Does Creatine Give You Energy?
Unlock your full potential by engaging with our experts and community! Have questions about your fitness journey or looking for expert advice on weightlifting techniques? Don’t hesitate โ leave a comment below and Camila Parente Santos will provide a personalized answer and insights to help you reach your goals.
Torokhtiy is reader-supported. Some links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure page for details.
Are you wondering, โDoes creatine give you energy?โ While it does provide energy in a way, itโs not quite so simple.
With consistent supplementation, creatine increases your performance during quick bursts of exercise. This is because it helps increase levels of cellular ATP, which is your main fuel source during anaerobic exercise. With this being said, a single dose of creatine will not give you an acute energy boost in the same way as caffeine.
Keep reading to learn more about how creatine provides energy and the additional benefits of this popular supplement.
Does creatine give you energy? One of the main benefits of consistent creatine supplementation is improving high-intensity exercise performance largely thanks to increased ATP production. However, this does not mean it will give you the same immediate boost of energy that caffeine does.
Does Creatine Give You Energy?
Creatine is a valuable nutrient for providing energy to your muscles, especially during exercise. This means our bodies use creatine for muscular energy regardless of supplementation, getting some creatine through food, as well as synthesizing it in the body.
Creatine combines with phosphoric acid to create phosphocreatine in your muscles. This is then used to create ATP โ a major energy source for the body. When you take creatine consistently, your muscles will become saturated with the nutrient, leading to higher intramuscular creatine concentration, and more ATP as a result.
Because it leads to an increase in ATP, one of the main effects of creatine supplementation is improving performance in short bursts of high-intensity exercise. This makes it an excellent supplement for anaerobic sports like weightlifting and sprinting.
So, because of its role in ATP production, creatine supplementation will provide more energy for anaerobic exercise when your muscles are fully saturated. However, itโs unlikely to improve your energy levels throughout the day in the same way as caffeine, for example.
Caffeine affects your nervous system, increasing alertness and energy. Creatine supplementation, on the other hand, leads to higher levels of ATP in the muscles. Keep in mind that creatine doesnโt have any acute effects, and will only boost your energy levels when taken consistently.
So, while creatine supplementation wonโt necessarily lead to an increase in immediate energy, it will still provide a significant boost in performance during short bursts of exercise.
What other Benefits does Creatine have Besides Providing Energy?
The benefits of creatine donโt stop at providing energy during short bursts of exercise. Itโs also one of the best supplements for increasing strength, improving recovery, and gaining muscle. Keep reading below to learn more about why creatine is such an effective supplement.
โ Increased Strength
Because creatine improves high-intensity exercise performance, it is especially useful if youโre practicing strength training. One study found that 4 weeks of creatine supplementation was associated with a significant increase in athleteโs bench press 1 rep max. So, because of the boost to performance associated with creatine, you will likely notice an increase in how much weight youโre able to lift.
โ Improved Recovery
While creatine mostly affects anaerobic exercise performance, one benefit that will be useful for all athletes is its effects on recovery. This is shown by one study which found that athletes supplementing with creatine experienced reduced cell damage and inflammation after a 30km race. This implies that creatine is a powerful supplement for improving recovery in endurance exercise as well as resistance training.
โ Increased Muscle Mass
Finally, all the benefits of creatine listed above are likely to lead to an increase in overall muscle mass. Because athletes using creatine can perform and recover better, they are also more likely to gain muscle than those not using creatine.
Itโs worth noting that much of the short-term weight gain associated with creatine is from water retention instead of muscle growth. You can expect a 2% increase in total body weight as your muscles become fully saturated with creatine.
How long does it take to get Energy from Creatine?
All the benefits of creatine outlined above will only be apparent after about 2-4 weeks of consistent supplementation with 3-5g a day. This is roughly how long it will take for your muscles to become fully saturated with creatine.
Some people decide to do a โloading phaseโ of creatine to saturate their muscles quicker. This is usually done by taking a 20g dose every day. While this will saturate your muscles quicker, in the long run, it wonโt make much of a difference. Especially considering high doses of creatine commonly lead to gastrointestinal distress, we recommend sticking with 3-5g instead.
creatine dosage calculator
Loading Phase:
Maintenance Phase:
Also, remember that there are no acute effects from creatine. A single dose is unlikely to do anything, so be sure youโre taking it every day for optimal effectiveness. If youโre looking for an acute boost of energy, youโll be much better off using caffeine or pre-workout instead.
Best Creatine – Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
- Form: Powder
- Type: Monohydrate
- Other Ingredients: HMB, Vitamin D
- Price per Serving (for 5 g): ~$1.35
- Servings per Container (for 5 g): 30 or 60 servings
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: Hafรพรณr Jรบlรญus Bjรถrnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA
With creatine being one of the safest, and well-researched sports supplements available, most people will benefit from it. If youโre looking to try a high-quality creatine supplement, we recommend giving Transparent Labs Creatine HMB a try.
You can expect 5g of creatine monohydrate per serving here, which as weโve mentioned, will be an optimal dose for most people. This supplement also contains several additional ingredients in the form of HMB and Vitamin D. HMB may specifically have benefits to strength and muscle growth for beginners, but its effects are otherwise fairly limited. However, especially if youโre deficient, Vitamin D supplementation may have a major impact on muscle growth and overall health.
This is also one of the few flavored creatine supplements on the market, which is ideal if youโre not a fan of unflavored creatine. Also, despite the flavoring, Transparent Labs doesnโt use any artificial ingredients whatsoever in this formula.
Finally, although this is an undeniably high-quality supplement, itโs worth noting that the price is fairly high for creatine. However, considering the flavoring and additional ingredients, we believe this is still a great choice.
FAQ
Does creatine boost energy like caffeine?
No, creatine provides a sort of energy by improving performance in short bursts of high-intensity exercise. It doesnโt provide the same acute jolt that a strong dose of caffeine will.
Does creatine make you feel awake?
No, creatine will not provide any acute boost of energy when taken, so donโt expect it to replace your morning cup of coffee. Instead, it will provide a boost to high-intensity exercise performance and an increase in recovery.
Does creatine give you energy like pre-workout?
No, although some pre-workouts do contain creatine, taking creatine for energy wonโt provide a significant boost. The energy provided by pre-workout comes from high doses of caffeine, which are often 200mg+ per serving.
Does Creatine Make You Sleepy?
You may also be wondering, โDoes creatine make you tired?โ Although creatine doesnโt necessarily give you a boost of energy, it wonโt make you tired either.
Conclusion
While creatine doesnโt exactly provide a boost of energy in the same way as caffeine, it does significantly improve exercise performance and recovery. Although creatine isnโt necessarily an energy supplement, it still has numerous benefits making it a great choice for most athletes.
If youโre interested in trying a high-quality creatine supplement, we recommend giving Transparent Labs Creatine HMB a try, for its excellent formula and vast flavor variety.
Were you aware of the effects of creatine on energy levels? What do you think is more useful, creatine or pre-workout? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Also read:
- Why Does Creatine Make Me Poop
- Does Creatine Have Calories
- Best Creatine Gummies Review
- Does Creatine Help You Recover Faster
- Is Creatine Water Soluble
- Does Creatine Stunt Growth
- Does Creatine Increase Testosterone
- Transparent Labs Creatine Hmb Review
- Why Does Creatine Make You Pee a Lot
Referenses:
- Cleveland Clinic Medical Professionals, โCreatine,โ Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17674-creatine (Accessed Jan. 21, 2024)
- The Nutrition Source, โCaffeineโ, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/ (Accessed Jan. 21, 2024)
- Kreider RB, et. al, โInternational Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.โ J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Jun 13;14:18. (2017).
- Vollmer, Carson C. et. al, “Effect of 4-week Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Absolute Strength in Trained and Untrained Healthy Adults,” International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 61. (2021).
- Santos RV, et. al, โThe effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race.โ Life Sci. Sep 3;75(16):1917-24. (2004).
- Nissen SL, Sharp RL. Effect of dietary supplements on lean mass and strength gains with resistance exercise: a meta-analysis. J Appl Physiol (1985). Feb;94(2):651-9. (2003).
- EA Buck, et. al, โCREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON BODY COMPOSITION AND TOTAL BODY WATER MEASURED BY MULTI-FREQUENCY BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCEโ International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 16: Iss. 2, Article 142. (2023).
- Chad M. Kerksick, et. al, โISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendationsโ Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
- Volume 15, – Issue 1 Article 38 (2018).
- The Nutrition Source, โVitamin Dโ, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/ (Accessed Jan. 21, 2024)
Why Trust Us?
With over 20 years in Olympic Weightlifting, our team does its best to provide the audience with ultimate support and meet the needs and requirements of advanced athletes and professional lifters, as well as people who strive to open new opportunities and develop their physical capabilities with us.
By trusting the recommendations of our certified experts in coaching, nutrition, dietology, and sports training programming, as well as scientific consultants, and physiotherapists, we provide you with thorough, well-considered, and scientifically proven content. All the information given in the articles concerning workout programming, separate exercises, and athletic performance, in general, is based on verified data. We ensure that you can rely on our professionals’ pieces of advice and recommendations that can be treated as personalized ones which will benefit you and fully meet your needs.
The product testing process is described in more detailย here
Camila has worked as a Nutritionist for 7 years. In addition to being a nutritionist, she is an amateur weightlifting athlete for 2 years. Camila has experience at Flamengo’s football base and in a food supplement company and currently provides services at a clinic. At the moment she is coursing a postgraduate study in Sports Nutrition.
Still have questions after reading our article? Unlock your full potential by engaging with our experts and community! Don’t hesitate โ leave a comment below and Camila Parente Santos will provide a personalized answer and insights to help you reach your goals.