Is creatine good for weight loss? What the science says

From apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper to detox teas and soups, there’s a bunch of powders, pills, potions and miracle fixes that swear they’ll help you stop fat accumulation and lose weight. One that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years is creatine, which supporters say supercharges your workouts, builds muscle and sheds fat.

But is there any truth to the claims behind combining creatine supplementation with a hard workout to decrease body fat and deal with your weight management issues? Does it actually support weight loss, or are its supposed benefits nonsense? In this guide, we get straight to the heart of whether oral creatine supplements and similar products work.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a compound found naturally in the body. Its main purpose is to supply energy to your muscles, particularly during strenuous physical activity.

You can get creatine through dietary sources like red meat, seafood and dairy, or via oral supplements, but it’s also produced naturally by your liver, pancreas and kidneys. Once it’s made, it travels through your blood to where it’s needed most. About 95% goes to your skeletal muscle, with the remaining 5% to your brain, heart and other tissues. Your body stores creatine, ensuring it's got ample stores for all your muscle fibres.

Why do people use creatine?

Because it’s directly involved in muscle energy production, creatine has become a hugely popular supplement among those looking to enhance their exercise regimen. It's usually sold as creatine monohydrate, the most common and well-researched form of creatine.

Creatine helps generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that powers your gym sessions. ATP supports muscle contraction and is the primary energy source for short, intense bursts of exercise like lifting weights, jumping or sprinting. 

With more energy in your muscles, you may be able to complete more reps, lift heavier weights or go faster. This can make workouts more effective, and over time, can improve strength, power and overall athletic performance.

What are the benefits of creatine?

So, is there any proof that creatine works for building the best physical version of yourself? Here’s what the science says:

• Improve Athletic Performance – Plenty of research shows that creatine can be hugely effective when doing short bursts of intense exercise, because it enables your cells to make energy faster. This energy boost can lead to more strength, greater power and speed, and better performance [1].
• Build Muscle – Several studies have shown that, when combined with resistance training, creatine can improve body strength. In a meta-analysis of 23 studies, experts found that people taking creatine got stronger across their entire body, increasing upper body strength by around 4.4kg and lower body strength by 11.3kg [2]
• Support Recovery – Some evidence suggests that creatine supplementation can support recovery after intense workouts, as long as it’s paired with sufficient calorie and protein intake. Experts suggest this could be due to creatine’s ability to restore glycogen in the muscles, a process that supports muscle healing [3]
• Slow Age-Related Muscle and Bone Depletion – As people age, muscle and bone mass typically decline. But there’s a growing body of research demonstrating creatine’s ability to preserve age-related muscle mass and performance, and to reduce bone mineral loss. These effects may have protective benefits, like reducing the risk of falls [4]
• Benefit Brain Health: A 2024 review concluded that creatine may improve memory, attention and processing speed [5].

Is creatine good for weight loss?

Creatine absolutely could support weight loss, but not directly. Since creatine naturally enhances your workouts, it can help you burn more calories and potentially accelerate your weight loss efforts. 

Additionally, because it’s a proven way to build muscle, it may make losing weight and changing your body composition more efficient. A higher amount of lean muscle in your body boosts your metabolism and helps you use up more energy during rest periods, so fat loss becomes more achievable.

However, the evidence on creatine and weight loss is thus far a tad mixed. One study done on adults aged 50+ found that a combination of resistance training with creatine supplementation helped participants lose around 0.5kg more fat mass than with resistance training alone [6].

Another study on adults aged under 50 using creatine and resistance training found no difference in absolute fat mass and only a very minimal effect on body fat percentage, with participants losing 1.19% more weight [7]. Finally, a 2025 study found that creatine supplementation had no effect on lean body mass changes when combined with resistance training [8].

Also, remember that like all dietary supplements and diets, it’s not a magic bullet. Relying on creatine alone to lose weight probably won’t work to burn fat tissue. Instead, it’s about implementing holistic lifestyle changes and incorporating them into your routine to complement your efforts, not replace them. 

The basics of weight loss remain the same, no matter what. That means eat fewer calories than you burn, move more, and stay consistent. Incorporating resistance training into your exercise routine is also key, as it helps build lean muscle mass.

What are the possible side effects of creatine?

Creatine supplements are usually pretty safe if you’re taking them on a short-term basis and at the recommended dose. Typically, the recommended dose is three to five grams daily for up to 12 weeks, or starting at a dose of 20g for up to seven days. 

If you plan to take it long-term, one study found that it should be safe enough for most blokes. Researchers concluded that patients who took up to 30g each day for five years didn’t experience major issues or side effects [9]. On the other hand, it has to be noted that 30g of creatine daily for five years is atypical for the general population and is more relevant to athletes.

However, you may notice a few unwanted side effects [10]:

• Water retention, which can cause temporary weight gain
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Excessive sweating

There’s also a risk that creatine could cause problems in people with certain underlying conditions. Always go out of your way to have a chat with your GP before starting a new supplement, especially if there’s a risk of health complications.

Creatine use - How to take creatine

You can actually get about half the creatine your body needs from diet alone [10]. The main dietary sources of creatine are:

• Red meat, like beef and veal.
• Seafood, including fish and shellfish.
• Dairy milk from cows, sheep or goat.

Alternatively, if you want to really up your creatine intake, you can try a supplement. These are usually available in powder, capsule, tablet or liquid form. Powdered supplements are the most popular, and can be easily mixed into water, juice, smoothies or shakes.

How much creatine do you need?

Most people only need three to five grams of creatine daily, which is about one teaspoon. It can be taken at any time of day.

Some also increase their intake during the “loading phase,” a five to seven-day period that saturates the muscles faster. During this phase, they may take 20g each day (split into four doses of five grams each) before dropping to the daily maintenance dose of three to five grams.

Whatever way you want to start losing weight or increasing your physical activity, what matters isn't just eating healthily, but sustainably changing your life. Supplements may work in the short term, but you're probably not going to keep them up for years to come. That's why working with your doctor to discuss the right path to your goals, whether that's a personal trainer or options like Pilot's Weight Reset Program, is essential.

Frequently asked questions about creatine supplementation

Supplements can come in handy, but it’s worth knowing both the benefits and drawbacks first. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about creatine and weight loss.

Does creatine reduce appetite?

There’s no evidence linking appetite reduction and creatine, although some people report either a decrease or an increase in hunger levels. The increase could be related to the energy-boosting effects of creatine, which may make you hungrier. 

Does creatine affect sleep?

Since creatine lifts your energy levels, it might make perfect sense that this could impact your sleep. However, there’s no proof that it causes insomnia. Instead, several studies indicate it could actually reduce the effects of sleep deprivation because it helps deliver energy to the brain. One study on rats found that creatine supplementation reduced the rats’ need for sleep as well as the pressure to catch up on sleep, showing it could be a useful sleep aid [11].

Can you drink alcohol while taking creatine supplements?

A small amount of alcohol with your mates down the pub should be fine when you’re taking creatine, especially if you limit it to rest days. That being said, many experts warn against combining alcohol with creatine. Alcohol can inhibit creatine’s positive benefits on muscle recovery, rendering the supplement largely ineffective. And because creatine already affects your body’s water balance and challenges your liver and kidney function, adding alcohol to the equation may worsen dehydration and liver and kidney strain.

Does creatine help to lose belly fat?

Creatine could help you lose body fat and decrease fat mass indirectly through its ability to enhance workouts and increase muscle mass. 

Unfortunately, though, there’s no single way to target belly fat specifically, whether using creatine or any other supplement. Instead, it’s about losing weight across your entire body, which may or may not include your belly, depending on your body composition and where your body stores fat. 

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