What is Creatine and How Does It Work in Your Body?
Creatine is a natural substance made by your body every day. You also get small amounts from certain foods such as meat and fish. It is also commonly taken as a supplement.
Most creatine is found especially in muscle cells. It helps your muscle produce energy during high intensity exercise such as heavy lifting or sprinting.
The Relationship Between Creatine Supplementation and Body Weight Changes
When people first start taking creatine supplementation they notice a weight increase. This isn’t body fat, in short creatine draws more water into your muscles as it is stored. Creatine allows you to train harder and over time makes exercise easier and helps you build strength and lean muscle which can add healthy weight.
Creatine's Role in Exercise Performance: Can Better Workouts Lead to Weight Loss?
As stated above creatine can make your workouts more effective but doesn't directly burn fat. Over time it leads to changes in cell function that increase muscle growth. More lean muscle mass means your body uses slightly more energy whilst at rest which may support fat loss when coupled with a healthy diet. Research has shown that using creatine during resistance training often results in a small drop in body fat percentage. So although creatine itself doesn't burn fat it can indirectly help alongside high intensity exercise performance.
Separating Fact from Fiction: What the Research Really Says About Creatine and Fat Loss
In essence creatine mainly helps build muscle and strength. Reviews have shown it does not increase body fat. In fact when combined with resistance training it can slightly reduce body fat percentage especially in older adults. Although the effect is small and sometimes may not seem significant the main change is an increase in lean muscle mass which may support long term weight management.