This handy supplement is used by gym-heads the world over, helping them to cultivate that lean muscle they’ve been craving for years.
However, if you have been taking creatine, even only for a short while, you might have noticed that your muscles are getting bigger.
This is because when you are taking creatine your muscles will absorb extra water that will make you look puffy and swollen.
So how does creatine make you bigger? Are you putting on weight through water, carbs, muscle or something else?
How can you counter the effects of this extra largeness? Well, if you want to know the answers to this question and a lot more, we would suggest that you keep reading.
Creatine And Water Weight
Creatine helps the muscle to grow and one of the ways that it does that is by drawing more water into the muscles.
This has the effect of making the muscle look larger and more bloated.
Studies have shown that taking creatine will help you to increase your muscle mass by around 8%.
This will allow you to lift much heavier weights and increase the level of your endurance overall.
If you are able to lift more weights, then you can put your muscles under a lot heavier strain, which will result in the muscles tearing, healing and ultimately growing much stronger.
How Much Weight Can You Expect To Gain On Creatine?
When you have started taking creatine, you should have noticed a weight gain of around 5 – 7 pounds, largely through water weight.
This is because when you are taking creatine, then the amount of water that you’ll retain will have increased.
This means that those initial few pounds that you’ve gained during the first few months of lifting will be through water.
However, you should not worry that this weight will be through fat. Often this is an indication that the creatine is working and you are slowly building muscle.
How Long Does It Take For Creatine To Work?
During the first week or so, you should notice that you are getting bigger and that you will be able to lift increased amounts of weight.
However, for the real benefits of creatine to start showing, then you’ll have to wait for a few weeks longer.
You should start to notice that your endurance threshold is a lot higher. If you are going to be training hard, then you should notice a better performance from your creatine.
Even though you will initially notice this increase in the size of your muscles, you will still need to train for the long term to notice any significant muscle growth.
What Are The Risks Of Taking Creatine?
There are a few rumors that state that creatine usage can result in damage to the kidneys and the liver, however, none of these claims have yet to be backed up by science.
Your body produces its own creatine, so you won’t have to worry about the creatine itself being rejected or damaging your body in the long run. You can also get creatine from fish and other meats.
This is a very safe workout supplement, as it is organically produced.
However, if you are suffering from any conditions of the liver, heart or kidneys, we would recommend consulting your doctor before taking creatine supplements.
Creatine And Getting Shredded
Maybe you aren’t that concerned with getting bigger as long as you are getting shredded.
However, the state of your body will depend on your diet and exercise routine.
It will also depend on your genetics. Some people have been known to retain a lot less water on creatine, while others have retained a lot more, leading to a puffier appearance.
However, one of the best methods of looking ripped is by getting rid of the water that your body has retained.
You can do this by drinking more water, which will actually help you to jettison a lot of the excess.
Why Do You Look Bigger On Creatine?
The reason why your muscles will look bigger, even after taking creatine for a shorter amount of time, is because your body will be retaining a lot more water than usual.
Within 1 – 2 weeks of starting your creatine program, you’ll be certain of gaining a lot more water weight. This will lead to some visible largeness when you check yourself out in the gym.
If you are starting to fill out and you want to reduce the amount of water weight, then we would suggest that you exercise more. The more muscle you build, the less pronounced the water weight will be.
What Happens If You Stop Taking Creatine?
If you are wanting to look leaner and a lot less bloated, then we would certainly suggest that you reduce the intake of your creatine by around half.
Then you should see a reduction in water weight and more pronounced muscles.
This should start to happen within 1 week of lowering your creatine dose.
If you stop taking your creatine altogether, you should start to notice that the water around your muscles will be a lot less.
This might also lead to a decrease in performance, although your overall performance will be a lot better than before you started taking creatine.
If you want to look more toned, then we would certainly suggest that you stop taking creatine, even if it is just for a small amount of time.
A lot of body builders do this cycling of creatine, especially before a competition, as it will help their muscles look more pronounced and defined.
Conclusion
We hope that our guide to creatine and how it will make your muscles look has helped you to decide whether you want to take this supplement or not.
Remember that just because you are getting bigger on creatine, that does not mean that you are gaining more fat.
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