Those who are new to creatine monohydrate supplementation may experience mild bloating and weight gain from water retention, particularly in the loading phase.
However, bloating from water retention is temporary and typically resolves on its own. Plus, the water retention often means the creatine is in fact in the muscle cells, which can even benefit your performance.
This article will explain everything you need to know about the effects of creatine supplementation, how it may lead to water retention, and how you can mitigate these effects.
Key Takeaways About Creatine Supplementation and Water Retention
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Creatine monohydrate supplementation is associated with many health and performance benefits including increasing skeletal muscle mass by way of an increase in muscle protein synthesis, boosting lean body mass, improving exercise performance, and increasing strength.
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Creatine is osmotically active, which means it pulls water into cells. This biochemical reaction is one of the effects of creatine supplementation and explains why creatine supplementation can result in a temporary increase in water retention and weight gain.
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Water retention from creatine supplementation can actually help boost performance by improving our ability to regulate body temperature during exercise and stimulate muscle protein synthesis. It can also help by increasing lean body mass over time.
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To help ease fluid retention from creatine supplementation, it's recommended to stay hydrated, ensure you're taking the right dose of creatine, and ensure proper timing of creatine supplementation. Although it may sound counterintuitive, hydrating well can actually reduce water retention.
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Because one of the effects of creatine supplementation is water retention, some people choose to skip the loading phase completely to avoid this side effect.
How Does Creatine Work?
Creatine is a compound found primarily in your skeletal muscle tissues that is naturally produced by the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. An amino acid is a building block of protein, and creatine is a naturally occurring non protein amino acid.
Creatine supplementation increases the availability of phosphocreatine in the muscles, which can be rapidly converted to ATP during short bursts of intense exercise. This process not only enhances performance but also helps delay fatigue, allowing athletes to push harder and recover faster between sets.
The body makes creatine mainly in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Creatine is stored in the muscles and is used to produce energy during high-intensity activities through he creatine phosphate energy system.
You can get creatine from consuming animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy. However, your body can also make a small amount of creatine, about 1-2 grams per day, which is stored in your muscle tissue [].
Creatine monohydrate supplementation (usually HCL or monohydrate) helps to provide energy to your muscles in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the key fuel source for muscle contraction. Creatine monohydrate is the most common form of creatine found in creatine supplements, however some supplements have creatine monohydrate.
High-intensity activity can deplete ATP in your muscles rapidly and having higher concentrations of creatine present in the skeletal muscle tissue can help to increase ATP production for higher-quality training.
What is Muscle Creatine Concentration?
Muscle creatine concentration is the amount of creatine present in the muscle tissue.
Those who consume a standard diet that contains animal proteins are likely consuming about 1-2 grams of creatine per day on average which equals to creatine stores of about 60-80% capacity [].
To maximize your creatine stores for optimal performance as quickly as possible, a creatine supplementation loading phase is often recommended.
Research suggests that muscle creatine loading, specifically in men has been shown to improve muscle strength and muscle mass, thereby improving overall body composition.
A loading phase involves taking 20-25 grams of creatine supplementation daily for 5-7 days to saturate your muscles. By participating in a muscle creatine loading phase, people can effectively and efficiently boost their creatine stores by as much as 40%.
Creating loading is typically followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams of creatine supplementation per day [4, 5, 6].
Does Creatine Supplementation Cause Water Retention?
When looking at the effects of creatine supplementation, many people are concerned about how creatine increases water retention.
The loading phase of creatine supplementation can result in bloating for some individuals.
Water retention during the loading phase is often seen as a downside, however, this is a normal physiological response. The increase in muscle creatine and water often leads to a fuller, more voluminous appearance, which many athletes find beneficial for their physical aesthetics.
Creatine monohydrate supplementation can reflect a slight increase in body mass due to an increase in lean body mass and water retention in the muscle tissue. Creatine is osmotically active, which means it pulls water in with it. If you are boosting creatine in your muscles, you're increasing fluid simultaneously [7, 8].
If you are new to creatine supplementation and plan to go through a loading phase of a creatine cycle, you can expect to gain 1-2% body mass during this time. However, most of this is weight is a result of water retention.
Although it may not sound ideal, this increase water retention won't stick around for long. In fact, water retention from creatine loading typically resolves on its own a few weeks following the loading period [9].
Over time, the effects of creatine supplementation are vastly positive on your body composition and lean body mass, as long as you follow an optimal nutrition and training plan.
While creatine supplementation can lead to slight water retention in muscles, primarily due to its osmotic properties, it's important to note that the sodium-potassium pumps in our cells continuously work to maintain the essential balance of electrolytes and fluid distribution.
Can Fluid Retention Boost Performance?
While water retention from creatine supplementation sounds like a bad thing, it can actually help boost performance and increase muscle strength.
Water retention in the muscles can aid temperature regulation. Plus, the water retention can also improve nutrient delivery and waste removal. This enhanced metabolic environment supports better overall muscle function and endurance during workouts, contributing to more effective training sessions.
The additional water caused from creatine supplementation and creatine water retention can help hydrate the muscles and improve your ability to regulate heat during intense exercise. This can decrease the risk of heat-related illnesses in those who train in hot, humid climates [10].
Additionally, the increase in the volume of the muscle tissue from creatine water retention may help to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS), the process of creating new lean muscle mass tissue [11].
What is Cell Swelling and Anabolic Signal?
Cell swelling is simply just another way to describe water retention.
The osmotic effects of creatine create what is known as cellular swelling. According to research, the phenomenon of cellular swelling is essential in stimulating muscle protein synthesis as it acts as an anabolic proliferation signal. The cellular swelling signals to the body that the environment is favorable to creating new muscle tissue [11].
Additionally, creatine and creatine supplementation may help signal insulin-like growth factor-1, an important hormone required for muscle mass growth [12].
Benefits of Creatine Supplementation and Effects of Creatine
Creatine monohydrate supplementation is associated with many health and performance benefits, including increasing muscle mass, improving exercise performance, and better body composition. This next section will outline some of the most commonly known beneficial effects of creatine supplementation.
Increased Muscle Mass and Muscle Growth
Creatine monohydrate supplementation can help speed up skeletal muscle growth by signaling essential pathways for muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis is the metabolic process in which the body converts amino acids into new proteins to form new muscle tissue.
In fact, one study found that those who took creatine supplementation for 6 weeks gained 4.4 additional pounds of muscle mass compared to the control group [13].
The weight gain that people often experience after taking creatine supplements can be a result of increased lean muscle mass and muscle growth.
So, while the scale might show a slightly higher number, you might also enjoy better body composition since creatine supplementation stimulates muscle protein synthesis.
Improves Exercise Performance
Taking creatine supplements helps to play a role in producing ATP in the muscle cells. ATP can help improve energy production during high-intensity exercise.
When there is more ATP available, there is more potential for improved athletic performance. One scientific review found that creatine supplementation could boost exercise performance by up to 15% [14].
Boosts Muscle Strength, Muscle Mass, and Body Composition
When combined with resistance exercise, creatine supplementation, can help improve overall body composition. Whether or not you're engaging in a low dose creatine supplementation or loading dose, muscle creatine stores increase and lead to improvements in strength and muscle mass.
In addition to improving exercise performance, creatine supplementation can also help to boost strength, muscle growth, and skeletal muscle mass. Especially for athletes, an ideal body composition is one that is high in lean body mass and lower in body fat, which is exactly what creatine helps the body achieve.
The presence of increased energy in the muscle tissue allows you to work harder during your resistance exercise sessions with less fatigue. This increased available energy leads to more reps and more weight in a shorter period, helping you to effectively build strength and muscle mass more rapidly.
In addition to immediate energy-boosting properties, creatine promotes long-term muscle growth by enhancing cellular hydration. The improved hydration not only increases cell volume, but it also signals anabolic pathways that contribute to muscle protein synthesis and growth. Regular supplementation ensures that muscle creatine stores remain topped up, supporting ongoing gains.
Improves Cognitive Function
Creatine also supports brain health by enhancing ATP production in neural tissues. Some scientific research suggests that creatine supplementation can enhance cognitive function, particularly in tasks that require short-term memory skills and quick thinking. Clearly, the benefits of creatine extend beyond just boosting muscle strength, as it can potentially aid professional performance as well.
Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Women
Females ingesting creatine can benefit just as much as males can. While some supplements are geared more towards men, and others towards women, creatine is not one of them. Creatine has been shown to improve muscle strength, increase muscle creatine levels, improve body composition, and improve overall athletic performance in women.
Some women may be more concerned about water retention as a result of creatine supplements, however, the effects are temporary.
For women who want to increase their lean mass by increasing their body's creatine content, there is scientific evidence to prove that taking creatine supplements daily can help women achieve this, when paired with resistance training.
In addition to dietary creatine, an additional oral creatine supplement helps improve muscle performance during workouts and leads to greater results.
For women, creatine can also support healthy bones. Research suggests that creatine supplementation, in conjunction with resistance training, can increase bone mineral density. Women who are looking to not only increasing muscle mass can absolutely benefit from creatine as it can enhance skeletal strength, which is vital for long-term health.
Does Creatine Supplementation Cause Weight Gain?
Creatine monohydrate supplementation does result in short-term weight gain during the loading phase. However, the weight gain during this time is related to an increase in water retention and is not true weight gain.
While some may worry about weight gain from creatine, it’s crucial to differentiate between water weight and fat gain. Creatine does not increase fat mass; rather, it supports the development of lean muscle tissue, which is denser than fat. Therefore, any weight gain is typically a sign of increased muscle mass and improved body composition.
The water retention will resolve a few weeks as fluid distribution finds equilibrium after the creatine supplementation loading phase, and body composition should not be a concern for creatine supplementation.
Creatine supplementation can increase muscle mass, and any weight gain from creatine supplementation is more likely to be from an increase in muscle mass rather than fat mass.
Over time, when combined with resistance training, muscle creatine levels will increase throughout the body and muscle strength and muscle mass will also increase. This improvement in body composition will likely lead to an increase in weight gain. However, this weight gain is a result of muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat does, so this change in body weight is a reflection of the hard work you've been putting in.
To better understand your unique body composition, it can be helpful to evaluate your unique body composition using technology that can determine the percentage of your body weight that comes from fat, muscle, and water retention.
Are My Gains Just Water?
Of course when people start taking creatine monohydrate, they are likely looking to increase muscle mass. However, because creatine supplementation often leads to water retention, it can be confusing to determine if your gains are coming from muscle mass, or if it's a result of water weight or water retention.
While the weight gain during the loading of creatine supplementation largely contributes to water retention, it is not only water that causes the scale to fluctuate.
Remember that taking oral creatine monohydrate on a regular basis increases skeletal muscle mass, so as long as you are engaging in regular strength training exercise [9]. So, if you can increase exercise volume with creatine, you will actually increase lean body mass over time.
It's important to not get too preoccupied with how much of your weight gain is from water retention compared to muscle mass. Over time, the water retention will dissipate and it will be more clear to see your muscle gain results.
Also Read: How Much Water to Drink With Creatine
How to Ease Occasional Water Retention From Creatine Supplementation?
Although creatine water retention is common, not everyone will experience bloating and weight gain as one of the effects of creatine supplementation. If you are concerned about creatine water retention, there are a few things that can help ease the symptoms, including staying hydrated.
To reduce the likelihood of experiencing negative effects of creatine, make sure you are taking the proper dose for creatine monohydrate, taking it at the proper time, or skipping the loading phase altogether.
Increase Water Intake
Although it may sound counterintuitive, staying adequately hydrated can ease the effects of creatine water retention from creatine supplementation.
Taking creatine supplements temporarily pulls excess water into your muscle tissue, consuming high amounts from creatine supplementation can result in dehydration, which can further worsen bloating symptoms.
During this time, it's important to replace what is being pulled to your muscles by boosting your water intake throughout the day to counteract these effects of creatine supplementation.
Take the Right Dose
As with any supplement, it's imperative to take the recommended dose. Not only will you achieve the best results, but you can also significantly reduce the potential of side effects of creatine when you simply follow the guidelines for dosing. Plus, taking the right dose can help ensure your safety and the efficacy of the supplement.
Taking creatine supplements in the appropriate dose can also reduce the extent of water retention that you may experience.
The more creatine supplements you consume, the more water will be moved into your muscle tissue and further exacerbate creatine water retention.
Current research supports a loading dose of 20-25 grams per day for 5 to 7 days max followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day. During the loading phase, it's best to split up the 25 grams and take only 5 grams or so at a time. This helps with both absorption and reduces the risk of side effects such as water retention.
Because muscle creatine loading involves taking a large dose of creatine for a short period of time, it's important to make sure you are taking the correct dose of creatine supplementation.
Avoid taking creatine supplementation doses larger than 30 grams [4, 5, 6, 15].
If you are not choosing to do a creatine loading phase, it's recommended to take a daily maintenance dose of 3-5 grams daily.
Time It Right
Another way to help with creatine bloat is to make sure you are timing creatine supplementation intake with your exercise routine, this helps to maximize absorption.
Whether you choose to do this before, during, or after exercise, just make sure to stay consistent. Avoid taking large doses of creatine supplementation on non-workout days.
Skip the Loading Phase Altogether
If you are concerned about creatine water retention, you can also skip creatine loading altogether.
There is no requirement for doing a loading dose with creatine supplementation and some studies have found that a lower dose of creatine can be equally as effective at increasing muscle creatine stores [16, 17]. Plus, muscle performance during exercise can be just as effective in the long run regardless of whether or not you start with a loading phase dose.
Instead of the loading phase, you can simply start taking 3-5 grams of creatine daily. While you may not experience the results as quickly compared to if you did a loading phase, it is just as effective. Plus, the risk of water retention is much less when you avoid the loading phase.
FAQs on Creatine Water Retention
Here's what you need to know about creatine water retention and subsequent creatine supplementation.
Does Water Retention From Creatine Supplementation Go Away?
There's no need to worry about creatine water retention from creatine supplementation. Water retention from creatine supplementation is temporary and will typically resolve on its own a few weeks following the loading cycle. It can even improve lean body mass over time. Keep in mind that changes in body weight are likely not a reflection of increases in fat mass, but rather a combination of muscle mass and fluid retention.
If you're experiencing persistent bloating or discomfort, it might be worth reviewing your overall diet and hydration levels. Sometimes, other dietary factors can exacerbate water retention, and ensuring a balanced intake of electrolytes can help mitigate these effects.
Does Creatine Supplementation Make You Puffy?
Because taking creatine supplements can cause water retention, it may cause you to feel puffy or bloated. Although these side effects can be uncomfortable for some, it is temporary and not a cause for concern as far as overall body mass or body weight.
Does Creatine Give a Bloated Look?
Some individuals may experience bloating as a result of creatine supplementation. Whether or not this bloating is physically noticeable will depend on the individual. It's important to remember that the bloat that some people experience is largely a result of water retention.
The bloated look that many people have concerns over may not necessarily refer to stomach bloat, but can also refer to water retention in other parts of the body such as arms and legs, too.
Do You Look Bigger After Creatine?
Because creatine pulls fluid into the muscle tissue with it, creatine supplementation can give the appearance of larger muscles during this time. However, creatine water retention is mainly related to increases in water and will reduce over time, which may leave you with improved skeletal muscle mass. True gains from creatine supplementation are a result of increased muscle protein synthesis which leads to increases in muscle mass.
Key Takeaways
Taking oral creatine supplements can lead to water retention and often makes people concerned about gaining water weight. However, it's important to understand that fluid retention from creatine is temporary and is largely indicative that the supplement is in fact working, because it is after all an osmotically active substance.
To reduce the risk of water retention, there are steps you can take such as engaging in a low dose creatine supplementation routine, increasing hydration, or skipping the loading phase altogether. When compared with resistance training, creatine helps to significantly increase muscle performance, increase muscle mass, reduce body fat, and improve exercise performance.
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