Even if creatine helps muscle cells survive under salty stress, it doesn’t do so by keeping their energy levels up—because the energy (ATP) still drops even when creatine is added.

Adding creatine to muscle cells in a lab makes them live longer when they’re in a super-salty environment, just like other known protective substances such as betaine and taurine.

When cells are put under high salt stress, they start making more of a protein that helps bring in creatine — and this happens not just in muscle cells but also in blood vessel cells from pigs.

When muscle cells in a lab are put in a salty environment, they start making more of a special protein that helps them suck up creatine — and they get better at pulling it in, not because they’re pickier about it, but because they can handle more of it at once.

Taking creatine supplements may help your muscles store more glycogen, which is like a sugar reservoir, and since glycogen holds onto water, your muscles end up holding more water too.

Taking creatine supplements doesn't seem to help trained men recover faster or reduce muscle soreness after working out in low-oxygen conditions, which means creatine might not protect muscles in every kind of workout.