Creatine Vs Fat Burners – Differences and Similarities 

Introduction- Creatine vs Fat Burners

If you have ever heard of fitness supplements,  you might have heard about creatine and fat burners. They both are amongst some of the most common fitness supplements out there.

There are some valid reasons for both supplements to be popular. Both supplements can be very handy when it comes to achieving various fitness goals and also achieving them faster. 

When it comes to comparing creatine with fat burners, there are some differences and similarities. So, In this article, we compare- creatine vs fat burner, see the ingredients, differences, benefits, and side effects of both supplements, and also answer some related questions.

What is Creatine? 

Creatine is a substance that can be naturally found in our bodies. It helps in supplying energy to the muscles. It is mostly used for improving workout performance, building muscle, and increasing strength. [1, 2]

It is one of the most researched supplements in the industry and athletes and various people use it to improve and maximize their physical performance.

Creatine is generally in powdered form and can be taken with water.

Ingredients in Creatine

Creatine is composed of three types of amino acids-

L-arginine 

L-arginine is a type of essential amino acid. L-arginine has the potential to boost strength, exercise performance, and post-workout recovery and is also typically risk-free. It is a substance that our bodies naturally make, however, it can also be obtained through various food sources [3]. 

L-methionine

L-methionine is another essential amino acid that our body can produce naturally as well as can be consumed through food. Possible benefits include the potential of preventing cancer, and liver damage and enhance exercise performance [4].

Glycine

Glycine is another amino acid with numerous health advantages. It is naturally produced by our body and it can also be obtained through food. Glycine has the potential benefits of preventing muscle loss, assisting with diabetes, and improving sleep [5].

Some creatine supplements might also contain added flavors.

Benefits and Side effects of Creatine Supplements

Creatine supplement has various benefits as well as some side effects.

Here are some benefits of creatine supplements-

• Enhances recovery after workouts.
• Boosts muscle growth and increases strength.
• Might help with Parkinson’s disease.
• Helps produce more energy for muscles.
• Improves brain function.
• May help to lower blood sugar levels.

Here are some possible side effects of creatine supplements-

• Weight gain
• Muscle cramps
• Stomach problems
• Dizziness
• High blood pressure
• Liver damage
• Kidney damage
• Dehydration

It is important to take creatine in moderate doses of 3-5 grams per day to avoid any possible side effects of taking creatine supplements.

What is a Fat Burner?

As the name suggests, a fat burner is a pretty popular supplement that people mainly use to help with burning fat and losing weight [6].

It includes ingredients that possibly boost metabolism and help with burning more calories overall and thus helping with weight loss.

Sadly, most fat burners can help with burning some extra calories and weight loss but the weight loss that they offer is completely temporary.

Ingredients in Fat Burners

• Caffeine – Caffeine is the most common and widely used ingredient because it enhances your nervous system and may aid in the burning of calories [7]. It also helps in boosting energy amounts. Some supplements may contain more than the recommended amounts of caffeine, so make sure to check before buying.
• Carnitine – Carnitine can help you increase your metabolism rate and provide energy. It can be consumed through supplements, however, carnitine is also present in meat and dairy products. It can also aid in the reduction of fatigue during or after any physical activity [8].
• Green tea extract – Green tea extract is another common ingredient because it helps burn calories and reduces fat [9].
• Yohimbe – Yohimbe, which is derived from the bark of an African evergreen tree, is just another common ingredient in fat burners. It is said to aid in weight loss as well as erectile dysfunction [10].  However, it has some potential side effects.
• Soluble fiber – This ingredient is not commonly found in weight loss supplements, but it is sometimes included in fat burner supplements.  Fiber helps you control your cravings, and soluble fiber can help your body avoid absorbing fat from food [11].

Fat burner supplements might also have added flavors and artificial sweeteners.

Benefits and Side effects of Fat Burners Supplements

Fat Burner supplements have various benefits as well as some side effects.

Here are some benefits of creatine supplements-

• Help with weight loss
• Boosts metabolism
• Helps with burning more calories
• Controls appetite

Here are some possible side effects of creatine supplements-

• High blood pressure
• Liver damage
• Heart rate issues
• Stroke
• Kidney damage
• Headaches and anxiety

Also Read: Creatine Vs Pre Workout – Differences And Which Is Better?

Should I take creatine while trying to lose belly fat?

Creatine will not help in losing belly fat. However, it can help in enhancing your strength and workout performance which can help you perform better in workouts and burn some extra calories that can help you to lose fat overall.

Creatine also helps in building more muscle which increases metabolism rates, thus helping to lose some fat in the long term. This means if you work out regularly and add creatine to your diet it can help to build muscle which then helps in losing weight.

It will also not help in specifically losing belly fat as spot reduction is not optimal, whatever fat you lose by consuming creatine will be lost throughout the body, not from specific parts of the body. 

So, consuming certain supplements or doing exercises targeting specific parts will not help in losing fat from there. For example, a study stated that doing abdominal exercises did not help in losing fat from the abdominal area instead it help in strengthening the abdominal muscles [12].

Can you take creatine and fat burners together?

Although their purposes are different, you can take creatine and fat burners together. But, it is not recommended to take creatine and fat burners at the same time or mix them. Both supplements might contain some same ingredients so make sure you do not overdose on those ingredients.

Some fat burners and creatine supplements might include caffeine so taking both supplements might cause an overdose of caffeine, so make sure to check the amounts per serving.

Still, we recommend consulting with your doctor or medical expert first before taking both supplements together.

Which is better Creatine or Fat Burner?

Even though both creatine and fat burners can be taken as fitness supplements but both supplements help with different things, so telling which of them is better might not be optimal.

Creatine can help in improving workout performance on the other hand fat burners might help with weight loss.

Although, for safety reasons, creatine does have an upper hand as it is possibly the most researched supplement till now, and many scientific studies have proven it safe if consumed in the right amounts. 

However, some studies show that the risks of consuming fat burners are higher as they might contain some ingredients which are not been researched a lot and have some side effects.

Summary 

Creatine and fat burners supplements can both be very helpful in achieving various fitness goals if taken correctly along with eating healthy and working out regularly. 

Creatine can help in building muscle, and improving your strength, workout performance, and recovery. While fat burners can help in burning some extra calories and fat and controlling appetite.

Before taking any of the supplements we recommend you talk to a doctor or medical professional and if you are thinking of taking both creatine and fat burner together then you should definitely consult a medical professional.

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References

1. Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Jul 20;9(1):33. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-33. PMID: 22817979; PMCID: PMC3407788.
2. Kreider, R.B., Kalman, D.S., Antonio, J. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
3. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/
4. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-42/methionine
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/glycine
6. Jeukendrup AE, Randell R. Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism. Obes Rev. 2011 Oct;12(10):841-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00908.x. PMID: 21951331.
7. Tabrizi R, Saneei P, Lankarani KB, Akbari M, Kolahdooz F, Esmaillzadeh A, Nadi-Ravandi S, Mazoochi M, Asemi Z. The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(16):2688-2696. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1507996. Epub 2018 Oct 18. PMID: 30335479.
8. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Carnitine-HealthProfessional/
9. Chen IJ, Liu CY, Chiu JP, Hsu CH. Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clin Nutr. 2016 Jun;35(3):592-9. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2015.05.003. Epub 2015 May 29. PMID: 26093535.
10. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yohimbe
11. Thompson SV, Hannon BA, An R, Holscher HD. Effects of isolated soluble fiber supplementation on body weight, glycemia, and insulinemia in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Dec;106(6):1514-1528. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.117.163246. Epub 2017 Nov 1. PMID: 29092878.
12. Vispute, Sachin S; Smith, John D; LeCheminant, James D; Hurley, Kimberly S. The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(9):p 2559-2564, September 2011. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46

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