Creatine is the subject of a lot of false beliefs. A common question when you search online is whether creatine causes constipation. Let’s try to figure out what creatine is, what it does, and if it can make you constipated.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a substance that occurs naturally in muscle cells and gives them the energy they need to do hard workouts and heavy lifting. Athletes often take creatine supplements to help them do better in the gym and build muscle and strength.
Creatine levels in the body are affected by how much meat you eat, how much muscle mass you have, how much you exercise, and how much IGF-1 and testosterone you have in your body.
Only 5% of creatine is found in the liver, brain, and kidneys. The rest, in the form of phosphocreatine, is stored in the muscles.
When you take creatine supplements, the amount of phosphocreatine in your body increases, which helps make ATP, the body’s energy currency. You do better when you work out with more ATP in your body.
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine enhances sports performance in a variety of ways. During a high-intensity activity, the muscular stores of phosphocreatine are increased, producing more ATP, resulting in improved performance in heavy lifting and other high-intensity workouts.
Creatine helps build muscle, which is one of its benefits. Taking creatine aids athletes in increasing the intensity of their workouts, a crucial aspect for long-term muscular building.
It stimulates cell signaling, which promotes muscle development and repair. In addition, it assists in increasing the water content of muscle cells, resulting in a volumization effect. This is one of the reasons why some creatine users experience dehydration.
Numerous studies demonstrate the beneficial effect of creatine on the short-term and long-term muscular building. Creatine supplementation in a weight training regimen increased muscle mass and leg strength in 14-week research with persons over 65.
Another study on weightlifters indicated that creatine stimulated twice as much muscular fiber growth as training alone.
Creatine may also aid in reducing blood sugar levels, enhancing muscle function, and treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; however, additional research is necessary to confirm these claims.
Now, let’s examine whether creatine constipation is genuine and what to do if you encounter it.
Does Creatine Cause Constipation?
Because of its osmotic nature, undissolved creatine may be to blame for some adverse reactions to creatine supplements.
Creatine helps muscles grow partly because it acts as a water magnet, drawing fluid into muscle cells. Most people experience either diarrhea, bloating, or constipation when this happens in the stomach. Some people may say that taking creatine gives them a headache.
Many people who use creatine report experiencing diarrhea, although some also report constipation. Constipation is a real possibility if you’re dehydrated and taking creatine, which draws water out of the colon and into the muscle cells.
The easiest way to prevent this is to drink plenty of water. You should drink an extra half a liter of water daily for every 3–5 grams of creatine you take.
Since creatine draws water into muscle cells, it may dissolve more slowly in cold water. Therefore, it’s best to take it with a glass of warm water.