Creatine does not break a fast. For a period of fasting to be broken, you need to consume calories that force your body to use glucose instead of fat as its natural source of energy. Since creatine does not contain any calories, it can be safely consumed without interfering with fasting.
Curious? Let’s dive deeper into the subject and learn more about what breaks a fast and how creatine consumption (especially in the form of supplements) can influence our physical condition, exercise routine, and overall well-being.
What Breaks a Fast?
Fasting occurs when someone spends a long time without consuming any calories. Many athletes do intermittent fasting regularly to improve blood sugar, boost heart health, and lose weight (among other reasons). But what happens to our bodies when we fast? And what breaks a fast?
Athletes love fasting because, when the body is denied new nutrients for a relatively long period, it switches from using glucose to using stored fat as its main energy source. When new calories are consumed, the fasting period is interrupted, with our metabolism going back to using glucose for energy.
So, eating or drinking anything that contains calories, proteins, carbohydrates, or fats is enough to break a fast. This includes, naturally, food and sugary drinks, but also any other product that triggers an insulin response in the body, such as chewing gum and supplements with caloric ingredients.
Does this mean that eating or drinking will always break a fast? Surely not! Drinks with zero calories such as water and black tea, for example, can be safely consumed without interrupting the body’s metabolic state of fasting. But does the same apply to creatine?
To truly understand how creatine affects fasting, we first need to familiarize ourselves with this substance.
What is Creatine?
You may recognize the word “creatine” from workout guides and gym supplements, but it is actually a compound that’s naturally produced from amino acids. In other words, we all have creatine in our bodies, whether we consume it in the form of supplements or not.
Creatine can also be found in food like red meat, poultry, dairy, and fish. But what is its purpose? And why is it so important for our muscles and metabolic system?
What Does Creatine Do?
Like all other natural-existing compounds, creatine has a purpose. Its main function is to be used as a quick source of energy during periods of high physical intensity (such as when you sprint or lift weights), but it has several additional benefits:
- It’s associated with muscle growth, especially when used as a supplement
- It helps regenerate cells in the organism
- It supports brain health and cognitive performance
Considering that creatine is intrinsically related to our body’s energy consumption and muscle growth, it’s only natural that many athletes take it as a supplement to enhance their strength during training.
How to Take Creatine
If you want to re-energize your workout sessions with creatine supplements, it’s essential to know when, how, and how much creatine you should put into your body. When consumed in excess, creatine can lead to kidney damage due to the formation of creatinine, a waste product of creatine that can be harmful.
To help you keep safe, here’s an overview of how you should take creatine:
| When to take creatine: | There’s no consensus, but experts claim that creatine is more effective when consumed right before or right after exercising. |
| How to take creatine: | Every day, generally in the form of supplements. |
| Recommended dosage: | Between 3-5 to 20 grams per day, starting with smaller dosages. |
Overview of how to take creatine.
It’s always good practice to check with a doctor before starting a new supplement, but creatine consumption should be particularly well-monitored if you happen to have any sort of kidney problem.
Creatinine, the byproduct of creatine, is usually excreted through urine; this means that, if your kidneys aren’t working properly, creatine supplementation can lead to kidney complications due to the unwarranted conservation of excess creatinine in the body.
Conclusion: Does Creatine Break a Fast?
Long story short, you can take creatine while fasting without ever worrying. Because everything should be done in moderation, including how much we train, it’s just important not to consume too much creatine to prevent potential kidney complications.
Intermittent fasting is associated with several benefits, from brain health improvement to cancer prevention. As a zero-calorie natural source of energy, creatine can be a powerful ally during fasting, helping athletes to increase their stamina and burn fat simultaneously.
Creatine and Fasting (FAQ)
Can I take creatine when fasting?
Yes. You can take creatine supplements while fasting because they don’t contain any calories or added sugars that can interrupt the body’s metabolic state of fasting.
Is creatinine affected by fasting?
Creatinine, a waste product of creatine, is affected by fasting because eating certain foods (like red meat) can increase the level of creatine in our body. This means that, during fasting, the amount of creatine (and, consequentially, creatinine) in our organism may diminish.
What supplements interfere with fasting?
Any supplement that contains calories can interfere with fasting, including supplements with added sugars and oils. This covers everything from protein powders to multivitamins. However, some supplements can be safely consumed without interfering with fasting.
Does creatine have calories?
No, creatine does not have any calories.
How many calories break a fast?
If you take fasting seriously, any amount of calories is enough to break a fast, as calorie consumption makes our metabolism change from a state of fasting (when our body uses stored fat for energy) to a normal metabolic state (when our body uses glucose for energy).