What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a popular supplement often used by athletes and those looking to increase muscle mass. It's stored in skeletal muscle and has been shown to have several effects on muscle metabolism [1].
However, whether creatine directly increases metabolism is complex and depends on how we define "metabolism."
In the context of increased metabolism, anabolic metabolism is important for people who wish to increase their muscle mass or strengthen bone tissue. In contrast, the catabolic mechanism is important for people wishing to lose weight [2]. This blog will examine the contribution of creatine to both anabolic and catabolic metabolism to answer whether creatine can increase your metabolism.
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Creatine and Metabolism
Creatine and Anabolic Metabolism
Creatine supplementation has been shown to have a significant impact on muscle metabolism. It can potentially enhance muscle mass growth and hypertrophy through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of protein synthesis pathways and the myogenic process. Myogenic processes refer to processes that increase muscle growth and encompass insulin-like growth factor signalling, which is common to the mechanisms of how MK-677, sermorelin and ipamorelin work to increase muscle tissue growth [1].
Conversely, creatine also increases muscle mass through increasing water retention. This may lead to the perception of larger muscles, but the water loading will be lost once creatine is withdrawn [3].
Despite this, creatine is an effective peptide for muscle and bone growth in at-risk populations, including elderly people, cancer patients, and people in high-performance sports [4, 5, 6].
Creatine and Catabolic Metabolism
In contrast to anabolic metabolism, creatine reduces markers of the catabolic mechanism in muscles [7]. This includes markers of inflammation, demonstrating that creatine can reduce post-workout muscle inflammation [8]. Whether this effect occurs systemically, that is, throughout the body, remains to be determined.
Creatine and Energy Metabolism
Energy metabolism can be considered a catabolic and anabolic reaction. It requires the breakdown of food items into ATP, followed by their anabolism to sites where ATP or macromolecules are needed. Hence, whether creatine increases energy metabolism will be discussed in a separate section below.
Studies have suggested that when combined with exercise, creatine supplementation can improve glucose tolerance in healthy individuals [9, 10]. Notably, improved blood sugar regulation was not significant when only taking creating without exercise [11], demonstrating the importance of exercise in glucose regulation.
At the cellular level, creatine supplementation was found to protect against oxidative damage to the mitochondria—the powerhouse of the cell. This mechanism reduced mitochondrial losses, which make up a large part of muscle fibres and resulted in improved energy metabolism [5].
Although most evidence supports the use of creatine in sports [12], not all studies agree. For example, q study on aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in swimmers found that creatine had no effect on either type of metabolism [13]. This highlights the individual response to creatine and the need for individualised approaches in clinical treatments and performance enhancements. On a positive note, creatine is a legal nutritional supplement with fairly few side effects [3].
Summary: Does Creatine Increase Your Metabolism?
While creatine is primarily known for enhancing physical performance and muscle strength, it does not directly increase metabolism. By aiding muscle growth and promoting more intense workouts, it can indirectly lead to a higher metabolic rate due to increased muscle mass and physical activity, demonstrating a positive effect on anabolic metabolism.
