Verdict
Not enough evidence
Creatine causes a temporary 2 to 4 lbs gain that is water in muscle, not fat.
2 sources: 2 partly
By Arun AgrahriLast reviewed 1 timecoded source
Short answer
Creatine can cause a small, temporary weight increase in the first weeks, but it is water pulled into your muscle cells, not fat. The 'creatine makes you fat' idea doesn't hold up. Skip the loading phase and take a steady 3-5g/day to keep the scale bump small.
Creatine is worth taking.
The verdict on Creatine overall. 11 sources: 8 positive, 2 partly, 1 neutral
positive partly neutral negative Each researcher and each study counts once per claim, however often they come up.
Creatine causes a temporary 2 to 4 lbs gain that is water in muscle, not fat.
2 sources: 2 partly. Fewer than 3 sources so far.
Researchers say
2 partly
Dr Michael Israetel, on The Diary Of A CEO, at 1:14:58
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 1:14:58 →“for most people it'll temporarily gain you about two kilos of body weight because it attracts body water into the muscle”
Dr. Layne Norton, on FoundMyFitness, at 3:18:53
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 3:18:53 →“so the water is all intracellular um it doesn't increase extracellular water”
Studies show
No study counted yet.
Dr Michael Israetel, on The Diary Of A CEO, at 1:14:58 Video · partly · Opinion
“for most people it'll temporarily gain you about two kilos of body weight because it attracts body water into the muscle”
Dr. Layne Norton, on FoundMyFitness, at 3:18:53 Video · partly · Opinion
“so the water is all intracellular um it doesn't increase extracellular water”
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Creatine causes a temporary weight gain that is water in muscle, not fat. When you start creatine, the scale may go up over the first weeks. Creatine draws water into your muscle cells, and that is part of how it works rather than a side effect to avoid. The water sits inside the muscle. It is not fat, and it is not bloat under the skin.
It varies. Andrew Huberman, while interviewing Rhonda Patrick on his show, describes his own gain as mostly water in the muscle and calls himself a possible hyperresponder.
Layne Norton, a guest on Peter Attia's show, walks through the 'muscle volumization' mechanism and is explicit that the weight change is water, not fat. Creatine researcher Darren Candow covers the same ground as a guest on Rhonda Patrick's show. Creatine is widely recommended, and no source treats weight gain as a reason to avoid it.
First, to keep the early scale bump small, skip the old-school 'loading phase' (20g/day). Norton says on Huberman's show that a steady daily dose reaches the same muscle saturation in a few weeks, with less stomach upset. Second, over months, any extra weight is more likely lean muscle if you're training, because creatine helps you do more work.
If the scale matters to you, track your waist and how your clothes fit instead.
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