Creatine and Bloating: What’s the Connection?

Does Creatine Make You Bloated?

Does Creatine Make You Bloated?
nadisja/Getty Images
By
Updated on August 7, 2025
by

Your body naturally produces creatine from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Creatine helps your muscles produce energy to sustain short bursts of intense exercise.

A large amount of water binds to creatine in the body. Creatine can help draw more water into muscles.

Water retention is a common side effect of creatine. This article explains how this happens and ways to prevent it.

Why Do People Take Creatine?

Creatine consists of three amino acids: glycine, L-arginine, and L-methionine. Your muscles add a phosphate group to creatine, creating phosphocreatine. It is a major source of energy storage in the body.

During exercise, phosphocreatine replenishes adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary source of energy in your muscles. This helps maintain a continuous energy supply to your muscles when they’re working hard during exercise.

Some people who exercise regularly take creatine to support their workouts in several ways, including improving performance, recovery, and muscle mass.

Creatine may help athletes prevent severe muscle injuries, tolerate higher levels of intensity, and reduce muscle tightness, strains, cramps, and pulls.

Outside of exercise, creatine may also help people with the following health conditions:

  • Diseases that break down the brain and nervous system, such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and muscular dystrophy
  • Conditions affecting how the body absorbs or transports creatine
  • Diabetes
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Myocardial ischemia, in which the heart muscle does not receive enough blood

Can Creatine Cause Water Retention?

The chemical properties of creatine cause it to attract a large amount of water. Increasing the levels of creatine in your muscles also increases the volume of water they contain, temporarily increasing their size.

By boosting water content in cells, creatine may support muscle growth, improve hydration, and reduce cramps. It’s part of how creatine works.

However, this process can lead to water retention. Despite being creatine’s most common adverse effect in the early stages of taking it,

 this is usually temporary.
It’s often a response to a “loading phase” in which a person takes a higher creatine dose for several days to support peak performance.

Can You Prevent Water Retention From Creatine?

Sticking to the recommended creatine dosage makes it less likely that you’ll notice any water retention.

However, even at the recommended dosage, you might gain a little extra “water weight” for around one or two weeks after you first use it. This returns to normal soon after.

If you continue to experience water retention, consider reducing your dosage or discontinuing creatine altogether. This should reverse the effects of the water retention. Research has found that creatine doesn’t cause long-term water retention.

How to Take Creatine Safely

Consult your doctor before taking creatine if you currently take other medications or receive ongoing medical treatment for a health condition.

Older adults with reduced kidney function may experience health issues when taking creatine, as the kidneys must work harder to eliminate creatine through urine.

 However, more research is necessary to confirm this risk.

Loading creatine can also lead to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Dividing the daily dose into two and taking it with nonacidic juice, like coconut water, papaya juice, or apple juice, may also help you reduce adverse GI effects.

As a supplement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate creatine’s safety and effectiveness in the same way as it does medications.

Stick to brands that have labeling indicating they’ve received independent, third-party testing from organizations such as the National Safety Foundation and Informed Choice. These organizations verify ingredients and check for banned substances.

The Takeaway

  • Many people take creatine to enhance exercise performance, increase muscle mass, and support recovery. However, it may lead to temporary water retention and bloating.
  • Adhering to the recommended creatine dosage can help mitigate the risk of water retention, although some individuals may experience short-lived water retention.
  • Creatine supplementation requires careful consideration in people with impaired kidney function, so consult a healthcare professional if you have preexisting health conditions.
  • Choose creatine products that are tested by third-party organizations like the National Safety Foundation to confirm they’re safe and effective. This can help you ensure product quality.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? Cleveland Clinic. July 17, 2024.
  2. Creatine (Compound). PubChem. July 20, 2025.
  3. Creatine. Cleveland Clinic. April 26, 2023.
  4. Antonio J et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. February 8, 2021.
  5. Is creatine safe and effective for older adults? What the latest research says. Northeastern University. March 21, 2025.
  6. Creatine. Mayo Clinic. December 13, 2023.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Lynn Griger photo

Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

See full bio

Adam Felman

Author
Adam is a freelance writer and editor based in Sussex, England. He loves creating content that helps people and animals feel better. His credits include Medical News Today, Greatist, ZOE, MyLifeforce, and Rover, and he also spent a stint as senior updates editor for Screen Rant.

As a hearing aid user and hearing loss advocate, Adam greatly values content that illuminates invisible disabilities. (He's also a music producer and loves the opportunity to explore the junction at which hearing loss and music collide head-on.)

In his spare time, Adam enjoys running along Worthing seafront, hanging out with his rescue dog, Maggie, and performing loop artistry for disgruntled-looking rooms of 10 people or less.

See full bio
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network