When you think of a fitness supplement, chances are creatine will be in the top five.
It's found in many muscle-building regimens, and its primary function is related to energy production in the body.
After a client wanted to know how creatine will affect him sexually, I've decided to go deeper into this matter.
I've researched all the creatine benefits, but especially how it affects people sexually. One aspect that requires attention is creatine withdrawal and its potential impact on sexual health and performance.
Quick Summary
- Creatine affects your sexuality as it can directly raise your testosterone levels, directly influencing your sexual drive.
- some studies indicate that creatine can prevent some form of erectile dysfunction.
- Creatine is naturally produced in the body using arginine, amino acids glycine, and methionine.
Does Creatine Affect You Sexually?
Yes, creatine can affect people sexually.
It’s naturally produced in the body using:
- Amino acids glycine
- Arginine
- Methionine
The body produces creatine itself up to 80%, as long as you have a protein-rich diet or are taking a creatine monohydrate supplement.
It’s a high-energy molecule. Creatine kinase is a protein that’s stored in the muscles, where it’s bonded to a phosphate group and creates creatine phosphate until it’s used for muscle building and to make energy.
Energy production is creatine’s main function.
This is especially useful during high-intensity and resistance training.
When you work out and start to feel fatigued, creatine jumps in and gives your body an energy boost through transferring energy to adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Creatine is also used to increase muscle mass and muscle strength.
In the gym, creatine does a lot for our bodies. But, outside of the gym, creatine can help with better focus and higher productivity.
I’ve already mentioned how creatine works to help muscle cells create more energy and more muscle. The same goes for brain cells — creatine will help your brain have more energy, too.
A higher energy production impacts the whole body, which is related to another creatine benefit — sexual health, mainly how testosterone and creatine are connected.
Benefits Of Creatine Supplementation
Creatine is an amino acid, and amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
You can get creatine from food such as meat and fish, but you would have to eat a lot of creatine-rich food to get a decent amount of creatine. This is where creatine supplementation comes in.
If you’re into endurance training or aerobic exercise, creatine supplements won’t do much for you.
But if you’re into high intensity and resistance training, then you’ll love creatine supplementation, as the creatine loading phase will allow you to go harder for longer.
Some creatine supplementation benefits include:
- Helping muscles produce more energy
- Good for adding muscle mass
- Speeds muscle growth
- Fights neurological diseases
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Improves brain function
- Reduces fatigue (1)
I’ve established that creatine is beneficial for the body. So, how does testosterone affect creatine supplementation?
Because testosterone slows the excretion of creatine when the concentration of testosterone in the blood is increased, there’s a high chance that the creatine benefits will be enhanced.
Potential Side Effects of Creatine
Although there is no credible data challenging the safety of creatine, there are still potential downsides to taking it.
It may cause weight gain, kidney and liver damage, cramping, dehydration, and gastrointestinal issues.
However, these side effects are relatively uncommon and are likely brought about by the artificial ingredients and additives in the supplement.
One of the best ways to avoid it is by choosing a high-quality creatine supplement with clean ingredients.
How Creatine Affects Testosterone Levels
The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland are in charge of producing testosterone. The hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland, which then controls the testicular activity.
The production of testosterone will be reduced if there’s reduced activity or inactivity of the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland.
Testosterone is responsible for characteristics more attributed to men than women:
- Increasing lean muscle mass
- Voice deepening
- Face hair growth, armpits, and pubic area
Testosterone level peaks in early adulthood, and once men reach the age of thirty, what happens is that the level of testosterone starts to go down. From then on, testosterone levels drop by 1% every year, beginning around the age of 40.
Lower testosterone means that men’s libido is affected, and erectile dysfunction (ED) can happen. Other unwanted side effects include:
- Loss of endurance
- Loss of mental sharpness
- Fatigue
- Less energy
- Less bone strength
- Mood changes
- Lower libido
There are ways you can try to increase testosterone, one of the most common practices is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) — injections or a patch. But, with these, you risk health consequences.
Instead, a good solution is creatine.
A New Jersey ten-week-long study done on 33 collegiate athletes, who were given a placebo, creatine, or creatine plus beta-alanine, found that subjects who took a daily creatine supplement for seven days had increased resting testosterone levels. (2)
While creatine does not directly increase testosterone levels, it works to increase DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which is the active form of testosterone. DHT plays a role in muscle contraction, and muscle contraction promotes better testosterone function.
Does TRT Boost Libido?
Yes, increased testosterone can mean increased libido.
Testosterone physiologically stimulates sex drive in men — it’s the hormone that regulates libido.
Scientists have found that lower libido is one of the most common symptoms of a lower level of testosterone.
A Massachusetts male aging study involved researchers talking to 1,632 men about their libido and measuring their level of testosterone.
The researchers concluded that the men with lower sexual desire had lower testosterone levels. (3)
Another study showed that taking creatine increases the level of testosterone.
The study was done regarding athletic performance in sports medicine on male rugby players who were taking creatine supplements. The players took 25g of creatine supplement for at least a week.
The study found that they were able to successfully increase testosterone, especially dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, by 56. (4)
While testosterone replacement therapy can be the answer for men whose testosterone level drops due to age or other circumstances, another option is nutritional supplements, such as creatine. For those considering this route, a Fountain TRT review can provide further insights.
"Although quite a few studies in older men have shown that TRT improves muscle mass and strength compared with a placebo, this increase has not translated into improved physical function. Furthermore, large clinical trials have not shown that TRT improves vitality or memory."
- Dr. Shehzad Basaria, Associate Director of the Section of Men's Health, Aging & Metabolism at Harvard-affiliated Brigham & Women's Hospital
Creatine Supplements and Erectile Dysfunction
The research so far has been in favor of creatine affecting sex drive positively by raising the testosterone level.
Research has found that using creatine makes you have a more active form and better physical activity results.
However, when it comes to creatine and erectile dysfunction, the situation is different.
Long-term daily usage of creatine in any form, be it liquid or oral supplementation, will lead to an overload of the detoxification systems in the kidneys and the liver.
This causes the body to make fewer enzymes that are responsible for synthesizing hormones.
When the production of hormones slows, the body struggles to send the correct brain signals needed to produce an erection.
A lessened libido and lack of hormones lead to an ED.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t use creatine.
You can use it normally, but don’t go over the recommended dose. It’s also a good idea to take breaks between using the creatine supplement.
Otherwise, yes you’ll have bigger muscles, but creatine won’t help you in the bedroom.
FAQs
Does Creatine Help Sexually?
Creatine can help sexually by boosting levels of testosterone, leading to enhanced sexual activity, libido, and erectile function.
Does Creatine Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
There is no conclusive evidence proving that creatine can cause erectile dysfunction. On the contrary, it may even help prevent it.
Does Creatine Affect Sperm?
The impact of creatine on sperm hasn’t been widely studied. However, researchers found that the addition of creatine increased the amount of ATP in sperm and improved sperm motility in vitro [1].
Has Creatine Helped You Sexually?
Because creatine provides more energy, that energy spreads all over the body and affects productivity and hormone regulation, which is especially beneficial for men whose testosterone level is lowered due to age or other reasons.
Taking high-quality creatine supplements has proven to increase testosterone levels, which can result in improved sex drive. Just be careful how much creatine you take.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-creatine#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17136944/
- https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/7/2509/2656285
- https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2009/09000/
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Creatine has always been connected with erectile dysfunction. It’s a good thing that people have access to correct information.
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