual and you don't have any kidney damage, then yes, I would recommend it. Or, like I said, talk to your healthcare provider about this stuff.

It's generally considered safe for healthy adults to take creatine for up to five years. However, people with pre-existing kidney problems should exercise caution when taking creatine. Like I said, it's advised that you speak with your healthcare professional before taking creatine. I just need to say this over and over and over again.

Creatine can also increase the creatine levels in the blood, which can be a marker of kidney damage. However, this increase is usually not significant, and it's not associated with actual kidney disease. For example, I've experienced this. I've had rhabdo before, and that's a different thing, but I went into the emergency room and got treated for rhabdo. When they drew my blood, because of the amount of meat that I eat, and meat having natural creatine in it, and I remember I'd gone out for a cheesesteak dinner the night before, so hella creatine, hella meat consumption, my creatine levels came back increased. Again, it's a marker of kidney damage, but it wasn't actually kidney damage. The increase wasn't significant enough, and it's not associated with actual kidney damage. So I just want to throw that in there.

But like I mentioned in the pros, when I was talking about how creatine pulls water into the muscle, it is so important to drink plenty of water while taking creatine, to help flush out the kidneys and minimize any potential damage. Some people take creatine but then don't drink the gallon of water that's recommended a day. Creatine is being excreted through the kidneys, so you want to make sure you're on top of your water and staying hydrated so it can help flush it out and minimize any potential damage. Just stay hydrated, friends. Please stay hydrated. And I'm just going to say this here: please check with your doctor. Okay, thanks.

Okay, that was number three, kidney damage.

Number four: dehydration. Creatine can cause muscles to retain water, which can lead to dehydration. I just want to drive this one home: you must be hydrated if you're taking creatine. Dehydration happens because creatine pulls water into the muscles, and if an individual is not drinking enough water, dehydration may happen. So I'm drilling this into your heads. It's important to drink plenty of water while taking creatine to help prevent dehydration.

It's also recommended to consume creatine with a carbohydrate-based drink, which I've already spoken to, or with a meal, to help absorb the creatine and minimize any potential dehydration. For example, like I said, I put a scoop of creatine into my protein shake, and it's mixed with fruit and carbohydrates and almond milk.

It's also worth mentioning that while creatine can cause water retention in the muscle cells, that doesn't mean it will lead to dehydration if you drink enough water. So just in general, please stay hydrated. Drinking enough water is essential for staying hydrated and healthy, you guys, independent of creatine use. Making sure you drink enough water every single day is so important, outside of just taking creatine.

So there you have it, the pros and the cons of taking creatine. It's important to know that creatine is a supplement. It's not a drug. So even though this is one of the most extensively studied supplements in the fitness space, the long-term effects of creatine use are not well understood. I just need to make sure you guys know that. More research is needed, even though it's been extensively studied. So it's important to consult with a healthcare professional, and I can't say that enough, before taking creatine or really any dietary supplement while you're on your journey to change your body composition.

I hope you guys enjoyed this podcast. I hope you found it helpful, and I hope you have a great day. I'll catch you guys in the next podcast. See ya.

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