Introduction
Do you want to know if you can use creatine for weight loss? Worry no more, you are at the right place. A lot of information is being circulated online about creatine, some are false and others may be true. In this article, we will highlight some of those myths, dispel them with medically proven facts and explain the benefits of creatine for weight loss.
What Is Creatine and How Does It Work?
Creatine is a chemical substance that contains three amino acids. It is found naturally inside the muscle and brain where it converts Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) through a process called Recycling. The ATP formed through this process serves as the fuel that provides energy to your skeletal muscles.
Naturally, a gram of creatine is produced daily in your body by the kidneys, pancreas and liver. You can also get creatine from external sources such as red meat, animal milk, seafood, and synthetic supplements. However, creatine levels obtained from red meats, animal milk and seafood are lower than those from synthetic supplements. Your body reserves 95% of creatine inside the muscles in the form of phosphocreatine to provide it with the needed energy. The remaining 5% of creatine goes to the brain, heart and other tissues.
From the above analysis, you can see that the major reserve of creatine is in the muscle. But why is this so? That is because it is needed more by the skeletal muscles to maintain their supply of ATP, the energy needed for muscle performance during intense weightlifting, sprinting or team sports. Additionally, creatine enhances muscle repairs and recovery following micro-tears during exercise. This process leads to muscle growth.
Different Forms of Creatine Supplements
Creatine supplements come in different forms or types. Below are some forms of creatine supplements you should know:
1. Creatine Monohydrate
This is one of the most popular forms of creatine supplement. It is creatine bonded to a water molecule, thus the name “monohydrate”. Scientists have carried out several investigations about this type of creatine supplement to the extent that its safety and effects are more understood than others. Creatine monohydrate helps to improve muscle mass, boost strength and enhance recovery.
At Zappy Health, we inform our client that creatine monohydrate has no safety concerns if you use it for a long term of up to five years at the recommended doses. However, it is essential for you to know that all forms of creatine supplements, including creatine monohydrate, have potential side effects such as gastrointestinal symptoms, muscle cramps and dehydration. Creatine monohydrate is less expensive when compared to some other alternatives.
2. Buffered Creatine Monohydrate (Kre-Alkalyn)
This is a creatine supplement that has its pH buffered through the addition of an alkaline powder. Some manufacturers did this buffering to make this form of creatine more stable in the stomach to prevent gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating or muscle cramps. There are conflicting studies about this form of creatine. Some researchers claim that there is no difference between the Kre-Alkalyn and creatine monohydrate in terms of effectiveness and adverse effects.
3. Creatine Ethyl Ester
This form of creatine is also known as Cre-ester or CEE. Manufacturers of this form of creatine claim that it is more advanced, more soluble and better absorbed or utilized by the body because of the ethyl ester group. There is an additional claim that Cre-ester has a lower tendency to cause bloating because it reduces water retention. Since this form of creatine is still new, scientific evidence is still emerging to support these claims. However, other studies claim that CEE is not better at improving muscle mass, power, strength or body composition when compared to creatine monohydrate. At Zappy Health, we do not recommend this creatine for clients with kidney issues, diabetes, or managing blood sugar levels.
4. Creatine Magnesium Chelate
As the name implies, this form of creatine is chelated with magnesium (attaching magnesium to creatine). This was done so that creatine can be better transported/absorbed into the muscle with less amount being broken down or lost and with fewer side effects like bloating. Limited studies exist to prove if creatine magnesium chelate is superior to monohydrates. However, a study claimed that both forms exhibited similar performance in terms of effectiveness.
5. Creatine Hydrochloride
Creatine Hydrochloride is a form of creatine bonded to hydrochloride (HCL). The ideal behind this was to make creatine more soluble in water for better absorption, lower dose, and lesser side effects. A researcher claimed that this form of creatine is 38 times more soluble in water than the monohydrate. Presently, there are no human studies to confirm or dispel this.
Can Creatine Support Weight Loss?
Some people often ask questions such as, “Is creatine good for weight loss?” or “Is creatine bad for weight loss?” Our explanation in this article will provide you with an accurate answer.
First, is there any direct link between creatine and weight loss? The answer to this question is NO. Presently, no research has shown any direct link between creatine and weight loss. However, creatine has an indirect impact on weight loss. It helps to boost muscle performance, endurance, and recovery after an exercise. These exercises in turn help to burn fat, leading to weight loss. When you take creatine, it enables you to exercise at a higher intensity for a longer time, thereby promoting weight loss.
People who intend to burn fat and build muscles often aim for caloric deficits. Taking creatine supplements helps to provide additional energy to your muscles so that they can support intensive exercise, muscle stimulation, protein synthesis, muscle recovery and muscle growth. Now you know the impact of creatine during weight loss.
Does Creatine Impact Metabolism or Fat Burning?
Metabolism requires an adequate amount of energy. As explained earlier, creatine, in the form of phosphocreatine, helps to provide energy to your body by converting ADP to ATP. This provides your body with the needed energy to perform its overall metabolic functions. Creatine has no direct impact on burning fat. However, its indirect pathway will assist during fat burning (as explained above).
Misconceptions About Creatine and Weight Loss
There are some wrongly held misconceptions about Creatine. We will discuss a few of them here.
Myth 1: Creatine causes weight gain due to water retention
Fact 1: Although few publications suggested that creatine increased water retention, this was attributed to the intracellular volume and only for a short-term. Several other scientific studies showed that the total body water (intracellular and extracellular) remained the same over the long term.
Myth 2: Creatine is an anabolic steroid
Fact 2: The chemical structure of creatine is very different from those of anabolic steroids. So creatine is not an anabolic steroid.
Myth 3: Creatine causes hair loss/Baldness
Fact 3: 12 studies were conducted to assess creatine and hair loss. While 2 studies reported minimal/insignificant rise in testosterone, 10 other studies showed no change in testosterone levels (the hormones responsible for baldness). For that reason, creatine is not responsible for hair loss.
Additional Benefits of Creatine Beyond Weight Loss
Creatine has several other benefits apart from weight loss. Some of them are:
- Boost high-intensity exercise performance: Because of creatine’s role in ATP production, it provides enough energy, strength, ballistic power, endurance, resistance to fatigue, and recovery, all necessary for high-intensity exercises.
- Heighten muscle growth: Creatine helps in repairing muscle fibres after breakdown following exercise. This healing process leads to muscle growth.
- Assist muscle to produce more energy: Creatine boosts your body’s store of phosphocreatine. This is vital in the conversion of ADP to ATP to provide energy for the muscles.
- May help reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic patients: Creatine boosts GLUT-4 (glucose transporter type 4) which helps to ferry sugar from the blood to the muscles. This leads to a decrease in blood sugar levels.
- Can improve the brain’s function: The brain requires adequate ATP for proper functioning. Creatine provides you with enough supply of this ATP by increasing phosphocreatine.
- Helps to prevent tiredness and fatigue: Several scientific studies have illustrated the benefits of creatine in preventing fatigue and tiredness.
Potential Drawbacks and Side Effects of Creatine
Creatine has common side effects such as muscle cramps, abdominal discomfort and dehydration. We do not recommend it for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers because no reliable scientific information exists about its use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Creatine is not recommended for people with kidney diseases or mania as it may worsen their symptoms. Those with Parkinson disease who take creatine should avoid caffeine because it will worsen their symptoms.
Maximizing the Effectiveness of Creatine for Weight Loss
If you want to maximize the effectiveness of creatine during your weight loss journey, below are a few of our tips from Zappy Health:
- Start with the right dosage: Our doctors at Zappy Health will assess you before prescribing the adequate dosage for your needs.
- Pair Creatine with Resistance and Cardio Workouts: Using creatine alone will not give you fast results. Combine it with cardio if you want to maximize its effectiveness.
- Prioritize a Balanced Diet and Hydration: We always encourage people to consume a balanced diet and drink at least 3 to 4 liters of water daily for optimal health. Starving yourself to achieve weight loss is detrimental to health.
- Choose High-Quality Creatine Products: All creatine are not equal. If you want to achieve maximum outcome, go for high quality creatine for weight loss.
Final Takeaways on Creatine for Weight Loss
Weight loss requires careful planning, useful products and the right professionals for proper guidance. Creatine helps with weight loss. Using it during weight loss for the long term is safe at the medically recommended dosage. Contact us at Zappy Health. We have licensed professionals that will assist you with a personalized weight loss plan.
FAQ
1. Should I Take Creatine for Weight Loss?
One of the commonly asked questions from our clients is “Should I take creatine for weight loss?” Yes, you can take creatine during your weight loss journey. At Zappy Health, we assess our clients to ensure that they do not have medical conditions that contradict the use of creatine before prescribing them.
2. Who should not take Creatine?
Creatine is not recommended for people with liver disease, hypertension, or kidney disease. Always consult your doctor for an assessment before starting creatine.
