Can Creatine Increase Your Testosterone Levels?

According to a clinical trial from Belgium, creatine supplements affect testosterone depending on how long you take them.

Generally, the short-term use of these supplements does not alter hormone levels.

Still, some people wonder, does creatine increase testosterone?

In this article, we will learn the correlation between this compound and testosterone, the other advantages of taking creatine, and the side effects when you supplement creatine.

Creatine and Testosterone Levels

Nutritional supplements with creatine became more popular during the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is because taking this compound provides many advantages to the muscles even while doing a regular or minimal workout.

According to a study from New York, high T levels are responsible for stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

Eventually, this can enhance muscle growth and support muscle repair.

If you do not have enough T-levels, your body cannot work sufficiently.

In time, this can lead to muscle loss and reduced muscle strength. 

Since these effects are also given by creatine, does this mean supplements with creatine increase testosterone directly? 

1) Creatine Increase Testosterone Directly

Some reports say that creatine increases testosterone directly.

According to a study from the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, the higher the creatine intake, the higher testosterone you get.

In this study, it was reported that those who used supplements with creatine experienced increased muscle strength, muscle mass, T levels, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels compared to those in the placebo group. 

2) Creatine Increase Testosterone Indirectly

Some reports also say that creatine increases testosterone indirectly.

According to a study from North Carolina, the effects of this compound are said to be responsible for increasing the production of testosterone.

One example from this study states that, when you lift heavier weights, you help your body stimulate temporary testosterone production. 

There is another example that can support this phenomenon.

According to a study from South Africa, participants who were given the creatine loading phase and did not do any exercise experienced no increase in testosterone.

This means that the dose in the loading phase or loading period does not affect T levels.

The only one that can increase it is exercise, making it a key component in increasing testosterone production.

Other Benefits of Taking Creatine

Aside from altering your testosterone production, there are other benefits of taking creatine. Some of these will be discussed in this section.

a.) Increased muscle mass

Many health enthusiasts take products with this compound as pre-workout and post-workout supplements to improve their body composition.

The more creatine, the better the muscle effects. Creatine helps you elevate your growth hormone.

This growth hormone helps in maintaining your muscle tissues.

According to a study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a 12-week intake of a creatine supplement can increase muscle mass without causing side effects.

b.) Enhanced muscle strength

A creatine supplement can increase strength.

According to a clinical trial from the USA, it was reported that taking creatine monohydrate can give you more power and increase your muscle gains than training alone.

Based on a study from Wisconsin, regular consumption of a creatine supplement can increase strength by 5%.

In another study from Iran, a significant increase in muscle strength is seen in individuals who took a creatine supplement together with a regular workout.

This means that a creatine supplement is more beneficial for active individuals such as weight lifters and athletes.

c.) Boost energy

Creatine increases your energy by stimulating ATP production and increasing creatine phosphate levels.

ATP, also known as adenosine triphosphate, and creatine phosphate play a big role in your body, especially in metabolism and muscle function.

ATP energy is your main fuel source whenever you do intense training. When you work out, ATP loses its phosphate group.

This will then be converted to ADP or adenosine diphosphate.

Unfortunately, this ADP does not increase your energy levels.

When you do not have enough energy, doing a simple workout can exhaust your body easily. 

Interestingly, when you add more creatine, you do not only increase the energy in your body. Instead, you also increase your brain energy.

This means that low levels of this compound can increase your risk of mental fatigue.

According to some health enthusiasts, a creatine supplement can increase your energy by 20%. Typically, your body has natural creatine stores.

However, when your energy in these creatine stores runs out, your body will too!

d.) Amino acids supplementation

Creatine occurs from the combination of two amino acids, namely glycine and arginine.

When you take this compound, you also help your body receive amino acid supplementation. 

Aside from enhancing your muscle health, these proteins can also offer advantages such as hormonal balance, healthy skin, digestion support, and increased immunity.

There are amino acid companies in the market that add creatine to their formulation.

These products are great as they truly can increase your amino acid intake.

Side Effects When You Supplement Creatine 

Creatine is an effective supplement to support your body and mind. However, it also comes with other side effects such as the following:

• Weight gain
• Breathing difficulty
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Headache
• Kidney problems
• Nausea

Take note that these side effects can occur only when you take creatine improperly.

This means that before taking one, you should know the proper dose required for your health.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, creatine is an effective pre-workout and post-workout supplement that can enhance your exercise performance and reduce muscle fatigue, respectively.

Generally, creatine helps in promoting healthy muscles. But, some people wonder, does creatine increase testosterone?

Like supplements with creatine, testosterone offers beneficial effects on your physical health.

However, some studies say that these two are directly and indirectly related.