Should I supplement with creatine for weight loss? Creatine is the most widely researched sports nutrition supplement on the market. It sounds great for people trying to gain muscle or athletes looking to increase performance, but what about losing weight? Is it only for bodybuilders, or can it also be used by normal people who want to lose weight? Let’s take a closer look in this article.
WHAT IS CREATINE?
Creatine is a mix of amino acids like arginine, glycine, and methionine. Your body naturally makes it in the kidneys and liver. But, you can also get it from your diet and supplements.
Most of the creatine is in your muscles (about 95 percent). Your body needs to replace around one to three grams of creatine each day to keep normal levels, depending on your muscle mass. Luckily, about half of what you need comes from your food, like meat and fish.
For example, a pound of uncooked beef or salmon gives you about one to two grams of creatine. The rest is made mainly in the liver and kidneys from amino acids like arginine, methionine, and glycine. Some people use supplements to get more creatine.
There are different types, but the most studied one is creatine monohydrate. So, why is creatine so important?
THE BENEFITS OF CREATINE
Creatine is a popular supplement for athletes, especially those who want to build muscles, like bodybuilders. They usually use it when they’re in a “bulking” phase, which means they’re working on building muscle and eating more calories for a certain time. After that, they go into a “cut” phase, where they try to burn fat by eating fewer calories.
Because so many athletes use creatine, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) looked at all the research about its benefits for athletic performance.
Here are some good things that creatine might do:
- Make Exercise Better
- Build More Muscle & Strength
- Reduce the Chance of Getting Hurt
- Handle Tough Workouts Better
- Recover Faster after Exercise
- Protect the Brain and Spinal Cord
OTHER USES OF CREATINE
Creatine, known for various benefits, is also under investigation for potential health advantages and clinical applications. These include its possible use in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and ALS. Moreover, there is ongoing research suggesting that taking creatine preventively could be beneficial for patients at risk of myocardial ischemia and stroke.
In older individuals, creatine may play a role in preventing sarcopenia (muscle loss) and bone loss. Additionally, studies are exploring its potential to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduce fat accumulation in the liver, and decrease homocysteine levels. Creatine is also being studied for its antioxidant properties, ability to enhance glycemic control, and potential to slow tumor growth in certain types of cancers.
Furthermore, ongoing research is investigating creatine’s role in minimizing bone loss, improving functional capacity in patients with knee osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, and positively influencing cognitive function. There are even studies exploring the potential antidepressant effects of creatine.
These potential health benefits are still being studied, and further research is needed to confirm and fully understand the extent of creatine’s impact in these areas.
IS CREATINE GOOD FOR LOSING WEIGHT?
Not really. Studies looking at how creatine affects weight loss show that it doesn’t directly make you lose fat in a big way. But that doesn’t mean it’s useless if you’re trying to change your body. Let’s talk about the good and not-so-good sides of using creatine for weight loss.
GOOD SIDES (PROS):
Preserving Muscle in Calorie Deficit: If you’re eating less to lose weight, creatine might help. Research says it can stop you from losing muscle and strength. While it won’t make you lose fat, it can guide your body to burn fat instead of your muscles for energy.
Making Workouts Better: Creatine can indirectly help with fat loss by boosting strength and performance during weight training. This means you can lift more and exercise longer, burning more calories.
NOT-SO-GOOD SIDES (CONS):
Causes Water Weight Gain: One important thing to know is that creatine can make you gain weight, but it’s not fat. It’s water weight. Studies show that people who start taking creatine might gain 2-4 pounds in just a few days. This is because creatine pulls more water into your muscles as it kickstarts muscle growth.
Confusing Scale Numbers: While water weight isn’t bad, it can mess with the numbers on the scale and might feel disheartening. Even if you’re losing fat, the scale might show you gaining weight because of the extra water in your muscles.
SHOULD YOU TAKE CREATINE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
So, does creatine harm weight loss? No, it doesn’t. Even though the bloating and quick weight gain you might notice when you begin using creatine can be surprising, none of this added weight is fat. So, creatine can’t really get in the way of your goals. What it can do, though, is make it more challenging to keep track of your progress because it causes your body to retain more water weight than usual.
LEGION
Legion is a brand famous for its yummy and all-natural supplements, and they’re really good for you. They don’t put any unnecessary stuff like fillers or fake colors in their products. If you check out their supplements online, you’ll find lots of info about each ingredient, and they even link to studies that explain why they’re good.
One of their products, called “Recharge,” is awesome. It has 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, which is great for your workouts. But the cool thing is, it also has other stuff like l-carnitine and corosolic acid that help your body recover after you exercise.
THORNE
If you’re really into sports, Thorne has the perfect creatine for you. It has something called micronized creatine monohydrate, which makes it super easy to mix, way easier than regular creatine. The best part is, it’s checked by NSF for Sport, a third party, to make sure it doesn’t have any banned stuff in it. This is super important for athletes who have to take drug tests and can’t risk accidentally having something they shouldn’t. That’s why sports dietitians really trust Thorne products.
OPTIMUM NUTRITION
ON is a well-known brand in the sports nutrition world, and their creatine product is awesome for people just starting out. It’s super simple with only one thing in it: 5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder. Unlike Legion, this creatine doesn’t have any flavor, so you can mix it in with your protein shake after working out, add it to your post-workout meal, or do whatever’s easiest for you. Plus, it’s really budget-friendly, costing just $0.67 per serving, like most other ON products.
4 TIPS TO HELP YOU BENEFIT FROM CREATINE
TIP 1: FOCUS ON CREATINE-RICH MEATS
If you consume animal products, boosting your animal protein food sources such as beef, pork, herring, and salmon may help. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you may want to talk with your doctor more about supplementation.
TIP 2: FOCUS ON SMALLER, DAILY DOSAGES
Taking smaller amounts of creatine each day, like three to five grams or 0.1 grams for every kilogram you weigh, works well, as per studies. Recent research shows that you might not need a special phase where you take a lot more creatine initially to see the benefits.
Some bodybuilders like to do this special phase, called a creatine loading phase, where they take up to five times the usual amount during the first week. They believe this helps to fill up the muscles with enough creatine.
However, if you want to increase the levels of creatine in your brain, fix issues with creatine production, or deal with certain health problems, you might need to take higher amounts of creatine for a longer time.
TIP 3: TAKE UP RESISTANCE TRAINING
Add resistance training to your usual workouts, but make sure it suits your health and medical needs. This can make your creatine intake work better for your body, helping you build more muscle and reduce fat.
TIP 4: ADD IN SOME CARBOHYDRATES
Adding carbohydrates and protein to your creatine supplement seems to boost how much creatine your muscles take in and hold onto. Consider including these types of carbs:
- Sweet potato
- Brown rice
- Steel-cut oats
- Colorful starchy vegetables, like winter squash
FAQ
1. How much weight will I lose if I stop creatine?
3 -8 lbs.
2. Can you take creatine and fat burner?
Yes.
3. Should I take creatine and protein to lose weight?
Yes. Creatine boosts performance and aids recovery, while protein supports muscle building and weight loss.
CONCLUSION
If you’re considering creatine for weight loss, it might be beneficial. While creatine may not directly lead to fat loss, it can help preserve muscles during weight loss. Keep in mind, though, it could result in some water weight gain, making progress tracking a bit challenging. Prior to trying any new supplements, consult your doctor, and assess how creatine weight loss aligns with your overall health and fitness plan.
