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If you want to accomplish fitness goals like losing stubborn belly fat or growing your glutes, creatine can be a great supplement to add to your diet. 

And today, I have 4 quick benefits of taking creatine for you.

Make sure you stick around until the very end! 

I’ve included a comprehensive list of answers to all of your burning questions about creatine.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a natural compound your body produces that can also be found in high-protein foods like red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy. 

You can buy it as a supplement as well and most people take it to build muscle and strength, boost athletic performance, and enhance brain health, among other things.

4 quick benefits of taking creatine

1. You’ll build more muscle and strength

Creatine draws water into your muscle cells, which provides you with more energy.

Having more energy results in you having better workouts.

Improved workout performance means getting stronger and building more muscle.

The more muscle you have, the more fat you lose and the more toned you become.

2. It improves athletic performance

I talked about this in the previous section but creatine gives you more energy.

And a higher energy output (I.e. being able to work harder) translates to greater gains in muscle and strength.

It’s been found to have an exceptionally positive impact on short-duration activities done at a high intensity (such as weightlifting, sprinting, or jumping).

Creatine enables you to recover quicker from your workouts, which means being refreshed and able to attack your next one at maximum intensity.

There’s also the benefit of enhanced endurance: 

Creatine elevates your body’s lactate acid threshold and reduces fatigue, which allows you to go harder for longer and get more out of your workouts.

3. You’ll have stronger bones

Our bones get weaker and become less dense as we get older.

Creatine, especially when mixed with a proper strength training routine, has been shown to improve bone density.

Ladies, make note of this!

Especially if you’re over 50 and going through menopause.

You have a much higher chance of developing osteoporosis than men.

4. Improved cognitive function

Sometimes, your brain needs more energy, especially for mentally challenging tasks or to handle stressful events. 

Creatine helps match your brain’s need for increased energy so you’ll have more mental clarity and be able to concentrate better. 

Also, creatine has been shown to have a positive impact on brain health over time.

Frequently asked questions about creatine

Is creatine safe?

Creatine (specifically, creatine monohydrate) is the most researched natural supplement (Keyword: NATURAL) out there.

Meaning,  it’s most definitely NOT a steroid and very safe to take.

What type of creatine is best?

Creatine monohydrate. 

How much creatine should you take?

5 grams of creatine per day is the sweet spot.

Will creatine make you gain weight?

When you take creatine, your body may hold onto more water so you may see a slight uptick in weight.

But don’t worry, water weight does NOT equal body fat gain.

So, no, you won’t become “big and bulky” or gain body fat by taking creatine.

Does creatine have any side effects?

It’s not gonna cause hair loss, acne, kidney issues (assuming you don’t have any pre-existing kidney conditions), etc like you may have heard.

The one side effect you might experience is a little bloating, which you can minimize by going with a micronized creatine monohydrate.

Is it only for men or should women take it too?

It most definitely is not just for men.

If you have goals of getting stronger, gaining more muscle definition, and becoming more toned, creatine can help.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or woman.

What time of day should you take creatine?

1. Post-workout with some carbohydrates (will be pulled into your muscles faster).

2. On your off-days, take it with the meal you consume the most carbohydrates.

Should you load creatine?

You may hear some people say you need to “load” creatine when first starting it.

That’s when you take a higher dose of creatine than normal for a short period of time to saturate your muscles a little quicker.

I don’t believe this is necessary. 

Your muscles are going to become saturated regardless.

There really isn’t any advantage, at least in my humble opinion, to speed up the process. 

Do you need to cycle creatine?

Cycling = varying the doses of the creatine you take.

And no, this isn’t necessary.

At the end of the day, it all evens out and your muscles will become saturated.

You’ll still get all the benefits as long as you take the 5 grams per day as I recommended earlier.

Is creatine necessary?

Don’t think of it as this staple in your diet you just HAVE TO have.

Think of it as extra, or the cherry on top of your ice cream sundae, if you will.

Before you invest in creatine, make sure other aspects of your fitness are in order.

For example, being consistent with your nutrition, strength training workouts, and daily steps.

What happens when you stop taking creatine?

Nothing really.

You’ll probably notice a pound or two decrease on the scale but that’s just water weight.

You’ll still have all of the gains and progress you made while taking creatine.

That stuff won’t go away. 

Moving forward, you just won’t have that little extra boost in terms of athletic performance.

Creatine benefits wrap up

Any questions I didn’t answer about creatine?

Ask me in the comments!