Does creatine make muscles bigger and hold more water?
Creatine Supplementation Does Not Influence the Ratio Between Intracellular Water and Skeletal Muscle Mass in Resistance-Trained Men.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The ratio of muscle mass to intracellular water didn’t change with creatine.
Many assume creatine increases muscle size mainly by flooding cells with water, but this study shows muscle and water increase in lockstep—no imbalance.
Practical Takeaways
If you're doing resistance training, creatine may help increase both muscle mass and cellular hydration over 8 weeks.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The ratio of muscle mass to intracellular water didn’t change with creatine.
Many assume creatine increases muscle size mainly by flooding cells with water, but this study shows muscle and water increase in lockstep—no imbalance.
Practical Takeaways
If you're doing resistance training, creatine may help increase both muscle mass and cellular hydration over 8 weeks.
Publication
Journal
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism
Year
2020
Authors
A. Ribeiro, Ademar Avelar, Witalo Kassiano, J. Nunes, B. Schoenfeld, A. Aguiar, M. Trindade, A. Silva, L. Sardinha, E. Cyrino
Related Content
Claims (5)
Creatine pulls water into your cells, making them swell a bit, and that swelling is how it helps your body work better.
If you're a guy who lifts weights, taking creatine for 8 weeks can help you gain muscle and hold more water inside your muscle cells — but the water doesn't increase more than the muscle does, so it's not just 'bloating' — it's real growth.
If you're a guy who lifts weights, taking creatine won't make you hold more water outside your cells compared to just training — the water increase seems to come from working out, not the supplement.
If you're a guy who lifts weights, taking creatine might help you gain more muscle and hold onto more water inside your cells than just training alone.
When guys who lift weights gain muscle, their muscle cells also hold more water — and this happens whether or not they take creatine. It suggests that growing muscle might be linked to how much water the cells hold.