If you are a gym rat you might have heard about your gym buddies discussing and even using this supplement. Creatine is not a new supplement at all. In fact, you can trace its use back to the 1990s. This supplement became popular after the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. This was the competition that pretty much normalized the creatine trend.
Many athletes consumed this supplement to improve their athletic performance leading to awareness and acceptance of creatine supplements. Since then, the popularity of creatine has increased, especially among bodybuilders and athletes. Now it is more or less a staple choice for high-end athletes and even among people who are interested in fitness.
It is true that this supplement boosts performance and has many other benefits. But does this help with weight loss? Stay tuned to figure it out.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a compound that is naturally found in your body, predominantly in your muscle cells. It is made using three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. This creatine that your body makes is stored as phosphocreatine in your muscles.
You will also get creatine by consuming seafood and red meat. However not as much as creatine supplements which is why many elite athletes and bodybuilders use it to improve their game.
Creatine is one of the safest supplements that helps with improving athletic performance. These supplements work by increasing the phosphocreatine reserves in your muscle cells. These extra reserves can work towards boosting the production of ATP while performing high-intensity routines. ATPs are basically the energy currencies of your body. When these ATP molecules are hydrolyzed (reacting with water) they release energy.
Does creatine help you lose weight?
Creatine is not a weight loss supplement. So it does not directly support weight loss. However, this supplement can improve body composition and many other aspects all of which may indirectly support your weight loss journey. Other than that there is no evidence linking that supplementing with creatine may aid in weight loss. We will see how this creatine supplementation may even give that little benefit for weight loss in the coming section.
How does creatine aid in weight loss?
While creatine may not directly help with weight loss it may indirectly provide you some health benefits that aid your weight loss progress. The first among them is muscle preservation. Your muscles burn quite a lot of calories compared to your fat cells.
Since creatine supports muscle maintenance and growth you will have more muscle cells in your body to burn off the calories thus aiding in weight loss. Creatine is a performance enhancement supplement so enhancing your athletic performance will help you improve your workout session greatly which also supports weight loss.
Studies have shown that creatine can help with improving lean mass which is linked with decreased fat mass especially when it is combined with exercise. Although some people may see that their weight on the scale has gone up it is not actually fat gain but rather a water weight as creatine increases the water content in the muscle cells.
Other uses and benefits of creatine
In addition to improving physical performance, there are many other benefits to using creatine. Let us take a look at some of them.
- Boost brain function: Our brain requires a significant amount of ATP to tackle difficult tasks and creatine supplements may aid in boosting them. Supplementing with creatine has been shown to enhance memory and cognitive function as well as reduce the chances of neurodegenerative diseases.
- May lower blood sugar levels: There is evidence supporting the claim that creatine supplements may lead to lowered blood sugar levels.
- Reduces fatigue: Supplementing with creatine may lead to improved energy levels which helps in fighting fatigue.
Tips to effectively use creatine
There are some tips that you can consider to improve your results with creatine.
- Consistency: Make sure that you are consistent with the supplements and try to take them at the same time every day to maintain the levels.
- Creatine monohydrate: This is proven to be the safest and most effective form of creatine. So if you are planning on investing in a creatine supplement make sure to pick creatine monohydrate for optimal results.
- Hydration: Drinking 3 to 5 liters of water is recommended if you are taking creatine
- Timing: Taking this supplement after your workout might be ideal.
- Resistance training: Pairing creatine with resistance training will maximize the results.
- Only take the recommended amount: Stick to the recommended dosage to avoid complications associated with overdose.
Considerations and side effects of using creatine
Let us go through some of the common side effects of using this supplement
- Dehydration
- Muscle cramps
- Digestive issues
- Hair loss
- Kidney and liver stress
In most cases, these side effects are an effect of not using properly. Even though creatine is a safe option, at the end of the day it is the dose that makes the poison. So you have to ensure that you are taking in optimal doses and individuals with any underlying medical conditions must discuss it with their doctor before taking any supplements.
Conclusion
Creatine is a safe supplement that helps boost athletic performance, enhance energy levels, and support muscle recovery. There is not much proof to show that this supplement supports weight loss. However, it may indirectly support the weight loss caused by boosting your overall body composition. But make sure that you are taking the supplements in the appropriate doses.
FAQs
It depends on your goals. If you are going for the loading phase then 20 to 25 grams per day is recommended. After the loading phase consuming 3 to 5 grams per day is advised. Or you can opt for 3 to 5 grams without a loading phase.
No, there is no evidence indicating that supplementing with creatine may lead to weight loss. It may indirectly benefit your weight loss routine by boosting performance, improving muscle cells, and preserving muscle mass during calorie deficit.
No, that will not happen. Creatine itself cannot make you leaner. In fact some people experience weight gain due to water retention other than that there is no evidence indicating creatine consumption is linked with looking leaner.
Creatine is said to improve metabolism. This supplement may increase the resting metabolic rate and lean muscle mass both of which are associated with better metabolism.
No, that belief is not true. This supplement may cause weight gain due to water retention properties other than that there is no evidence showing that creatine causes any weight gain.
No creatine does not make you lose abs.
