How Many Calories are in Creatine? Safety, Dosage & More

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that is found in the muscles and brain of humans and other vertebrates. It plays a key role in providing energy for muscle contraction during high-intensity activities. Supplementing with creatine has become very popular among athletes and bodybuilders looking to improve their exercise performance.

How Creatine Works in the Body

When you engage in high-intensity exercise like weightlifting or sprints, your body uses ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for fuel. ATP stores in the muscles only provide enough energy for a few seconds of maximal exertion.

Your body then relies on a process called phosphocreatine regeneration to rapidly replenish ATP stores. In this process, creatine donates a phosphate group to ADP to form more ATP. This allows you to maintain high-intensity output for longer.

Supplementing with creatine increases stores of phosphocreatine in the muscles, acting as an energy reserve to further enhance this rapid regeneration system.

Benefits of Supplementing with Creatine

Some of the main benefits of creatine supplementation include:

• Improved high-intensity exercise capacity
• Greater muscle mass and strength gains from training
• Enhanced muscle recovery and reduced soreness
• Better neurological function and cognitive performance

Numerous studies show that creatine improves strength and muscle mass when combined with resistance training.

How Many Calories are in Creatine?

Creatine supplements contain no calories. Pure creatine monohydrate powder provides 5 grams of creatine per teaspoon, without any additional calories, carbs, fat, or protein.

Creatine and Weight Gain

While creatine itself does not contain calories, one potential side effect of creatine is weight gain due to increased water retention in the muscles. Creatine pulls extra water into the muscle cells, causing them to swell slightly.

This water weight is stored within the muscles and does not increase body fat. The added water within muscle fibers creates a volumizing effect that can enhance muscle growth from training.

However, this water retention can cause a rapid jump on the scales of around 2-6 pounds within the first 1-2 weeks of supplementing. For those trying to cut weight for athletic competitions or aesthetic goals, this initial water weight gain can be discouraging.

Does Creatine Cause Fat Gain?

Increased water retention from creatine will not directly lead to fat gain. One clinical trial examined changes in body composition among men supplementing with creatine during resistance training:

• Creatine group increased total body mass by 6 pounds
• 5.5 pounds was due to increases in muscle mass
• Only 0.5 pounds was increased body fat

These findings demonstrate that the weight gain from creatine primarily reflects increased muscle growth as opposed to excess body fat.

Can Creatine Increase Appetite?

Some people report that taking creatine supplements increases their appetite. This is likely an indirect effect, stemming from the intensified workouts enabled by creatine supplementation.

If creatine allows you to train harder, lift more weight, and make faster progress, its only natural for your body to respond with increased hunger signals to fuel your enhanced rate of progress.

While creatine itself does not directly alter hormones regulating appetite, the boost in training performance and muscle growth it provides may indirectly drive an increase in daily calories.

Mitigating Creatine-Related Weight Gain

For those looking to maximize muscle gains from creatine without unwanted fat gain, here are some tips:

• Gradually increase calories to match increased energy expenditure from training
• Emphasize high protein intake to support muscle growth
• Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods over processed junk foods
• Perform regular cardio to stay in calorie balance

As long as you adjust your diet and training appropriately, creatine can help you gain muscle without piling on body fat.

Is Creatine Safe?

For most people, creatine is very safe with no serious side effects. No studies have demonstrated any toxicity of creatine supplements, even with long-term use of high doses.

However, some users do report minor side effects like stomach discomfort, cramps, diarrhea and muscle cramps when starting creatine. These issues typically subside within a few weeks once the body adapts.

Due to limited research, creatine cannot be definitively declared safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women at this time.

Additionally, those with pre-existing kidney disorders should consult with their doctor before taking creatine due to concerns over increased stress on these organs.

Safe Dosage Recommendations

Current evidence supports creatine dosages of 3-5 grams per day, split between at least two servings. This dosage appears effective for improving exercise capacity and supporting muscle gains during training.

Cycling on and off creatine may help maintain effectiveness long-term. Using creatine for 8-12 weeks followed by a break of 4 weeks can help prevent building a tolerance.

The Bottom Line

Creatine offers significant performance and physique enhancement benefits. Though creatine powder itself contains no calories, those using it as an ergogenic aid often gain weight due to increased muscular water content and growth.

Adjusting your diet and training program appropriately can allow you to maximize muscular gains from supplemental creatine without unwanted fat accumulation.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.