If you’ve ever looked into supplements for bulking muscle, then you’ve likely heard of creatine. But lately, it’s been gaining attention for weight loss. Does creatine help you lose weight? Unlikely. Current research doesn’t show creatine to be a beneficial weight loss supplement. In this post, we’ll explore creatine for weight loss and see whether it really has any merit.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance similar to amino acids. It’s made in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, then turned into phosphocreatine, which gets stored in the muscles and used later for energy.
Creatine supplements are common among athletes who want to build muscle faster. They take creatine to increase muscle strength and mass, improve performance and aid workout recovery. Some research also suggests that creatine can help improve muscle growth among athletes 18-30 [1].
Natural sources of creatine include wild game, red meat, herring and salmon. Other sources include chicken, chickpeas, tempeh, seitan, tofu, quinoa, lentils, and spinach, though the exact levels of creatine vary from each source.
You don’t need to take creatine supplements because your body produces it naturally through amino acids like glycine, arginine, and methionine. However, many athletes believe that taking creatine can support muscle growth and improve strength and performance.
What Are Creatine Supplements?
Creatine supplements come in tablets, gummies, capsules, and powder form.
They use the natural substance in your body to give you an added dose of creatine, which may help improve energy supply to your muscles and support faster muscle growth if you weight train.
A 2017 literature review by the International Society of Sports Nutrition supports the safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation for both short- and long-term usage (up to 5 years). There are also studies that note improvements in workout recovery, injury prevention, thermoregulation, and rehabilitation [2].
Why Is Creatine Good for Weight Loss?
Some say that creatine may help you lose weight by improving your ability to build muscle and boost exercise performance. Creatine may also boost your metabolism, which can help you reach weight loss goals faster.
However, no research has found that creatine works alone as a weight loss solution. Its benefits have been noted in cases of individuals who took creatine supplements for weight loss while participating in exercise programs.
The Importance of Exercise in Weight Loss
Many drugs on the market have been pushed as quick fixes for being overweight or obese. Ozempic, for example, is known as the miracle weight loss drug because of how quickly people drop excess weight when they take it. Ozempic work by mimicking a natural hormone in your body that makes you feel full. So, people who take Ozempic eat less, ultimately making it easier for them to reduce their daily caloric intake.
Having a calorie defeat is the key to weight loss. You have to burn more than you consume. Some people just eat less, but this ultimately isn’t a sustainable solution because when your food intake increases, you’re more likely to gain weight.
Exercise helps regulate the body, stabilize the metabolism and improve overall physiological function. Not eating properly slows the metabolism and can even make it harder to lose weight since the body is more likely to “hold onto” excess fat as a nutrient source.
So, exercising regularly is vital to not just reaching weight loss goals but staying healthy overall. No supplement can replace eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet and getting enough exercise. Some people may need to be more active than others to reach their weight loss goals, which is why personalized fitness plans are so important.
Working with a trainer and nutritionist to learn more about how your body stores and burns fat can ultimately help you find a routine that delivers the results you’re looking for.
Does Creatine Boost Metabolism?
Creatine can positively affect your metabolic rate and energy expenditure. This means that it can improve how quickly your body burns calories, which can affect how quickly you lose weight through movement.
Exercise will still be key for anyone looking to use creatine for weight loss. It doesn’t work simply by taking it and hoping for results. Anyone that wants to lose weight and takes creatine will need to pair the supplement with a good workout routine and healthy diet.
Does Creatine Burn Fat?
Creatine may impact your metabolic rate, which could potentially increase how quickly your body burns fat. This doesn’t mean creatine burns fat, and there is no study that supports creatine as a fat-burning substance or weight loss solution.
One thing many people notice is that they seem to gain weight after starting creatine. This is not actually fat; creatine can cause water retention, which may make you look fuller, but it is not the same as fat stored in the body.
Fat comes down to an imbalance of energy — not burning enough or consuming too many calories. Water retention has a number of causes, from medication side effects to increased hydration or sodium intake.
Creatine’s Impact on BMI and Insulin Sensitivity
Some research suggestions that creatine may improve insulin sensitivity in people with and without insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) [3]. As for body mass index (BMI), a 2023 study found that creatine may reduce body fat percentage, but it does not have a notable impact on BMI [4].
Other Uses and Benefits of Creatine
Creatine is mainly used to build muscle and improve athletic performance. However, there are other possible benefits and reasons to take creatine supplements.
Mental Health
Some evidence suggests that creatine supplementation may improve depression and anxiety symptoms [5]. However, it may increase the risk of manic episodes among patients with bipolar disorder [6].
Managing Muscular Disorders
By improving muscle strength and power, creatine may be helpful for patients with muscular dystrophy. This could potentially help slow down the rate at which muscles deteriorate, ultimately giving people with degenerative conditions greater mobility and strength.
Managing Neurodegenerative Diseases
Some research shows that creatine may help protect the brain and nervous system. This could make it effective at reducing the rate of progression in diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease [7].
Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury
Thanks to neuroprotective effects, creatine may help patients recovering from a traumatic brain injury. It has shown to reduce brain damage effects, like ischemia-mediated (impaired blood flow) depletion of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) — cell’s life force [8].
Supporting Immune Health
Creatine may improve immunity and even boost anti-cancer properties by controlling antitumor T cell immunity [9]. However, research surrounding creatine and immune health is still in its infancy, and most studies have been performed on animals.
Because creatine does play a large role in the production of ATP, it could theoretically also support the function of immune responses. That being said, more research and clinical evidence is needed to support the benefits of creatine supplements for immunity.
Pros and Cons of Creatine
If you’re interested in trying creatine, there are several points to consider:
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine can help athletes improve their performance, and it’s often taken to:
- Enhance muscle strength
- Increase muscle mass
- Speed up recovery
- Reduce fatigue
Creatine also has neuroprotective benefits, which may improve cognition and brain function.
Potential Downsides
Although it is naturally occurring in the human body, creatine supplements can still cause some undesirable side effects. Taking creatine supplements:
- May cause digestive discomfort
- Can lead to water retention
- May increase risk of mania if you have bipolar disorder
Additionally, the long-term effects of taking creatine aren’t documented, and there is no approved dosage amount by any regulating body. This means that it is important for anyone considering creatine to work with a doctor and nutritionist, discuss whether supplements are safe for them, and set benchmarks for measuring progress and tracking symptoms.
How to Get the Most Out of Creatine for Weight Loss: 4 Tips
Creatine isn’t a weight loss supplement, but it may support your efforts when paired with a good diet and exercise routine. When it comes to creatine supplementation and fat loss, there are several ways to help boost your odds of success:
1. Use the Optimal Creatine Dosage
There are two steps to taking creatine: the loading phase and maintenance phase.
- During the loading phase, creatine levels increase dramatically in the muscles, and the goal is to increase the overall level quickly to achieve noticeable improvements in performance.
- The maintenance stage involves keeping a consistently high level of creatine in the muscles to sustain any desired effects.
During the loading phase, people take multiple doses of creatine throughout the day — such as 4 or 5-gram servings four to five times per day. The maintenance dose will be lower, usually 3 to 5 grams per day, but the exact amount will vary on factors like body composition, muscle mass, and activity level.
Remember that the body can only store a limited amount of creatine, so overloading won’t have any benefits and only increase the risk of negative side effects. Taking too much creatine also increases the risk of kidney damage. It could also cause the body to stop making creatine on its own.
Therefore, you should be careful about how much you take, and consult with a doctor before you decide to start supplementation. They’ll be able to help you establish the right dosage and clear guidelines.
2. Combine Creatine With Resistance Training
Resistance training and creatine supplementation go hand-in-hand for many athletes. This is because resistance training, or strength training, helps you build muscle and reduce body fat. Increasing the amount of lean muscle can ultimately help someone lose weight by improving the ratio between muscle, fat, and bone in the body.
Because creatine supports muscle growth and strength, it could be a beneficial supplement as you embark on strength training. Plus, strength training can help you lose weight faster by building muscle tissue and boosting your metabolic rate.
3. Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet
As with any weight loss plan, the goal is to eliminate foods that make you gain weight and eat more nourishing meals. This means paying close attention to your intake of sugar, eliminating ultra-processed and processed foods whenever you can, and eating nutrient-dense dishes that keep you full.
4. Choose Safer Supplements
When you buy any supplement, it’s important to make sure that it’s been tested for safety. Testing can help guarantee a supplement is free of metals and chemicals and has a low risk of dangerous side effects.
Look for third-party tested creatine supplements that have been approved by an organization like ConsumerLab, NSF, or ISURA.
Canada Health also regulates natural health products (NHPs), under the Natural Health Products Regulations of 2004. This means creatine supplements in Canada are regulated by the government. However, a policy analysis published in 2023 highlighted gaps in the Canadian government’s testing of creatine and other muscle-building supplements [10]. Therefore, it is important for anyone considering creatine for weight loss to do their research and ensure they are buying a product that has been heavily screened and carefully evaluated for safety.
Creatine for Weight Loss: Final Thoughts
There isn’t a lot of evidence to support creatine as an effective weight loss supplement, but it can improve muscle performance and strength in resistance training. It may also help boost metabolic rate and increase energy expenditure, which helps the body burn calories faster.
Ultimately, when it comes to losing weight, the best thing to do is exercise and address your diet. Eat nutrient-rich, healthy meals, and try to cut back on processed, packaged foods as much as possible. Working out and burning calories through exercise is the only definitive way to lose weight and maintain a healthy BMI.
As with any supplement, it’s best to consult with your physician before you take anything to avoid conflicts with medications or underlying health conditions. You should also thoroughly research products to make sure they have been third-party tested for safety.
Sources
[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17674-creatine
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7915263/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31450809/
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5775367/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8912287/
This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or other professional advice. Your specific circumstances should be discussed with a healthcare provider. All statements of opinion represent the writers' judgement at the time of publication and are subject to change. Phoenix and its affiliates provide no express or implied endorsements of third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products, or services.
