Does Creatine Make You Poop?
Reading Time: 10 minutes Whether you’re looking to improve your bench, build muscle, train harder, or simply look a little better without a shirt on, everybody knows the importance of exercising and eating right.
Eating right and exercising, however, will only get you so far.
Sometimes, to maximize your potential and take your performance to another level entirely, supplements can be the solution.
The health supplement industry is currently thriving, and considering some of the names promoting the brands, and the reported health benefits, we can certainly see why.
From a health and fitness perspective, whey protein is the most popular supplement currently on sale, and this has been the case for several decades now.
The second-most popular supplement, however, is creatine, and it is this we’re going to look at today.
Creatine is particularly popular amongst bodybuilders and athletes and has been found to provide a wide range of physical benefits when it comes to endurance, strength, and athletic performance.
Coming in many different forms, it is a staple in many bodybuilders’ supplement stack.
As awesome as creatine is, however, there are some minor concerns regarding possible side effects.
While nothing major, they need addressing all the same. One concern is that creatine can affect your bowel movements.
So, does creatine make you poop?
What Does Creatine Do In The Body?
This is where things start to get a bit technical, but bear with us, because it is interesting and we’ll do our best to keep it as simple, straightforward, and entertaining as we can.
The reason why creatine is so popular with bodybuilders is not that it helps the body to produce muscle tissue like protein supplements do, but rather because it promotes improved athletic performance.
In the body, creatine is primarily used as a source of energy for the muscles.
Specifically, creatine is primarily used as a source of energy for the cells that form muscle tissue.
Creatine is converted into creatine phosphate before being generated into ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is the primary energy source used by muscle cells.
ATP helps the muscles to generate short bursts of explosive speed and power.
Creatine is not used as an energy source like glucose is, but rather, creatine enables the body to produce more energy for the muscles, in the form of ATP.
The amounts of creatine found naturally within the body, and indeed, in whole foods such as red meat, are not sufficient enough to provide any real physical advantages. This is where creatine supplements prove to be useful.
Bodybuilders, in particular, benefit hugely from creatine supplements, due largely to the fact that the supplements themselves allow the lifters to lift more weights, exercise harder, and exercise for longer before fatigue sets in.
Again, there is a lot of science behind it, but basically, creatine allows the muscles to enjoy more energy.
The more energy the muscles have, the harder they will work. The extra energy from the ATP means that you can pump out those extra few reps, lift a little more weight, or exercise for longer before you fatigue and reach failure.
The harder you train, the more it will benefit your physique.
How Much Creatine Should You Take Per Day?
Assuming you don’t follow a loading phase, which we’ll look at shortly, you might be wondering how much creatine you should take with or without working out, to see and feel the main benefits.
For most people, it is recommended that you consume just 5g of creatine per day, which is roughly one teaspoon.
There are exceptions, however. If you are a particularly large and muscular individual, and/or if you are extremely physically active, you may benefit from slightly more creatine, in which case around 10g per day should be sufficient.
Try to split the dose into two servings of 5g per day for optimal results.
What Is A Creatine Loading Phase And Is It Needed?
If you’re new to the world of creatine and supplementation, chances are you’ll have heard people talking about ‘creatine loading’.
Creatine loading sounds daunting, but in reality, it simply means taking more creatine than instructed for the first 5 days of using the supplement.
Creatine loading requires people to consume around 20g – 25g of creatine per day, for 5 days, rather than the recommended 5g.
But why?
The idea behind a creatine loading phase is that you saturate your muscle cells with a surplus amount of creatine, ready to fuel your workouts ahead.
Think of creatine loading as filling up your car’s gas tank to the brim before a long journey, and taking some extra gasoline with you along the way.
A loading phase allegedly saturates the muscle cells with creatine, meaning that more creatine is readily available, which in theory means that you should be able to enjoy more energy as a result of this.
By now you’ve probably detected a tone of skepticism in the language that we’ve been using, largely because there is a lot of conflicting evidence surrounding creatine loading phases.
On the one hand, a lot of supplement companies that produce creatine will tell you how important it is to supplement with creatine while carrying out a loading phase.
On the other hand, a lot of peer-reviewed studies have found that creatine loading is not necessary.
So, is a creatine loading phase necessary?
Well, not in our eyes. The reason why supplement companies recommend a loading phase likely is so that you get down your tub quicker. The quicker you run out, the quicker you’ll be back to buy another tub.
Does Creatine Make You Poop More?
Creatine is a very safe and effective supplement. It is completely natural and is very beneficial.
One thing that is worth noting, however, is that more is certainly not better when it comes to creatine.
To get the most from this supplement, experts recommend that you consume between 5g and 10g per day.
Anything more than that, and you’re asking for trouble. Your body can only absorb and utilize so much creatine.
Any more than what it needs, and it will simply discard, break down, and excrete away.
The more excess creatine you have in your system, the more frequently you will need to visit the bathroom.
Some people, however, experience what is known as ‘creatine poops.’ Creatine poops can occur when you consume too much creatine.
Too much creatine can affect the lining of the stomach and the bowels themselves, and cause diarrhea.
Creatine draws water into your cells, and also into the bowels, which can cause very loose stools, or diarrhea if you consume too much.
So, does creatine make you poop excessively, well, not if you use it as instructed?
Some people may experience looser stools than usual, especially if they are drinking more water, but if you use creatine as instructed, you shouldn’t experience “creatine poops” or any similar gastrointestinal issues.
What Are Creatine Shits?
Creatine poops, also known as creatine shits are caused as a result of increased water retention caused by the supplement.
Creatine draws water into the cells, which in turn can stimulate the bowels and also add volume to your stools.
Another reason why creatine has been found to cause creatine poops is simply down to the fact that people who use the supplement have been consuming higher amounts of the supplement than recommended.
The consensus is that people who consume large doses of creatine, either taking dry scoop creatine, or a shaker, especially when combined with other ingredients such as caffeine and pre-workout supplements, were far more likely to suffer from diarrhea caused by creatine consumption.
Those that consumed more than 10g of creatine per day were far more likely to experience digestive issues caused by creatine, than those who consumed the recommended 5g per day. This is another reason why creatine loading is considered to be such a controversial topic.
Will A Loading Phase Give You Creatine Shits?
As you can see by now, creatine loading phases can certainly be risky, and as you’ve also seen, most experts agree that they aren’t necessary.
While people can’t seem to agree on whether creatine loading phases are necessary, what people can seem to agree upon is the fact that loading phases can cause you to poop more.
Yes, it does, especially if you follow a loading phase.
Creatine shits are generally linked with people consuming large doses of creatine.
Does 10g and above mean that you are more likely to experience diarrhea and digestive distress from using the supplement?
As we now know, creatine loading phases require you to consume around 20 -25g of creatine per day, for up to a week.
Those who load creatine will therefore be at a higher risk of needing to use the bathroom suddenly, without any prior warning, due to digestive distress caused by the supplement.
Does Creatine Make You Bloated?
A lot of people using creatine experience digestive issues if they consume too much creatine, or use it with alcohol, carbonated drinks, and unhealthy foods.
One possible side effect of creatine is stomach cramping and bloating. This happens because creatine draws water into your cells, causing you to look and feel full and bloated.
For some people, this feeling can even make them want to use the bathroom.
Effects Of Creatine On The Intestinal Wall
Even though creatine, in large doses, can cause you to poop more and experience diarrhea, creatine is beneficial to the intestinal wall.
When used in conjunction with other supplements such as magnesium and B vitamins, creatine strengthens the intestinal wall, which in turn reduces the risk of constipation and diarrhea.
What To Do If You Get Creatine Shits
By now, we can see that creatine shits are not pleasant and are not something that anybody will want to deal with.
Does this mean that you should never use creatine again, or that you should blame every single soft bowel movement on creatine use? Not.
As bad as creatine poops can be, the good news is that there are things you can do to treat and deal with them safely and effectively. These include the following:
Lower Your Dose:
If you happen to be using creatine supplements and you find that they’re playing havoc with your digestive system, one of the first things you should do is lower your dose.
The last thing you want when you’re training in the gym is to be dealing with constant trips to the bathroom.
Not only that but if you’re going for a big squat, needing to poop is the last thing you need (if you know, you know).
The first thing you should do if you’re experiencing digestive issues and you suspect that creatine could be the culprit is to lower the amount that you’re consuming.
If you’re using 10g per day, it doesn’t matter how big and strong you may be, lower the dose to 5g and see how you get on.
Give the lower dose time to work as well. Don’t just drop to 5g and then decide that it hasn’t worked because you aren’t magically cured the following day. Give creatine time to work.
Skip The Loading Phase:
By now you can see we aren’t fans of creatine-loading phases, and considering high doses of the supplement have been linked with digestive problems and frequent pooping, this is another reason to give it a miss.
Take Creatine On Its Own:
Some people who have experienced creatine poops found that they suffered digestive problems when they consumed creatine with caffeine or even low-caffeine pre-workout supplements.
This is why some pre-workouts break a fast or not.
If you find that you’re experiencing digestive distress when using creatine, try using it by itself for a few days and see if this sorts the problem out.
Seek Medical Advice:
If you’re experiencing digestive issues and are finding that they aren’t resolving by themselves, speak to a medical expert.
Even though it is almost certainly nothing to worry about, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does creatine make you pee?
One of the biggest concerns with creatine supplementation is that it can increase urination. This is because creatine can help your muscles produce energy, and when your body starts excreting more water, it also pushes out more creatine.
Does creatine make increase nighttime urination?
Creatine, a nutrient abundant in sports supplements, is being increasingly linked to an increase in nighttime urination. The mineral has already been shown to have a role in increasing muscle mass and strength, but adding creatine to the diet may also increase the amount of water that is expelled at night.
Although research on the relationship between creatine and nighttime urination is still preliminary, it may be worth considering whether or not taking supplements containing this mineral may result in extra bathroom trips. While it’s unclear exactly how much creatine is responsible for this effect, it’s possible that taking higher doses of the substance could lead to more frequent urination.
