Does creatine make you gain weight?

Does creatine cause weight gain?

Usually a little. Weight gain is the only side effect reported again and again in creatine studies.

The jump comes from loading, which means about 20 g a day for 5 to 7 days. That typically adds 1 to 3 kg, mostly water.

Across 143 trials, people on creatine ended up 0.86 kg heavier on average than people who didn’t take it.

Women tend to see less of it. A review of women’s trials found no significant weight gain, and the quick jump is more common in men.

Don’t want the jump? Skip loading and take a small daily dose instead.

Is creatine weight water or fat?

Water first. As creatine moves into your muscles, water is taken in with it.

Think of a dry sponge. Soak it and it gets heavier, but there’s no more sponge. So the scale goes up, but you haven’t gained fat.

Fat gain is the myth. A review of trials lasting from 1 week to 2 years says creatine doesn’t increase fat mass.

So judge a gain in the first week as water. Stopping soon after? See what happens when you stop creatine.

Does creatine help with weight loss?

No. On the scale, creatine nudges you up, not down. That 0.86 kg average is a gain.

Weight loss still comes down to energy. The NHS says you’re likely to lose weight if you eat and drink fewer calories than you use.

If you lift, it may add a little lean mass, about 1 kg more in one review. For weight loss, start with how many calories to eat and how to keep muscle during weight loss.

Does creatine help fat loss?

Only a little, and it depends on one habit. That habit is lifting weights. The effects in reviews were bigger with weight training.

In adults under 50 who lifted, one review found body fat fell 1.19 percentage points more with creatine. But the amount of fat in kg didn’t differ.

Another review of adults under 50 found 0.73 kg more fat lost than with weights alone. Several authors of the first review have worked with creatine makers.

So your body fat percentage can drop while the scale climbs. Muscle and water go up and fat holds or falls slightly.

New to lifting? How to build muscle has a simple start.

What is the best creatine for weight loss?

There isn’t one. The UK approves two health claims for creatine, and neither is about weight or fat.

Pick plain creatine monohydrate. It’s the most studied form.

In one study, 3 g a day for 28 days filled muscles about as much as 20 g a day for 6 days. See how to choose a creatine and how much to take.

When to speak to a GP

Creatine water sits inside your muscles. Puffy ankles or feet are a different thing, called oedema. Speak to a GP if:

• You have kidney disease and want to take creatine. Experts suggest asking your doctor first.
• Both ankles, feet or legs are swollen and it hasn’t improved after a few days of home care, gets worse, or you have a heart, kidney or leg vein condition. See a GP.
• One ankle, foot or leg swells and you don’t know why, there’s a lot of swelling after an injury or it’s getting worse, the swelling is severe, painful or starts very suddenly, other areas like your face or tummy swell, the area is red or hot, you have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, or you have diabetes and your feet, ankles or legs swell. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
• You have persistent or worrying symptoms you think could be kidney disease, such as swollen ankles, feet or hands. See a GP.

Swelling plus any of these? Call 999: shortness of breath, a tight, heavy or painful chest, coughing up blood, a pounding heartbeat, or feeling lightheaded, faint, confused, sick or clammy. The NHS says this could be a blood clot in your lungs.

Having a kidney blood test? Tell them you take creatine, as it may raise creatinine, a waste product the test measures.