Taking creatine might make you heavier, but it’s not because of fat. It’s usually water or muscles getting bigger.
Creatine is a substance that gives your muscles energy and helps them get bigger. That’s why athletes take it to get better at sports and change how their body looks.
But, creatine can also make you gain weight that you don’t want. Some think it’s fat, but it’s really not.
The Key Takeaway.
If you’re thinking about using creatine, you should know that this weight is not fat, and there are ways to deal with any extra weight you don’t want.
Does Creatine Make Your Face Fat?
Creatine usually doesn’t make your face look fat. It can cause your body to hold onto water, but it’s not a common thing for it to make your face puff up.
Everyone’s different, so it might make your face a little bloated but, this isn’t a big change and it should go away after a while. Drinking more water can help with this.
Why Does Creatine Make My Face Look Puffy?
Anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can happen fast if you’re allergic to creatine. It can make your lips, tongue, mouth, and face swell up a lot. This swelling can get so bad that it might block your throat or squeeze your heart.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis:
- Skin rash.
- Heart beating fast or weird.
- Breathing changes.
- Passing out.
- Feeling dizzy.
- Getting confused.
- Coughing.
- Talking funny.
- Feeling scared.
- Stomach hurting.
- Trouble breathing.
- Heart racing.
If you or someone else has these symptoms after taking creatine, it’s an emergency. Get medical help right away.
Treatment for Anaphylaxis:
If you think you’re having Anaphylaxis, call 911 right away. The emergency team might put a tube in your throat to help you breathe and give you a shot of epinephrine to make you feel better fast. Doctors might also give you some other meds to stop more allergic reactions.
Bloating.
When you take creatine, it can cause your muscles to hold more water from your body, which might make parts of your face look puffy or swollen. This puffiness is because of the water your muscles are holding onto, not because they’re getting fatter.
Also, this extra water in your muscles can make them seem bigger than they are. But, if you don’t drink enough water, especially when you’re working out in the heat, your body can get dehydrated from all the water your muscles are using. So, it’s important to keep drinking plenty of water.
Anaphylaxis vs. Bloating.
Facial swelling from the use of Creatine can be from bloating or a severe allergy called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is very dangerous and happens fast, usually with other allergy signs. Bloating is slower, might take a day, and can puff up more than just your face. If you’re not sure why your face is swollen, get medical help right away to be safe.
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Can Creatine Make You Gain Weight?
Creatine won’t make you fat. Some people worry they’ll get chubby from it because they feel puffy after taking it.
Yes, you might get a bit heavier with creatine, but it’s not fat. It’s for other reasons that you see a higher number when you weigh yourself.
Creatine Can Make You Gain Water Weight.
This means your body keeps more water in your muscles, which can make you look puffy or swollen in your arms, legs, or belly. Your muscles might look bigger too, even if you’re new to working out.
When you start taking creatine, you might gain about 2 to 4.5 pounds in the first week, but it’s mostly water, not fat.
Creatine Also Helps You Build Muscle.
Studies show it’s good for making you stronger and more able to keep going. As you get stronger and your muscles grow, you’ll weigh more.
But that extra weight is from muscle, not fat. As your muscles get bigger, you won’t look as puffy because the water weight doesn’t stand out as much.
Creatine Doesn’t Cause Fat Gain.
If you’re worried about gaining weight that’s not muscle, understand that to get fat, you need to eat more calories than you burn.
Creatine, which you take as a scoop a day (around 5 grams), has no calories or just a tiny bit. So, if you keep moving and eat right, you won’t get fat from creatine.
What To Do If You Gain Weight After Taking Creatine?
If you gain weight from creatine, it’s just water but you can do these:
- Drink more water. It sounds weird, but it helps get rid of extra water.
- Eat less salt. It’d make you hold on to water. Try to stay under 2,300 milligrams of salt a day.
- Go for fresh stuff and cut back on junk food.
- Watch your carbs. They give you energy but also make you keep water. Keep it between 225 and 325 grams of carbs daily.
- Working out helps your body not hold onto water. So, stay active!
How Does Creatine Work?
Creatine is like a power-up for your muscles. Your body makes it, and you can also get it from fish and red meat.
When you take creatine as a supplement, it teams up with a phosphate to make creatine phosphate. This combo is like a quick energy boost for when you’re doing intense workouts.
It helps make more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the main energy source for your body.
If you lift weights or exercise a lot, you might need more energy than your body’s creatine can give. That’s where taking extra creatine comes in. It ups your adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, so you have more energy and can go harder and longer.
Why Should You Take Creatine?
Creatine isn’t just for getting fit. It might also help with brain and muscle problems.
People think it could make brain issues like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and epilepsy better. But more research on humans need to be done to be sure.
It seems to help with muscle diseases too. A study in 2013 showed that people with muscular dystrophy got stronger when they took creatine.
And in 2012, a study uploaded by PubMed found that creatine might help women with depression. They took 5 grams a day for 8 weeks and started feeling better in just two weeks.
What Are The Risks Of Taking Creatine?
Creatine is mostly safe, but taking too much might be bad for your liver, kidneys, or heart.
If you have problems with these organs, ask your doctor before using creatine.
Some might get muscle cramps, feel sick, have diarrhea, get too hot, or feel dizzy from creatine. If these things get worse or don’t go away, you should stop taking it.
Seriously, stop it.
If you have bipolar disorder, talk to your doctor. Creatine could make mania stronger. Also, if you’re on other meds, ask your doctor to make sure they don’t mix badly with creatine.
Will Creatine Make Me Feel Bloated? Loading Phase Issues.
When you start with creatine, you might feel bloated, especially in the loading phase where you take a lot of it, like 20–25 grams for about a week.
After that, you just need a little each day to keep your muscles happy, about 3–5 grams.
The bloating happens because your muscles soak up water and get bigger, which makes you weigh more. But it’s not forever. It goes away after a few weeks.
Some people gain a bit of weight, like 1–2% of their body mass, but remember, it’s mostly water.
If the bloating bothers you, you could skip the loading phase and just take the small daily amount right away. That might help you avoid feeling puffy.
