Creatine is a supplement that is considered as the best sports nutrition available in the form of tablets or powder. It is important to drink a proper amount of water with a creatine intake, now you must be thinking How much water to drink with creatine.
Primarily, creatine is stored in our muscles, and from there it plays an important role in creating cellular energy to fuel muscular activity. Creatine is the best supplement to enhance your muscle growth and strength. You must have compulsorily heard that it is important to take creatine with the help of water to get more benefits and see more efficient results.
Yes, it is absolutely correct that you must take creatine with a proper amount of water as too much water or too little water can reduce its effectiveness and it can also lead to major side effects like water retention, bloating, and hydration.
In this piece of content, you will come across the importance of staying hydrated with creatine, and you will also get to know about the proper amount of water you must drink with different quantities of creatine intake.
The Importance of Staying Hydrated with Creatine
Creatine is an essential supplement for the sports person or for the people who want to enhance their muscle growth and strength. Water plays an important safety role for Creatine Supplementation. Therefore, It is important to know how much water to drink with creatine. Certain reasons for the importance of staying hydrated with creatine has been given below:
- According to a famous Sports Nutrition expert, Emily Clark, it has been known that when creatine enters into the muscle cells, it carries water with it, so to keep your muscle cells hydrated you must drink a proper amount of water.
- It is also important to stay hydrated if you want efficient creatine uptake.
- Another reason to stay hydrated is to maintain proper muscle health, as muscles are composed of around 70% of the water, so any imbalance in the water consumption can affect the health of the muscles.
- Proper amount of muscle hydration is an important energy product, overall muscle recovery, and muscle protein synthesis.
- If you are taking creatine it is essential to filter the breakdowns of the creatine, for that kidney also needs a proper amount of water, otherwise it will strain the kidney and create many health issues.
Read further, to know about how much water to drink in a day with creatine to stay hydrated and fit. If you don’t drink the proper amount of water, then there are high chances that creatine causes hair loss but here are certain tips to get rid of the hair fall and promote hair growth.
Creatine and Water Retention: What You Need to Know
Creatine increases the amount of fluid in muscles, it can cause fluid retention in muscles. Creatine users may experience puffiness or swelling in their muscles, especially at first.
Because of its insolubility in water, most people gain a few extra pounds when they first start using creatine. The good news is that using creatine will not cause water weight gain over time because your body metabolizes quickly.
Although creatine affects fluid distribution, many studies have shown that it has no long-term effects on overall fluid levels1.
As strange as it may sound, by drinking plenty of water with your creatine supplement, you can reduce the chances of water retention. While adequate hydration allows creatine to absorb water into muscles and meet your body’s remaining water needs, deficiency forces the body to conserve water
Check What Famous Dietician Said About Creatine Water Retention
Kelsey Kunick, a registered dietitian at Graciously Nourished, discusses the effects of creatine on our bodies. She simply pointed out that creatine increases the amount of ATP produced by our cells. Our muscles use ATP as fuel, especially during intense exercise.
Consider this illustration: ATP is the fuel that powers your muscles, like in a car. During high-intensity workouts, your body needs more “fuel,” which is produced by creatine, to keep your muscles working harder and longer.
For this reason, many athletes and regular exercisers take creatine supplements. It can improve their performance throughout the intensive exercise.
Continue reading, to know about how much water to drink with creatine. Now, you will get to know about the effects if you take creatine monohydrate powder without working out.
What Happens if you Take Creatine Without Working Out
If you are taking muscle creatine for muscle growth, you must exercise regularly. However, if you take creatine without doing any physical exercise it will get stored in your muscles and will completely get absorbed by the muscles. Excess amount of stored creatine is being excreted through urine. But if you are not working out you will not get complete benefits like increased muscle strength, and muscle growth.
How Much Water to Drink with Creatine to Not Get Affected by Any Health Issue
Creatine supplements are the best product for the people who want to build strength and muscles. These supplements are available in both powder and tablets. Here, you will learn about How much water to drink with creatine. The amount of water intake depends on the amount of the supplements you are taking.
First, let’s learn about how much water to drink with 3g creatine. It has been seen in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition that most people must only take 3 g creatine in a daily dosage to stay healthy. Moreover, if you have just started taking creatine supplement this is the best amount. Every dose of creatine must be taken with at least 8 ounces of water.
Now you must be thinking, how much water to drink with 5 grams of creatine. It depends on if you are an adult person you can increase 1-2 liter water intake from your normal water intake.
If you are looking for a faster result you must increase your creatine dosage to 20g. Now how much water to drink with 20 g of Creatine. If you increase your creatine dosage to 20g, then to stay hydrated you must increase your daily water intake to 40 ounces at least.
Now, you must have understood how much water to drink with creatine in a day. Though, if you don’t drink proper amount of water you may suffer with different health problems like:
Creatine Cause Hair Loss
While there isn’t much evidence to support it, some people are concerned that creatine may cause hair loss. The reason for caution is that creatine may increase the production of DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss in some people. Further research is needed to determine whether a relationship actually exists.
Creatine Cause Kidney Stone
The direct link between creatine and kidney stones is not yet well established. While creatine may raise blood creatinine levels slightly, this does not mean that creatine is harmful to your kidneys. Most healthy individuals consider creatine to be safe. However, if you already have kidney problems, it is best to consult a doctor first.
Tips on How to Stay Hydrated with Creatine Monohydrate
Now you have a better idea about how much water to drink with creatine monohydrate. You must have thought about keeping a water bottle or a jug of water with you. But here are certain tips to stay hydrated without carrying a large amount of water. Here are a few ways to easily increase your water intake:
- You must not drink plenty of water in a single go, you can carry a water bottle or a shaker cup with you to take sips regularly to stay hydrated.
- If you have a busy schedule throughout the day, try setting a water reminder on your phones. You must drink at least a few sips of water every 60-90 minutes while you are awake.
- Consume fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of water in your daily diet like watermelon, cucumber, oranges, carrots, lettuce, strawberries and many more.
- Consider increasing your daily dose of creatine with an electrolyte supplement such as Transparent Labs Hydrate.
- Be careful when taking stimulants, as plenty of fluids can be consumed to prevent urinary frequency caused by drugs such as amphetamines and caffeine.
These are the complete tips to keep you hydrated throughout the process of Creatine intake.
Final Words
Creatine is a supplement used to increase the energy or to power intense bursts of activity and to perform powerlifting easily. Creatine is always taken with water to increase the size and the strength of the muscles. You must follow the proper water intake to get the best benefits of Creatine. Doctors and the researchers have given approval to use it regularly as it does not create any side effects. This blog has thoroughly explored you How much water to drink with creatine to stay healthy and fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to drink a lot of water with Creatine?
No, it is absolutely incorrect that you need to drink a lot of water, but what you all have to do is increase 1-2 liters of water intake in a day if you are consuming Creatine regularly to stay hydrated.
How much water do I need for 3 g of creatine?
To stay hydrated while taking 3 g of creatine regularly, you must drink 13-14 cups of water everyday that is 3-4 liters.
Can I mix creatine with coffee?
There is no harm in taking creatine with coffee, but some researchers have pointed out that if you take creatine with coffee it reduces the benefits of Creatine and shows you effects in a longer duration. Sp, it’s beneficial to consume it separately.
Which is the best brand for creatine?
There are many companies that make Creatine with efficient results like Transparent Labs Creatine HMB, Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate, XWERKS Lift, Legion Athletics Recharge, and there are many more except these.