If you're working on losing fat and someone suggested creatine, your first instinct might be to say no, doesn't creatine make you gain weight?
The truth? Creatine won’t ‘make you fat’. It's actually one of the best ways to achieve ‘recomposition’. Recomposition means maintaining a similar weight while gaining muscle mass and reducing body fat.
Creatine may help you push harder during your workouts to help reach that physique goal. Over time, this will allow your body to have a higher resting metabolic rate, thus burning more calories from muscle.
Read on to learn more in this comprehensive guide on creatine for weight loss.
Table of Contents
- Does Creatine Directly Burn Fat?
- Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start Creatine
- How Creatine Supports Fat Loss Indirectly
- What the Research Says About Creatine and Fat Loss
- Creatine During a Calorie Deficit
- How to Use Creatine Effectively for Body Recomposition
Does Creatine Directly Burn Fat?
No, creatine doesn’t help you lose fat or function as a thermogenic. Therefore, it doesn’t raise your energy expenditure at rest, suppress hunger, or speed up metabolism on its own.
So, What Does Creatine Really Do?
Creatine allows your body to store greater amounts of phosphocreatine in your muscles. This means your body can replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source for your muscles, faster.
This can help you to push harder during strength workouts for that 1RM, squeeze out a couple more reps per set, and recover faster between sets. Ultimately, that additional capacity for longer, harder workouts can lead to greater muscle mass and more calories burned.
Why It's Not a 'Fat Burner'
You may be wondering, "What is thermogenesis?" Fat burners, also known as thermogenics, work by producing heat internally or by stimulating your nervous system to generate excess heat, which in turn burns more calories at rest.
Creatine does neither of these things and isn’t a stimulant. Rather, it supports you in developing and maintaining the muscle tissue needed to achieve long-term fat loss.
Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start Creatine
When you take creatine for the first time, your muscles draw in water to store it. Depending on your body type, you may see water weight increase in the first few weeks.
What is Intramuscular Water Retention?
Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells, where it is stored. Unlike swelling from consuming excessive amounts of high-sodium foods or having water retention, intramuscular water means that it resides within the confines of the muscle itself.
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that there were no notable increases in body fat percentage from creatine supplementation. As such, even though your scale might show an increase in weight, your body composition is likely the same.
Why Water Retention Goes Away
Once you reach a saturated level of creatine muscle stores (typically in 2-3 weeks), you won’t continue to retain water due to creatine.
Any weight fluctuations post-saturation are likely related to your training, diet, and overall calorie intake, rather than to the creatine supplementation.
How to Track Real Progress Other Than the Scale Weight
Relying on the number on the scale can be discouraging and misleading. I usually recommend that my clients follow a multi-faceted approach to tracking their progress:
- Take measurements (waist, hips, arms, thighs) every 2 weeks.
- Take progress photos every week in the same lighting conditions, at the same time of day. Do front, back, and side with your arms up.
- Pay attention to how your clothing fits. While subjective, it is likely to be the most honest indicator of whether you’re making progress.
- Additionally, if you notice improvements in your training performance and reductions in measurements, you know you’re moving in the right direction. Don’t be discouraged and keep going!
How Creatine Supports Fat Loss Indirectly
While creatine doesn’t directly help with fat loss, it can indirectly support the building or maintenance of lean muscle mass. Building and maintaining lean muscle will both raise your resting metabolic rate and enable you to train harder, which can then contribute to fat loss over time.
Muscle Mass & Metabolism
Lean mass requires energy. The more lean muscle you have, the more energy your body will expend at rest.
Creatine supplements help you build and maintain lean muscle mass, especially when used with strength training for women. This means that while it may not increase your resting metabolic rate like a stimulant would, adding new lean muscle can result in a higher long-term baseline calorie burn.
More Exercise = More Calories Burned
When creatine enables you to perform exercises with greater intensity, you can put in more work per workout session. Whether it’s 3 more reps, going for a PR, or getting less rest between sets, all of those elements can help you burn more calories during and after your workouts.
For women already in a caloric deficit and experiencing low energy during workouts, creatine could be the difference-maker between a subpar workout and one that truly drives results.
Weight Loss vs. Body Recomposition
This is the #1 mindset adjustment, typically. Losing weight refers to reducing the number on your scale. Body recomposition is the act of changing what makes up your body in a positive way: more muscle, less fat. If you’re measuring yourself on weight alone, you’ll likely overlook all the other positive changes happening in your body.
For example, I worked with a female client last year who lost 2 inches around her waist and increased her deadlift by 30 pounds during 2 months of consistent training and creatine supplementation. She was disappointed about not losing weight, but we had tracking in place to clearly demonstrate the effects of body recomposition.
What the Research Says About Creatine and Fat Loss
Does creatine make women gain weight? Key study findings actually support a link between creatine and fat loss.
Key Findings from Study Data
A review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition also addressed common misconceptions related to creatine supplementation. This review confirmed that creatine supplements don’t increase body fat and that concerns around weight gain are typically due to fluid retention.
Over the age of 40 or 50? These findings could apply to you as well. One meta-analysis published in PMC studied over 600 individuals aged 50 or older, and those who used creatine with resistance training experienced greater reductions in body fat than those in the control group without creatine. Learn more about tips and tricks for creatine for women over 40.
Implications for Women
Although many of the studies focus on male subjects, the benefits are generalizable. Women who use creatine and strength train several times a week can maintain more lean body mass to support their fitness or physique goals. There are certainly many benefits of creatine for women.
Creatine During a Calorie Deficit
Use of creatine while in a calorie deficit may help you maintain muscle and thus prevent performance declines.
Why Muscle Loss is a Risk When Dieting
When you eat fewer calories than your body requires, it uses its energy stores as fuel. Some of that fuel can be fat, but your body can also break down muscle tissues for energy, especially if you’re not eating enough protein in your diet (or not engaging in resistance training during a calorie deficit).
As a result, many dieters lose both fat and muscle mass. This could result in a ‘softer’ appearance, since you’d lose weight but also muscle mass that would help you look more toned and fit.
How Creatine Helps Protect Against Muscle Loss During Diets
Creatine provides your muscles with the energy they need to power through your workouts, even during a calorie deficit. Combining creatine with adequate whey protein for weight loss could help prevent too much muscle loss along the way.
The GLP-1 Angle
Many women who use GLP-1s for weight management experience rapid weight loss at the beginning. Unfortunately, some, or a lot of that weight loss, could be from muscle without proper adjustments.
If muscle loss during GLP-1 treatment is a concern, you may want to consider taking creatine. Creatine may help you mitigate some muscle loss alongside resistance training and high-protein intake.
If you’re taking GLP-1s, consult your physician about how adding creatine and training could work with your medication regimen.
How to Use Creatine Effectively for Body Recomposition
Creatine can be an effective solution for body recomposition. Here are the steps toward an effective protocol you can start today:
- Take 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day
- Resistance train 3 to 5 times per week, with progressive overload
- Maintain adequate protein intake
- Monitor your progress with regular measurements and photos
- Consider an integrated approach to weight loss
Standard Dose and Timing
Research indicates that three to five grams per day of creatine monohydrate is an effective dose. It can be taken at any time.
Many users choose to add it to their post-training shakes or simply mix it with their water or coffee each morning. Do what works for your schedule for consistency.
For more tips on finding the right creatine product, dose, and timing, head over to this guide to the best creatine for women.
Training Tips
Creatine functions best when utilized in combination with progressive resistance training. Progressive resistance training is a structured program that overloads your muscles over time.
Simply put, if you’re not challenging your muscles sufficiently in the gym, the creatine will not do much for you.
It’s also a myth that resistance training makes women bulky (but a common one that I hear from my female clients). Resistance training for women supports fat loss, helping you achieve a more ‘toned’ look. So, take your creatine and lift heavy weights!
How to Accurately Track Your Results
Drop the daily weigh-in as your sole measure of success. Track your waist and hip measurements, take progress pictures, log your reps, and observe how your clothes fit.
If you notice that the scale moves upwards ever so slightly while your measurements decrease and your strength levels improve, that’s exactly what successful recomposition should look like!
Why an Integrated Approach Matters
Traditional dieting can leave you hungry, tired, and stressed. That’s why weight loss feels so tough sometimes. 1st Phorm’s 24-Hour Weight Loss Stack For Women and 24-Hour Weight Loss Stack For Men are systems designed to support fat loss while helping you stick to your diet and workout plan.
This stack uniquely supports concerns around traditional dieting. It makes losing weight easier by:
- Boosting energy
- Controlling cravings
- Supporting metabolism
- Supporting stress management
- Supporting sleep
Taking creatine with this stack, along with diet and exercise, can be the extra oomph you need to start getting results. Just remember: no supplement can solve all your problems. You still have to grind through your workouts and stick to your diet if you’re going to get the results you’re looking for.
Creatine for Women & Weight Loss: Frequently Asked Questions
Does creatine help you lose weight?
Creatine doesn’t directly cause weight loss. It supports fat loss by helping you retain muscle, which, when combined with a proper diet and workout routine, supports your resting metabolism.
Can women consume creatine while trying to lose weight?
Yes, creatine supports maintaining your muscle mass during periods of caloric restriction.
Does creatine make women gain weight?
There is potential for a slight and temporary weight gain when initially consuming creatine. This is due to your body pulling water into your muscle cells, which can store the extra creatine. Typically, this should resolve after two or three weeks.
Why did I experience weight gain after starting creatine?
This is usually due to your muscles pulling in water. This is part of the natural progression of incorporating creatine into your routine and doesn’t equate to weight gain from fat accumulation.
Is creatine weight gain just water weight?
Yes, most likely. Research shows that body weight increases in the first few weeks are from water gain without a change in body fat percent.
Does creatine help with body recomposition?
Yes, creatine is one of the best supplements for body recomposition, as it helps you train at higher levels and preserve muscle in a calorie deficit or in maintenance.
Will creatine help me lose belly fat?
No supplement is proven to specifically target fat loss in any specific area of the body. While creatine may not target belly fat, it can contribute to changes in body composition by preserving muscle during a calorie deficit with adequate protein intake and resistance training.
Does creatine increase metabolism in women?
Creatine doesn't directly increase your metabolic rate, but it can support lean muscle growth over time, and more muscle means more calories burned throughout the day. So while creatine isn't a metabolism booster on its own, it can help you build and maintain the kind of body composition that supports a higher one.
Conclusion
Creatine isn’t a fat-burning agent, but it does help you develop and retain the lean muscle that powers your metabolism and workouts. Even though numbers on the scale may go up temporarily, those extra pounds are likely from the water stored inside your muscles.
When losing fat is your number one priority, creatine is a great tool to use in conjunction with a solid weight-loss program. Start with 3-5 grams of creatine per day, along with strength training 2-3 times a week, adequate protein intake, and moderate calorie restriction.
If you’re trying to find a way to support your weight loss goals while maintaining your muscle mass, the 24-Hour Weight Loss Stack For Women and 24-Hour Weight Loss Stack For Men are designed for those wishing to lose fat while retaining lean body mass.
Have any questions in the meantime? Please don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com. We're available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 8 PM Central and Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM Central.
We’re happy to help in any way we can to support your training goals!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
