Hello, and welcome back to the blog! One of the most common questions I get asked in my practice is about supplements. Specifically, many of my patients want to know about creatine—is it safe? Does it work? And can it help with weight loss?

The short answer is yes, it’s safe and effective for most people, and yes, it can be a valuable tool for your health and weight loss journey. But let’s dive into the details so you have all the facts.

What Exactly Is Creatine?

First, let’s clear up a major misconception: Creatine is not a steroid. It’s a compound that’s naturally found in your muscle cells. Your body produces it on its own, and you also get it from foods like red meat and fish.

Creatine’s primary job is to help your muscles produce energy during short bursts of high-intensity activity, like lifting a heavy weight or sprinting. Think of it as an extra battery pack for your muscles, allowing them to perform at their peak for a little longer.

The Health Benefits of Creatine

Creatine is one of the most heavily researched supplements on the market, with an impressive track record of proven benefits.

• Improved Exercise Performance: This is the big one. Supplementing with creatine can increase your strength, power, and lean muscle mass. By giving your muscles more energy, it helps you perform more reps or lift heavier weights, which is key for building strength and muscle.
• Enhanced Brain Function: Your brain uses a lot of energy, and creatine plays a role there, too. Research suggests it can improve cognitive function, including memory and reasoning, and may help reduce mental fatigue.
• Supports Neurological Health: Scientists are exploring creatine’s potential role in helping with certain neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, as it may help protect nerve cells from damage.

Creatine and Weight Loss: A Surprising Connection

This is where things get interesting for many of my patients. While creatine is often associated with muscle gain, it can be a powerful ally in your weight loss efforts.

1. It Helps You Keep Muscle Mass While Losing Fat. When you’re in a calorie deficit to lose weight, your body can sometimes break down muscle tissue for energy. This is a problem because muscle is metabolically active—it burns more calories at rest than fat does. Creatine helps you preserve this valuable muscle mass, which in turn helps you maintain a higher metabolism and continue burning calories efficiently.
2. It Supercharges Your Workouts. Losing weight requires consistent exercise. Creatine allows you to push harder during your strength training sessions. A more intense workout means you’ll burn more calories, build more muscle, and get better results in the same amount of time.
3. It Can Help with Water Retention (in a Good Way!). You might hear that creatine causes “water weight.” This is true, but it’s not a bad thing. Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells, which is exactly where you want it. This keeps muscles hydrated, improves their function, and can make them look fuller. This small increase on the scale is not fat, and it’s a sign that the creatine is working as intended.

The Bottom Line

Creatine is a safe, natural, and highly effective supplement that has benefits far beyond just building muscle. For those of you on a weight loss journey, it can be an invaluable tool to help you preserve muscle, boost your metabolism, and get more out of every workout.

As always, it’s best to discuss any new supplement with your doctor to make sure it’s right for you. But for many, a small daily dose of creatine can be a great addition to a healthy diet and exercise plan.