Does Creatine Make You Hungry? The Reality

Creatine is an extremely popular supplement among athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts. It is said to help improve athletic performance and increase muscle mass. But creatine can also cause some side effects.

One of the queries which may have come to your mind is does creatine make you hungry? Creatine is one of the amino acids that’s produced naturally in the body. It’s also found in foods like red meat, fish, etc.

So, does it make you hungry? The short answer is no. However, there is a bit more to it than just no. Keep reading to learn more about the reality of creatine and its effect on your hunger!

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in our bodies. It helps in energy production and is also found in foods like red meat, fish, and eggs.

Creatine has been studied extensively as a supplement for increasing strength, muscle mass, and performance in athletes [1, 2, 3].

Creatine works by helping to recycle and store molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the muscles [2, 4, 5]. ATP is the primary energy source for all cells, so creatine can be helpful in increasing your energy output. 

Additionally, creatine may also help improve athletic performance, gain more muscle, and reduce muscle damage during exercise.

Does creatine make you hungry?

The short answer to this question is no, creatine does not make you hungry. In fact, studies have not found any major association between creatine supplementation and changes in appetite or food intake. However, there some research states that creatine minorly affects appetite [6, 7].

Additionally, there are some factors to be aware of when it comes to whether creatine may increase your hunger.

Some people report feeling hungrier when they start taking creatine. This is likely due to the fact that some people may find that they have more energy and are better able to workout for longer when they take creatine. 

This increased level of activity may lead to an increased appetite. Again, this is a supposed cause and creatine has not been linked to causing more hunger.

If you are feeling hungry when you take creatine, it is important to listen to your body and make sure that you are eating enough to meet your energy needs. 

How does creatine affect your appetite?

Creatine is a substance that is found naturally in the body and helps to supply energy to the muscles. It is also available in supplement form and is often taken by athletes and bodybuilders to improve performance.

So how does creatine affect your appetite? Creatine supplementation can have little effect on your appetite but most of the time this is not the case. Creatine does not increase hunger.

As creatine supplements can help increase energy and improve physical performance, you may perform better and harder in physical activities and while working out and thus might feel a little hungrier but this is also temporary.

There still needs to be more research needed to prove certainly how creatine actually affects your appetite.

Some potential reasons why creatine might be making you hungry

Creatine supplementation is not mainly the cause of increased hunger. Taking creatine helps in increasing energy levels which helps you to work harder and for longer during your workout sessions. This can be the main reason you feel hungry when taking creatine supplements. Also, it’s important to note that everyone is different and some people might feel hungrier when taking creatine while some do not.

Here are some more reasons why creatine might be making you hungry.

Increased muscle mass

As we know, some research has shown that creatine can help to increase muscle mass [1, 2, 3]. The more muscle mass you have the more calories are needed to maintain those muscles.

So, this is why you modify your calorie intake according to your workout routine, and body weight after some time. If you do not modify your calorie intake and maintenance calories to support your muscles you might feel hungrier.

Energy expenditure

As we know, creatine can improve energy levels and also workout performance [8, 9]. With improved physical performance you can burn more calories overall.

Because you are burning more calories you will need to adjust your calorie consumption in order to fuel your body for the rest of the chores and also to support your muscles and workout efforts.

What you are taking along with creatine

Creatine might not specifically be the reason for you feeling hungrier. You have to ask yourself what other supplements you are taking along with creatine and what you are mixing with it.

If you are mixing and taking some other supplements or sugary drinks along with creatine, those supplements or drinks might be the reason for you feeling hungrier. 

Some supplements contain certain stimulants, and sugary drinks contain artificial sweeteners which can be affecting your appetite and make you hungrier. 

Also Read: Is Creatine Natty (Natural)? The Truth about Creatine!

Thirstiness

Creatine will draw water into the muscles and cause water retention and weight gain [10, 11, 12]. Because of that, you need to drink more water than usual while taking creatine supplements.

If you do not drink more water and hydrate yourself you may feel more thirsty. Some people usually get confused between hunger and thirst.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids have been linked to increased appetite [13, 14]. Steroids have effects on your metabolism and how your body stores fat, this can cause increased appetite and weight gain. So, if you have taken anabolic steroids they might be the reason for your increased hunger.

What are the actual side effects of creatine supplements?

Here are some of the side effects of creatine supplements.

• High blood pressure
• Dehydration
• Digestive problems
• Kidney and Liver damage
• Weight gain
• Dizziness

It’s important to note that creatine is generally considered one of the safest supplements to take and these side effects are pretty rare.

Conclusion

To conclude, creatine does not make you hungry. There is still not enough scientific evidence to prove how creatine affects your appetite. 

But, There still might be some potential reasons why creatine can cause increased appetite in some rare cases.

Despite this, it’s important to recognize that everyone is different and that some people may react differently to creatine supplementation. If you are considering taking creatine, it’s important to do your research and choose the right one for you so that you can stay away from certain side effects of it.

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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. Antonio, J., Candow, D.G., Forbes, S.C. et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
3. 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
4. Kurosawa Y, Hamaoka T, Katsumura T, Kuwamori M, Kimura N, Sako T, Chance B. Creatine supplementation enhances anaerobic ATP synthesis during a single 10 sec maximal handgrip exercise. Mol Cell Biochem. 2003 Feb;244(1-2):105-12. PMID: 12701817.
5. Zange J, Kornblum C, Müller K, Kurtscheid S, Heck H, Schröder R, Grehl T, Vorgerd M. Creatine supplementation results in elevated phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratios in the calf muscle of athletes but not in patients with myopathies. Ann Neurol. 2002 Jul;52(1):126; author reply 126-7. doi: 10.1002/ana.10197. PMID: 12112063.
6. Galbraith RA, Furukawa M, Li M. Possible role of creatine concentrations in the brain in regulating appetite and weight. Brain Res. 2006 Jul 26;1101(1):85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.05.032. Epub 2006 Jun 16. PMID: 16781683.
7. Smith J, Dahm DL. Creatine use among a select population of high school athletes. Mayo Clin Proc. 2000 Dec;75(12):1257-63. doi: 10.4065/75.12.1257. PMID: 11126833.
8. Mendes RR, Tirapegui J. Creatina: o suplemento nutricional para a atividade física–conceitos atuais [Creatine: the nutritional supplement for exercise – current concepts]. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2002 Jun;52(2):117-27. Portuguese. PMID: 12184144.
9. Brudnak MA. Creatine: are the benefits worth the risk? Toxicol Lett. 2004 Apr 15;150(1):123-30. doi: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2004.01.013. PMID: 15068829.
10. Juhn MS, Tarnopolsky M. Potential side effects of oral creatine supplementation: a critical review. Clin J Sport Med. 1998 Oct;8(4):298-304. doi: 10.1097/00042752-199810000-00007. Erratum in: Clin J Sport Med 1999 Apr;9(2):62. PMID: 9884794.
11. Powers ME, Arnold BL, Weltman AL, Perrin DH, Mistry D, Kahler DM, Kraemer W, Volek J. Creatine Supplementation Increases Total Body Water Without Altering Fluid Distribution. J Athl Train. 2003 Mar;38(1):44-50. PMID: 12937471; PMCID: PMC155510.
12. Hall M, Trojian TH. Creatine supplementation. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2013 Jul-Aug;12(4):240-4. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e31829cdff2. PMID: 23851411.
13. Darnton SJ, Zgainski B, Grenier I, Allister K, Hiller L, McManus KG, Steyn RS. The use of an anabolic steroid (nandrolone decanoate) to improve nutritional status after esophageal resection for carcinoma. Dis Esophagus. 1999;12(4):283-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-2050.1999.00074.x. PMID: 10770363.
14. Ganesan K, Rahman S, Zito PM. Anabolic Steroids. [Updated 2023 Mar 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482418/

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