Creatine is a popular and well-studied supplement. It’s best known for its ability to increase muscle mass, improve strength, and enhance athletic performance. But more recently creatine has garnered attention in the fitness community for its potential role in supporting weight loss.
Is taking creatine for weight loss a smart weight management strategy?
Creatine for weight loss is a relatively new concept. In this article we’ll explore:
- The science behind how creatine works in the body.
- Building muscle using a creatine supplement.
- How to use creatine for weight loss.
- The potential side effects of using creatine for weight loss.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound. It plays a key role in energy production during high-intensity, short-duration activities such as weightlifting or sprinting.
Creatine is produced in the body and is also found in small amounts in dietary sources including animal proteins like red meat, pork, and fish.
Many people, especially athletes and bodybuilders, use creatine supplements to improve their athletic performance, increase muscle mass, and enhance strength.
A review published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research revealed that creatine supplementation during resistance training is more effective at increasing muscle strength and weightlifting performance than resistance training alone.
Creatine: How Does it Work?
Creatine works in the body by increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy carrier in cells. By increasing ATP production, creatine helps provide the energy muscles need to perform high-intensity activities, such as:
- Lifting weights
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Sprinting (including track or treadmill sprinting, swimming, rowing or cycling)
Creatine also draws water into muscle cells, which can increase their size and improve strength.
In 2022, the International Society of Sports Nutrition published a review highlighting the health benefits of creatine supplementation and its safety and efficacy in both short- and long-term use. They found that up to 30 grams a day for five years is safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals.
Does Creatine Directly Impact Weight Loss?
Does creatine directly impact weight loss? Not exactly. But what creatine does do is increase your athletic capacity.
Creatine supplementation allows you to push harder when working out, especially during high-intensity exercise. This will lead to higher strength and power output during your training, and more significant muscle growth.
You’ll ultimately burn more calories and build more lean muscle mass while taking creatine supplements. Thus indirectly increasing your potential weight loss.
The Science Behind Creatine for Weight Loss
A review published in 2017 in Current Protein & Peptide Science determined that there is an increase in skeletal muscle mass with creatine supplementation. As you increase your lean muscle mass, your body's resting metabolic rate has the potential to increase. In other words, having more muscle means you can burn more calories, even when your body is not actively engaged in physical activity.
A study published in Nutrients in 2021 found that creatine supplementation may have the potential to increase the metabolism of adipocytes (body fat cells), leading to improved fat metabolism and potentially aiding in weight management. There is also evidence that combining creatine supplementation with resistance training may result in a greater reduction in body fat percentage compared to doing just resistance training alone.
It's important to remember that creatine itself doesn't directly burn fat or lead to weight loss. It primarily affects muscle performance and energy production during exercise. It's not a direct weight loss supplement, per se, but it can be used as part of a comprehensive approach to health and fitness and has a desirable effect on body composition.
Potential Side Effects of Creatine for Weight Loss
Like many other supplements, creatine does have several side effects to be aware of, and they include:
- Digestive Issues: Some people may experience digestive issues, such as nausea and diarrhea, when taking creatine supplements.
- Muscle Cramps: Creatine supplementation has been associated with muscle cramps in some individuals.
- Weight Gain: A counterintuitive side effect of using creatine for weight loss is an increase in the number on the scale due to water retention in the muscles.
- Dehydration: Creatine supplementation has been linked to an increased risk of dehydration. Drinking plenty of water when using creatine can help minimize this risk.
- Kidney damage: Creatine may lead to impaired kidney function. Excessive amounts or long-term use of creatine supplements have been associated with kidney damage in some research studies.
Creatine for Weight Loss: 5 Helpful Tips
Here are our top five tips for getting the most out of creatine for weight loss:
1. Combine Creatine With Exercise
Creatine can help increase muscle mass, which in turn can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories. By combining creatine with regular exercise, you can maximize its potential for aiding in weight loss.
Including resistance training, in particular, can build lean muscle mass, which can contribute to a higher metabolism and help with weight loss over time.
2. Stay Hydrated
This one is key! Creatine can cause your muscles to retain water, so drinking plenty of water is essential to stay hydrated. Staying adequately hydrated can also help prevent digestive discomfort sometimes associated with creatine use.
3. Have Patience
While creatine may help with weight loss indirectly by increasing muscle mass and improving exercise performance, it's not going to happen overnight.
Staying consistent with both creatine supplementation and following a healthy lifestyle is the key seeing results.
4. Pair With a Balanced Diet
Weight loss primarily comes from a combination of a balanced diet and regular exercise. Creatine should be seen as a supplement to support your overall efforts, not as a primary method for weight loss.
If weight loss is the goal, staying in a caloric deficit is paramount for seeing results.
5. Consult With a Healthcare Professional
Before embarking on a creatine for weight loss regimen, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns.
Summary
Taking creatine for weight loss shows great promise as a weight management strategy. But it’s always important to remember that there is no easy button or magic pill. It's crucial to use creatine as part of a comprehensive approach to weight loss that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Whether you're looking to add a creatine supplement or incorporate creatine-rich foods into your daily regimen, a myPrimalCoach is always at the ready to help you with behavior, lifestyle, and food changes.
