Does Creatine inhibit weight loss?

lewispwest
lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Every morning I do a rigorous dumbbell workout for my arms and chest and started taking creatine tablets to supplement this regime. Ever since then my scales have barely moved, despite eating at a deficit every day like I have been since my diet started.

Is it just water weight being held within the muscles causing me to stagnate or is there something in the creatine I should be avoiding?

Thanks for any answers.

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Creatine does increase water retention. It doesn't affect fat loss though.

    By the way, no fitness professional recommends working just arms & chest - especially daily. When you get serious about being stronger follow a full-body program, like Stronglifts, NROL, a good personal trainer, etc.
  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    I do cardio at the gym etc but my problem is I have a disc prolapse that prevents me from doing full on weights training.

    Thanks for the creatine answer :)
  • brocej
    brocej Posts: 24 Member
    It doesn't inhibit fat loss, no. However, you will gain between 1-3kg of water weight depending upon your body. After 1-3 weeks this weight gain will level off and you will continue you downward trend. When you stop taking creatine your body will release this water.

    In this study participants taking creatine gained 1-2L of water (which is 1-2kg).
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636103
  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    Well that makes a lot of sense, thanks brocej.

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