Does Creatine Make You Hungry?

Creatine is the most safe and well-researched supplement with proven benefits. Creatine supplementation positively impacts your training capacity, performance, and muscle building.

It has very few side effects as compared to other supplements. Some athletes experience an increase in appetite while using creatine.

The question here arises: Does creatine make you hungry?

Hunger associated with creatine consumption is an indirect side-effect, but what are the possible reasons?

This article will give you deeper insight into whether creatine interferes with your diet, or not. Does the dosage and timing of creatine have some impact on hunger levels?

Does Creatine Make You Hungry?

Before getting into the actual debate whether creatine makes you hungry or not. Let’s clear the concept of appetite.

It is defined as the natural, physiological desire for eating. Also, it is how your body signals that it requires food to fulfill the body’s energy levels and regulate other body functions.

Creatine is used to improve athletic performance. Improved performance impacts energy levels that indirectly impact your appetite.

It doesn’t make you hungry directly, but some associated factors alter your appetite. There is no significant research supporting creatine and hunger levels.

Why Do You Feel Hungry After Taking Creatine?

Creatine is not an appetite suppressant. But its actual purpose is to provide muscles energy to train harder and shorten the recovery period while improving muscle mass.

Some common reasons that can be a cause of hunger are below:

More Expenditure On Energy

Creatine consumption improves your training capacity and simultaneously burns more calories. Loss of some extra calories can leave you feeling hungrier about creatine consumption.

Your body requires energy to function, and when it runs out of sufficient calories, it signals the brain to create an alert for craving food. This is how creatine makes you hungry.

Increasing Muscle Mass

Creatine helps to grow your lean muscle mass. Since the muscle mass increases, your body weight also increases.

Intense exercise and greater muscle mass will increase your caloric demand as well. The dietary requirements should be according to your new weight to preserve your muscle mass.

Otherwise, you will exercise low energy levels, hunger pangs, and lack of performance.

Water Intake

Creatine is present in your muscles. It can cause water retention. More water is drawn into your muscles, leaving your other body dehydrated.

To maintain optimum hydration status, your brain signals a feeling of thirst. Some individuals confuse the feeling of thirst with hunger.

Choice of Food

Most participants take carb-based energy drinks or pre-workout. These high carbohydrate pre-workouts work as a great source of energy but the carbs utilization is easy, hence you will experience craving sooner than normal.

The timing of meals is also critical. If you take a meal right before your training, it will digest faster and leave you hungry.

Consult a registered dietitian to maximize the efficacy of creatine with the least impact on your appetite.

Does Creatine Increase Metabolism?

Creatine accelerates your metabolism. Creatine is involved in improving your athletic performance and muscle mass.

When you train harder, you are likely to burn more calories. Try to focus on gaining lean muscle mass other than fat mass.

When you perform high-intensity exercises, your body absorbs nutrients and creatine at a greater rate.

To meet the body’s requirements, you must have a healthy digestive system.

Moreover, some studies suggest that creatine also increases the thermic effect of food. It can be explained as an increase in energy expense after consuming food.

It can either be due to the increased energy demand to metabolize and utilize creatine. There is no long-term impact of creatine on your appetite.

What Are The Other Reasons For Creatine-Induced Hunger?

There is no scientific evidence that creatine makes you hungry. Below are some factors that may contribute to a change in appetite.

Age And Hormonal Changes

At every age in your life, the body has different nutritional requirements due to hormonal and body weight fluctuations.

With these changes, you will experience changes in your appetite. If you are not meeting the caloric demands of your body, you are likely to feel hungry.

Hormonal changes are also a critical factor in regulating your appetite. Your body releases hunger and satiety hormones that serve to define your appetite.

Consumption Of Creatine Supplement

Timing and dosage of creatine also impact hunger levels. Taking creatine in combination with some supplement or energy drink will impact your hunger levels differently.

If you consume creatine with some sugary drinks, it will increase your appetite. Try it in different combinations to manage your appetite.

Anabolic Steroids

The common misconception is creatine is a steroid, which is false. Creatine is not a steroid.

If you take creatine with some steroids to get quicker results, then you are likely to experience an increase in appetite.

Steroids burn calories faster to meet the energy demands of the body. In this way, you will feel hungry. So, manage your macros and meal timings accordingly.

Conclusion

There is no direct link between creatine and hunger. Creatine does make you hungry, but due to indirect factors.

Creatine causes water retention and an increase in muscle mass, which causes an increase in weight.

When the body weight increases, dietary requirements also increase. If the demand is not fulfilled, you are likely to experience hunger.

Creatine improves performance and your training capacity. You are burning more calories than expected and feel hungry as a result.

With the help of your training, manage your creatine dose, timing, and meal portions to improve the effectiveness of the creatine.

Before using any supplement, it is advised to consult a dietitian to subside the side effects and obtain the best results.