Does Creatine Make You Poop?

Bodybuilders and general fitness enthusiasts have been taking creatine for decades now — most of them experience pretty good results!

But that doesn’t mean creatine doesn’t have side effects.

Some users report digestive changes from their newfound creatine use.

Why Would Supplements Change My Digestion?

Wait a minute, you might be thinking, I thought supplements were healthy.

Why would they mess up my digestion?

The truth is that no food or supplement is perfect.

And even if a supplement were hypothetically perfect, it might still cause side effects.

Why?

Because your digestive tract can take some time to get acclimated to even the healthiest of products.

In short, diarrhea and other types of gastric distress can be caused by vegetables, green supplements, and other high-fiber food and supplement items.

Before considering whether creatine makes you poop more, let’s take a brief overview of creatine’s health benefits.

More on that next…

Creatine’s Top Health Benefits

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in animal products like milk, seafood, and red meat.

On a normal omnivorous diet, you can expect to take in around 1 gram of creatine per day; on a paleo or carnivore diet, you’ll be taking in much more.

What’s the value of extra supplemental creatine, then?

It’s thought that taking another several grams of creatine per day can overcome one of the biggest rate-limiting steps in muscle cell growth.

A significant portion of creatine users reports gaining 5-10 pounds of muscle from taking the compound. (Source)

Taking supplemental creatine also allows your body to produce more ATP (cellular energy), resulting in better athletic performance.

The benefits that come with this particular mechanism of action are nearly endless.

The diversity of creatine’s benefits means it can benefit most (if not all?) types of athletes.

Even the most casual fitness enthusiasts may benefit from creatine.

Creatine intake correlates with reduced waist circumference, reduced body fat, improved cognitive function, and longer health span/lifespan.

In other good news, creatine use goes hand-in-hand with numerous other health and wellness practices.

Some proponents believe creatine may amplify the benefits of intermittent fasting.

Creatine won’t break a fast — far from it.

Creatine monohydrate contains 0 carbs, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 calories.

It has very little effect on insulin secretion, blood sugar, and other food-driven hormonal responses.

But it gets better.

Not only will creatine not break a fast…it may actually amplify the benefits you’re getting from intermittent fasting.

According to performance coach Thomas Delauer, creatine’s gut-protecting effects synergize with fasting’s own gut-restoring benefits.

Combining the two could be a safe, effective, and all-natural way to boost your gut health.

Does Creatine Make You Have To Poop?

Now that we’ve covered creatine 101 let’s move on to the central topic of this article: whether or not creatine makes you poop!

The short answer is that creatine does make some people poop a little more frequently than they used to.

You might want to position yourself close to the restroom while trying creatine during your first few days.

The longer answer is that creatine’s motility-related qualities vary from one person to the next, depending on several factors.

Does Creatine Make You Poop More?

Does Creatine Make You Poop more often than usual?

It just might.

Most studies, however, point out that creatine is gut-friendly for both healthy and not-so-healthy individuals:

Supplementation with chemically pure Cr, a natural nutritional supplement, is well tolerated not only by healthy subjects, but also by patients with diverse neuromuscular diseases. (Source)

Furthermore, soccer players who took creatine didn’t report any more GI distress than those who did not:

There is no reason to believe that short-term oral creatine supplementation for 28 days has any detrimental effect on the GI tract if taken in a recommended amount (10 g per day in two equal doses). The risk of diarrhea may be increased, however, following intake of 10 grams of creatine per single serving. (Source)

Did you catch that?

Studies affirm that taking a standard dose of creatine is unlikely to cause weird poops.

The significant subset of new creatine users who report having diarrhea is likely just taking too much of the compound.

If you wish to avoid these kinds of side effects, start out with more conservative dosing!

Does Creatine Make You Poop Water?

Does creatine make your poop water?

Probably not, at least not if you stick with the right kind of dosing.

Studies show that GI distress generally occurs only if you take more than 10 grams of creatine per day.

If you take too much creatine, particularly at first, then yes — your stools may become loose and watery.

Does Creatine Make You Poop Blood?

Does creatine make you poop blood?

No.

Nobody wants to poop blood, as this sort of thing normally indicates a more serious medical issue.

Thankfully, creatine use does not cause bloody stools.

If you experience blood in your stool, be sure to talk to your doctor.

Does Creatine Make Poop Smell Bad?

Virtually anything can make poop smell bad, and creatine is no exception.

Some users say that using creatine has made their poop smell like eggs.

That’s hardly surprising considering that your body can convert creatine into sulfur-containing compounds.

While creatine can make poop smell bad, it’s not really unique among muscle-builders.

Anything from whey protein to pea protein to cottage cheese can do the same.

Does Creatine Affect Your Poop?

Yes, it sure can!

Adverse effects are most common in the first few days of creatine use and/or when you up your daily dose.

If these initial adverse effects happen to you, don’t panic.

Just drop back under 10 grams/day and give your body a few extra days to acclimate.

Does Creatine Cause Loose Stool?

It sure can.

Loose, borderline diarrhea-level stool is probably the most common GI-related side effect of creatine use.

Want to be super safe?

Try taking no more than 5 grams of creatine at a time, no more than twice a day.

Does Creatine Have Other Side Effects?

As I mentioned earlier, creatine does have some potential side effects.

Here are some other things to look out for.

Potential Side Effect: Bloating

Creatine directly causes fluid and water retention.

That’s part of what makes it so powerful for those who want to build muscle!

But water retention can also cause unwanted side effects like bloating.

You may notice your midsection and/or extremities becoming a little puffier than normal.

If this happens to you, don’t panic. Consider capitalizing on creatine’s anabolic properties on the track or in the gym.

Potential Side Effect: Farting

Creatine doesn’t make all of its users fart or anything, but some people do indeed experience this side effect.

Farting often goes hand in hand with the bloating I mentioned above.

If your farting is getting excessive, just slightly lower your dose.

Potential Side Effect: Constipation

Creatine is far more likely to cause diarrhea than constipation.

A small portion of users, however, do report getting constipated after starting a creatine regimen.

This is likely due to dehydration.

Some creatine enthusiasts advocate drinking lots of water during the initial creatine ‘loading’ phase.

Is Creatine A Laxative?

Not exactly.

Creatine shouldn’t be used as a laxative.

Resist the urge to take more creatine than you need for the purpose of pooping!

There are far better natural options available for such things.

What Happens If I Stop Taking Creatine?

Stopping creatine won’t lead to any weird withdrawal symptoms, though it can lead to some temporary weight loss and lethargy.

It’s suggested that you slowly taper off your creatine use instead of just quitting cold turkey.

Consider making an effort to eat more red meat and eggs during this tapering period, as these are among the best food sources of creatine.