In fat cells that burn heat, a system involving creatine doesn’t seem to work the way it does in other cells — studies in these specific fat cells show it’s not driving heat production through calcium or breathing processes.

In certain fat cells that burn heat, mitochondria might create a cycle with creatine that keeps energy turning over, helping the cell burn more calories without needing usual triggers like calcium.

Your body can use creatine in fat cells to generate heat when it's cold, kind of like a backup heater when the main one isn't working well — and it can be almost as effective as the body's primary heat-producing system.