will taking creatine make you bloated?

4 Aug 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:38

In this short YouTube segment, Eric Roberts clarifies that creatine causes water to be stored inside muscle cells rather than under the skin, so users may see a modest weight increase without looking puffier; muscles actually appear fuller. He identifies two main reasons some people report stomach bloating: taking a high loading dose (around 20 g per day) and using non‑micronized creatine, which can be harder to digest. Roberts recommends a simple regimen of 5 g of micronized creatine monohydrate daily, mentions the specific brand he trusts, and provides a link in his bio while noting that any reputable brand will work.

Chapters

Will taking creatine actually make you bloated? Well, it will make you store water, just not where you think. Water in your body can sit in one of two places: inside your muscle cells or outside of it underneath your skin. Creatine works By pulling water inside your muscle cell, this is what lets your muscles produce more energy. And it means the number on the scale might go up a few pounds in the first week, but you won't look puffier. Your muscles would actually look more full and defined. So why do some people report bloating as a side effect in their stomach? Usually one of of 2 reasons. The first is how much creatine they're taking. If you do a loading phase where you take 20 grams of creatine per day— or second is the type of creatine they take. If it's not a micronized version of creatine, it can be harder to digest and absorb in your stomach. So to avoid this, just take 5 grams of a micronized creatine monohydrate per day. This is the brand I work with and trust. If you want to try them out, you can click this link in my bio to try them out, but you don't have to get this brand. You can get any brand.