Does Creatine Cause Anxiety?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Creatine is the most popular and well-researched supplement available in the fitness realm. Its touted benefits include improving strength, muscle growth, and athletic performance. But in recent years, a surprising concern has arisen: Does creatine cause anxiety?
If you’ve ever started taking creatine and then started to feel jittery, anxious, or even a bit panicky, welcome to the club. Some gym rats and athletes complain of feeling a bit too wired after they have supplemented with creatine and question whether it’s the ingredient that amplifies their anxiety levels.
The relationship between creatine and anxiety is heated — some describe it as a myth, while others insist they’ve experienced it firsthand. So, what’s the real story? Is this powerhouse supplement playing tricks on your mind, or does something else come into play?
In this article, we’ll go over whether creatine has any direct or indirect impact on anxiety, what might be giving you the jitters, and how to use creatine without fear of upsetting the wagon.
Does Creatine Cause Anxiety? Let’s Talk Science
Okay, so let’s get right down to it — there’s no real evidence that creatine itself causes anxiety directly. But … there’s always a but, I know.
While creatine per se does not cause anxiety, some side effects may cause you to feel a little “off” after taking it. Now things get interesting.
Creatine Provides You More Energy — And Sometimes Too Much
Have you ever taken creatine and thought now I feel like I am rolling on overdrive? It’s kind of like you have a motor running in the background that you can’t turn off. That’s because creatine increases ATP production, your body’s energy currency. More ATP = more power, which is good for workouts. But if you’re already that person when it comes to being anxious, that little boost in energy may push you over the edge and leave you feeling jittery or restless.
It’s sort of like a drug that you consume—you have a strong coffee, but instead of getting a good focus, you feel simply mechanized in a wrong admission. It’s something like anxiety, but not exactly, although it can feel like that if you don’t manage the energy well.
Pre-Workout Overload (AKA Caffeine + Creatine = Overstimulation)
To be clear — most people aren’t just taking creatine. It’s typically combined with pre-workouts, which are essentially a blend of caffeine, beta-alanine, and other stimulants formulated to get you all hyped before you hit the weights.
Now here’s the kicker: caffeine is an anxiety trigger. It raises cortisol, surges adrenaline, and can cause your heart to thump as if you’re in fight-or-flight mode. If you’re stacking creatine with a highly caffeinated pre-workout, you may be blaming the wrong supplement for that jittery sensation.
A simple fix? Take creatine by itself without all the excess stim. Before announcing doom, see how you feel.
Dehydration & Electrolyte Imbalance
Ever notice that taking creatine makes you thirstier than normal? That’s due to creatine pulling water into your muscles, which can leave the rest of your body somewhat dehydrated if you aren’t replacing that fluid through drinking, Wright says. And dehydration? It’s a sneaky little bugger that can cause dizziness, headaches, rapid heartbeat — symptoms that make you feel like you’re having an anxiety attack.
Your body requires electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) to maintain nerve operation and hydration. If creatine has you feeling off, it could be due to low water intake, or your electrolyte balance is off.
Pro tip? Try and have an additional 16-20 oz of water for every 5g of creatine. And if you’re sweating a lot, add some electrolyte-rich foods such as bananas or coconut water.
4. The Placebo Effect—Your Mind Might Be Playing Tricks on You
This one’s a little bit of a brain tease.” If you’ve been told “creatine makes anxiety worse” enough, your brain may start seeking out symptoms, even if nothing’s happening.
Ever read something online about a symptom and suddenly begun to feel it? That’s the placebo (or, in this case, nocebo) effect. Your brain is a powerful thing, and if you think you’re going to feel anxious from creatine, you may begin body catastrophizing every single twitch.
Can Creatine Help With Anxiety?
Now this is where it gets truly spicy. Although some people fear that creatine will cause anxiety, there is research suggesting that it might help reduce it.
The Role of Creatine in Brain Energy
Your brain, like your muscles, requires energy to run. And when energy levels drop, so does cognitive function. So low ATP can be associated with brain fog, mental fatigue, and even mood disorders. Creatine aids in increasing ATP production in the brain, allowing for better focus, improved mental clarity, and improved mood stability.
Research on Creatine and Depression
There’s some interesting research suggesting that creatine could help improve depression — specifically in people who have low brain energy metabolism. People who use creatine supplements have also been found in some studies to see improvements in mood and mental well-being with creatine supplementation, especially when combined with other forms of treatment such as therapy or medication.
Creatine: Fighting Stress Through Resilience
There are only two ways of handling stress, and they depend on how much pressure your brain can handle from outside. With less fuel onboard, you feel stress more intensely. Maintaining energetic levels means that creatine may prevent your brain from becoming stressed, irrespective of the stressor, making you more likely to cope in a challenging situation without becoming overwhelmed.
Creatine and cortisol – does creatine lower cortisol?
Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body, and chronically elevated levels can lead to anxiety, fatigue, and even weight gain. Other studies show that creatine may help reduce peroxide levels over time, as an unlikely ally against stress instead of a catalyst.
So yes, while creatine doesn’t exactly work like your average run-of-the-mill anti-anxiety supplement, it does seem to provide an indirect benefit to mental health and its resilience that can help reduce anxiety and its symptoms.
Who Should Be Careful With Creatine?
Creatine is safe for most people, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Some people may wish to use caution or modify their intake.
Individuals Who Already Have Anxiety Issues
If you already have generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, get anxious easily, you may be more sensitive to variations in the energy level around your body. The additional ATP rush from creatine may just be overkill, even if it doesn’t hurt.
Those Who Use It Along With Stimulants
If you have a habit of putting nothing but coffee, energy drinks, or pre-works on your plate, you could have too much stimulation on top of creatine. Caffeine already raises adrenaline and cortisol levels, so mixing in creatine could make you feel wired or jumpy. Consider abstaining from all other supplements except creatine for a few days and see if the anxious feeling subsides.
The party of people not drinking enough water
And this one really can’t be emphasized enough. Creatine draws water into your muscles, so if you’re not hydrating, available for the rest of your body. And when dehydration sets in, it can look exactly like anxiety — rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches, that odd sense of unease.
If you take creatine, drink more water. A simple rule? Get at least half your body weight, in ounces, of water each day. And if you’re sweating buckets at the gym, add in some electrolytes to even things out.
Expectancy for Instant Gratification
Creatine does not operate in the same manner as caffeine. You will not get a kind of immediate “kick” out of it. But if you think you’re going to feel something and then think too deeply over each tiny sensation you’re feeling in your body, you may end up fooling yourself into anxiety.
A good approach? Supplement with creatine, not worrying so much about how you “should” feel. Your body will adjust on its own.
People With Underlying Medical Conditions
If you have kidney disease, high blood pressure, or any history of heart disease, consult your doctor before using creatine. However, it may require some extra attention when it comes to supplementation for certain people with medical conditions.
How to Take Creatine Without Feeling Weird?
Creatine is also one of the most studied and safest supplements you could get in the market, but that does not mean that everybody will react to it in the same way. If you’re worried that creatine might have some effect on your mood, there are things you can do to optimize the benefits and minimize the strange feelings.
Stick to the Recommended Dose
More isn’t always better. You only need 3–5g a day to start reaping the benefits of creatine — going beyond this will not only not help you build muscle any faster, but it will come with mild side effects in the form of bloating or feeling a little ‘off’. If you’re not already using creatine, start with 3g per day, and monitor how your body feels before increasing the dosage.
Why You Might Want to Stop Using Pre-Workout
If you use creatine and experience anxiety when you also take a high-stimulant pre-workout, it’s likely not the creatine itself that is contributing to your anxiety (it’s probably the caffeine, beta-alanine, or other stimulants in your pre-workout blend). See how you feel after a couple of weeks of just taking creatine.
Also, make sure to drink plenty of water and replenish the lost electrolytes
Creatine also draws water into your muscles so you need to increase your total fluid intake to prevent dehydration. A good guideline is half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water every day. For those who sweat heavily when working out, replenishing with electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) will help to maintain that balance.
Time It Right
There is no best time to take creatine, but if you feel a little buzzed after you take it, try changing what time you take it.” Pretty much everyone else thinks that taking creatine after a workout feels better than taking it before, and a small percentage of people mix creatine with a meal for better absorption and to even out the effects.
Give It Time
If you feel a bit strange after your first dose of creatine, don’t panic; your body may just be taking some time to adapt. Start small, be consistent, and don’t overthink it. A week or two in, everybody is back to fully normal (and much stronger) on creatine.
What’s the Verdict? Should You Worry About Creatine and Anxiety?
Ultimately, creatine is one of the safest, most studied of all supplements. It’s not an unsublimated cause of anxiety, but it can lead to circumstances that make you seem anxious—like dehydration or overstimulation, or the fucking placebo effect.
Creatine is actually good for physical and mental performance for the majority of people. But if you’re the type of person who tends to be anxious, it’s worth seeing how your body reacts.
So, should you cast aside creatine? Probably not. Are you being careful about how you’re using it? Absolutely. Try it out, see how you feel, and calibrate from there.
When it comes down to it, your body will be the one to tell you what is and isn’t working. Listen to it. And keep lifting.
