Does Creatine Make You Hungry? Or Could It Be Something Different?

You’ve
probably
heard
all
sorts
of
things
about
creatine.
Some
people
say
it’s
the
best
thing
for
muscle
growth,
others
claim
it
causes
bloating,
and
then
there’s
that
one
guy
at
the
gym
who
swears
it
makes
him
“crazy
hungry”
all
the
time.
But
is
that
actually
true?

Short
answer:
Creatine
itself
doesn’t
directly
make
you
hungry.

However,
it
can
influence
appetite
in
indirect
ways—like
through
increased
energy
demands,
changes
in
hydration,
and
even
shifts
in
metabolism.
So
if
you’re
feeling
hungrier
than
usual
while
taking
creatine,
there’s
a
good
reason
for
it.

Does
Creatine
Directly
Increase
Hunger?

Short
answer:
Not
really.
At
least,
not
in
the
way
people
think.

But
here’s
where
it
gets
interesting—while
creatine
doesn’t
directly
make
you
hungrier,
it
can
create
changes
in
your
body
that
might
lead
to
an
increased
appetite.

How
Could
Creatine
Affect
Hunger?

Below
are
a
few
possibilities
supported
by
science.

1.
Increased
Energy
Expenditure

Creatine
allows
muscles
to
work
harder
for
longer
periods,
which
could
lead
to
more
calories
burned
during
workouts.
If
someone
is
training
more
intensely,
their
body
may
naturally
demand
more
food
to
compensate.

Key
Point:
Higher
training
intensity
=
more
energy
burned
=
increased
appetite.

2.
Water
Retention
and
Cellular
Hydration

Creatine
pulls
water
into
muscle
cells,
increasing
hydration
and
muscle
volume.
While
this
doesn’t
directly
cause
hunger,
some
people
might
confuse
better
muscle
hydration
with
increased
appetite.

Key
Point:
Better
hydration
can
sometimes
feel
like
increased
hunger.

3.
Insulin
Sensitivity
and
Nutrient
Absorption

Creatine
has
been
linked
to
improved
insulin
sensitivity.
Better
insulin
function
means
that
nutrients
are
absorbed
and
utilized
more
efficiently.
In
some
cases,
improved
insulin
sensitivity
could
lead
to
changes
in
hunger
levels.

Key
Point:
More
efficient
nutrient
use
might
lead
to
different
hunger
signals.

Why
Some
People
Feel
Hungrier
on
Creatine

Even
though
creatine
doesn’t
technically
cause
hunger,
plenty
of
people
swear
that
they
feel
hungrier
when
they
start
taking
it.
That’s
not
just
in
their
heads—there
are
a
few
possible
reasons
why
this
happens.

1.
Increased
Energy
Output

Creatine
helps
with

strength
and
performance.
If
you’re
suddenly
lifting
heavier,
pushing
yourself
harder,
and
squeezing
out
more
reps,
you’re
burning
more
energy.
That
naturally
leads
to
a
higher
calorie
demand,
which
means
your
body
might
start
signaling
that
it
needs
more
food.

Think
about
it—if
you
start
training
harder
and
moving
more
throughout
the
day,
your
metabolism
speeds
up.
The
result?
More
hunger.

2.
Muscle
Growth
and
Recovery

Building
muscle
requires
energy.
When
your
body
repairs
and
grows
muscle
tissue,
it
requires
fuel,
and
that
often
leads
to
an
increase
in
appetite.
Since
creatine
supports
muscle
recovery,
it’s
possible
that
people
notice
they
feel
hungrier
simply
because
their
body
is
demanding
more
nutrients
for
the
rebuilding
process.

3.
Increased
Water
Retention

Creatine
pulls
water
into
muscle
cells,
which
is
part
of
why
muscles
look
fuller
and
more
pumped
when
using
it.
Some
people
mistake
this
water
retention
for
bloating,
which
can
sometimes
make
you
feel
like
you
need
to
eat
more.

On
the
flip
side,
drinking
more
water
(which
is
recommended
when
taking
creatine)
can
sometimes
lead
to
an
increased
appetite
in
certain
individuals,
especially
if
they
confuse
thirst
with
hunger.

4.
Psychological
Factors

Sometimes,
the
expectation
of
hunger
can
actually
cause
hunger.
If
someone
hears
that
creatine
makes
people
hungrier,
they
might
subconsciously
pay
more
attention
to
their
appetite
and
assume
they’re
eating
more
than
usual—even
if
they
aren’t.

Additionally,
people
who
start
supplementing
with
creatine
often
pair
it
with
a
more
intense
workout
routine.
If
someone
is
training
harder
and
tracking
their
food
intake
more
closely,
it’s
easy
to
see
how
hunger
levels
might
shift
simply
due
to
changes
in
lifestyle.

Who
Might
Experience
Increased
Hunger
on
Creatine?

Not
everyone
feels
hungrier
when
taking
creatine,
but
certain
groups
might
be
more
likely
to
notice
changes.

If
hunger
levels
change
while
taking
creatine,
the
best
approach
is
to
track
training
intensity,
hydration,
and
diet
to
see
what
might
be
driving
the
shift.

Should
You
Be
Concerned
About
Increased
Hunger
on
Creatine?

In
fact,
it
could
be
a
sign
that
your
body
is
responding
well
to
increased
energy
demands.

My
Personal
Experience

I’ve
been
using
creatine
for
years,
and
honestly,
my
hunger
levels
didn’t
change
dramatically
when
I
first
started.
But
after
a
few
weeks,
I
did
notice
that
on
days
when
I
trained
harder,
I
was
eating
more.
At
first,
I
thought
creatine
itself
was
making
me
hungrier,
but
when
I
really
paid
attention,
it
became
clear
that
I
was
just
burning
more
calories.

Some
of
my
gym
buddies
had
similar
experiences,
while
others
didn’t
feel
any
change
at
all.
One
guy
swore
that
creatine
turned
him
into
a
food-obsessed
maniac,
while
another
didn’t
even
notice
a
difference
in
his
appetite.

What
this
tells
me
is
that
hunger
changes
while
using
creatine
probably
have
more
to
do
with
individual
factors—training
style,
metabolism,
hydration,
and
overall
diet—rather
than
creatine
itself.