Athletic performance, muscle mass, and the incomplete metabolism of creatine can all benefit from the use of supplements. Creatine, an organic acid that provides energy to cells, especially those in muscles, is found in red meat and fish naturally, as well as being produced by the body and available in supplement form.
Research hints at various potential benefits of creatine, such as delaying skin ageing, treating muscular ailments, aiding exercise in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), boosting cognitive function, and more. However, if you want to read more about does creatine make you gain weight continue reading we are also going to cover what does creatine do for women in this blog.
Creatine is a compound composed of three amino acids namely L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. It accounts for approximately 1% of the overall volume of human blood. Most of the creatine in the human body, around 95%, is stored in the skeletal muscle, while the remaining 5% is found in the brain.
Every day, the liver, kidneys, and pancreas convert approximately 1.5 to 2 % of the body’s creatine stores for use. It is transported through the bloodstream and utilized by body parts with high energy demands, such as the skeletal muscle and brain.
Various forms of creatine are available in supplements, including creatine monohydrate and creatine nitrate. It is important to note that currently, no creatine supplement has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, caution should be exercised when using unregulated supplements due to potential associated risks.
Sources And Requirements:
The body requires a daily intake of 1 to 3 grams of creatine, with approximately half coming from the diet and the remaining being synthesized internally. Food sources of iron such as red meat and fish provide 1 to 2 grams of creatine per pound.
Energy Supply And Athletic Performance:
Creatine serves as an energy source for specific body parts that require it. Athletes often use supplements to enhance energy production, improve their performance, and enable them to train more intensively. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that highly trained athletes may need to consume 5 to 10 grams of creatine each day to maintain their energy reserves.
Health Conditions And Required Dosages:
Individuals with health conditions that hinder creatine synthesis may need to consume 10 to 30 grams of creatine per day to prevent health complications.
Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?
Many people have concerns about whether taking creatine supplements can lead to weight gain, particularly in the form of fat. However, it is important to understand that the creatine weight gain associated with creatine supplementation may not be due to increased fat. Multiple factors contribute to the changes in weight that individuals may experience after starting creatine.
Water Retention:
One of the main reasons for weight gain with creatine is water retention. The supplement can draw water into the muscle cells, resulting in bloating or puffiness in areas such as the arms, legs, or stomach. Additionally, this water retention can make muscles appear larger, even in the early stages of training. In the first week of using oral creatine, it is common for individuals to gain around 2 to 4.5 pounds due to water retention.
Muscle Mass:
Despite the initial water weight gain, research has shown that creatine can effectively increase muscle strength and size. As a result, individuals may notice an increase in muscle mass, which in turn contributes to weight gain. However, as the muscles become bigger, the water weight becomes less noticeable and the individual appears less swollen.
Non-Muscle Weight Gain:
It is understandable for individuals to be concerned about gaining non-muscle weight, particularly fat when taking creatine. However, it is important to note that creatine itself will not cause fat gain. Fat gain occurs when you consume more calories than you burn. A single scoop of creatine per day typically contains minimal to no calories. Therefore, if you maintain an active lifestyle and follow a healthy diet, it is unlikely that you will gain fat while using oral creatine.
How to Manage Creatine Weight Gain?
If you experience weight gain due to water retention with creatine, there are a few steps you can take to reduce fluid retention:
1. Increase Water Intake:
Drinking more water stimulates urination, helping to remove excess water from the body.
2. Reduce Sodium Intake:
High sodium intake can contribute to fluid retention. Limit processed and fast foods, and instead focus on consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams per day can help you against creatine weight gain.
3. Moderate Carbohydrate Intake:
While carbohydrates are important for energy, excessive carbohydrate consumption can lead to water retention. Aim for a carbohydrate intake between 225 and 325 grams per day.
4. Be Patient:
Regular exercise can help reduce water retention. The more you work out and train your body, the less water you are likely to retain.
The Mechanism Of Creatine
Creatine is a substance that assists muscles in utilizing energy. While it is naturally produced by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, it can also be obtained from seafood and red meat. When creatine is consumed orally, it combines with a phosphate molecule to form creatine phosphate (phosphocreatine). This compound provides the body with immediate energy for high-intensity activities. Creatine phosphate helps in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary source of energy in the body.
Why Take Creatine?
Aside from its benefits in strength and endurance training, creatine has been shown to have potential benefits in improving brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. However, further research is needed, as most studies have been conducted on animals.
Creatine supplementation has also demonstrated the potential to improve certain muscular disorders. For example, studies have shown that individuals with muscular dystrophy experienced increased muscle strength after taking creatine supplements.
Furthermore, the answer to what does creatine do for women is a study conducted in 2012 that found that creatine may improve symptoms of major depression in women. Over eight weeks, women who received 5 grams of creatine per day showed improvements in their symptoms as early as two weeks, with further improvement seen at the eight-week mark.
Health Benefits Of Creatine
Creatine is widely used in the United States, particularly among male participants in ice hockey, football, baseball, lacrosse, and wrestling. It is also a common ingredient in sports nutrition supplements, including sports drinks. Various claims have been made regarding creatine’s uses, and some of these claims are supported by research evidence.
Enhancing Sports Performance
Athletes often take creatine supplements to enhance their athletic performance, as there is evidence suggesting that these supplements are effective in high-intensity training. The basic concept behind this is that creatine helps the body produce more energy, allowing athletes to work harder and achieve greater results.
For certain individuals engaged in specific types of exercise, increasing the body’s creatine levels can potentially improve performance. In a 2003 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, researchers found that creatine While it is important to acknowledge that not all studies produced consistent positive outcomes, it is suggested that this substance might improves performance in activities requiring intermittent and bursts of energy.
A review conducted in 2012 further supported creatine benefits for women supplementation. The review indicated that creatine can enhance the effects of resistance training on strength and body mass, improve the quality and benefits of high-intensity intermittent speed training, boost endurance performance in aerobic exercises lasting longer than 150 seconds, and potentially improve strength, power, fat-free mass, daily living performance, and neurological function.
Interestingly, creatine appears to be more beneficial for athletes engaged in anaerobic exercise rather than aerobic activity. It is particularly effective in short-duration, high-intensity, intermittent exercises, but its impact on other types of exercise may be limited. However, it is worth noting that a study published in 2017 found that creatine benefits for women did not enhance fitness or performance in a group of 17 young female athletes who used it for four weeks.
Creatine Concerning Muscular Dystrophy:
Various studies conducted in 2013 showed that creatine can potentially enhance muscle strength in individuals with muscular dystrophy. Those who took creatine supplements experienced an 8.5 % increase in muscle strength compared to those who did not take the supplement. Daily consumption of creatine for a period of 8 to 16 weeks may lead to improved muscle strength and decreased fatigue. However, it should be noted that not all studies have yielded consistent results in this regard.
In addition to its potential benefits for individuals with muscular dystrophy, there is growing interest in exploring the benefits of creatine for women. While research specifically focused on creatine benefits for women is limited, studies suggest that creatine supplementation may also have positive effects on muscle strength and fatigue reduction in women. For example, similar to the findings in individuals with muscular dystrophy, daily consumption of creatine for 8 to 16 weeks may lead to improved muscle strength and decreased fatigue
Creatine And Its Impact On Parkinson's Disease:
Studies conducted on mice suffering from Parkinson’s disease have indicated that creatine can hinder the loss of cells that are typically affected by this condition. A study involving the combined treatment of coenzyme and creatine suggested that this combination may potentially be beneficial in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.
However, a research study published in JAMA, which involved more than 1,700 human participants, reported that treatment with creatine monohydrate for a minimum of 5 years did not result in any improvement in clinical outcomes when compared to a placebo. Likewise, a systematic review published in Cochrane revealed that there is not enough robust evidence to support the use of creatine in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Helps In Depression:
The answer to what does creatine do for women is that a study conducted in South Korea involving 52 women with depression showed that the addition of a 5-gram creatine supplement to their daily antidepressant resulted in significant improvements in symptoms. These improvements were noticeable as early as 2 weeks and continued up to weeks 4 and 8.
Another small-scale study found that creatine seemed to be effective in treating depression in 14 females who also had a methamphetamine addiction. The findings of this study suggest that creatine treatment could be a promising therapeutic approach for females dealing with both depression and methamphetamine dependence. However, further research is required to validate these findings.
Enhance Cognitive Ability:
Research from 2003 suggests that creatine supplementation can enhance mental performance. After taking a 5-gram supplement daily for 6 weeks, 45 participants exhibited improved scores on working memory and intelligence tests, particularly on tasks conducted under time pressure, when compared to individuals who took a placebo.
Additionally, a study published in 2007 concluded that creatine supplementation can enhance cognition in older adults. Participants in the study took a 5-gram supplement four times a day for a week and then completed number and spatial tests. The results indicated that those who took the creatine supplement outperformed those who were given a placebo only.
Conclusion:
The answer to does creatine make you gain weight In conclusion, there may be concerns about weight gain associated with creatine supplementation, it is important to understand that the weight gain is not necessarily due to increased fat. The initial weight gain is often attributed to water retention, which can make muscles appear larger and result in bloating. However, research has shown that creatine can effectively increase muscle strength and size, contributing to overall weight gain. It is important to note that creatine itself does not cause fat gain, as that is related to caloric intake. By maintaining an active lifestyle and following a healthy diet, it is unlikely that individuals will gain fat while using creatine.
FAQs
No, creatine itself does not cause fat gain. The weight gain associated with creatine supplementation is often due to water retention and increased muscle size.
Creatine can have various benefits for women, including improving muscle strength and reducing fatigue. It may also have potential benefits for brain disorders like depression.
To reduce fluid retention associated with creatine, you can increase water intake, reduce sodium intake, moderate carbohydrate intake, and maintain an active lifestyle.
The recommended daily intake of creatine varies depending on individual needs and health conditions. It is best to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate dosage for your specific circumstances.
