Does Creatine Make You Fart And Gassy? (The Smelly Truth!)

It can be embarrassing when you fart in the gym after taking creatine.

But why does creatine make you fart?

Read on to find out why!

Why Does Creatine Make You Fart More?

It’s important to note that creatine itself is unlikely to make you fart. That being said, there are some reasons why you pass wind more when taking creatine.

These reasons are:

• You’re Sensitive To Creatine
• You’re Using A Low-Quality Creatine Powder
• You Mix Creatine With Whey Protein
• You’re Taking Too Much Creatine
• You Mix Creatine With Pre Workout
• You’re Taking Creatine Alongside A High-Protein Diet

Let’s explore these in more detail.

You’re Sensitive To Creatine

Creatine is a natural substance that your body produces in small quantities, so it’s unlikely that your body would produce something that irritates your stomach.

That being said, there are some people who are sensitive to creatine and may experience gastrointestinal problems.

To be clear, this only affects around 5-10% of creatine users, but those who are sensitive may notice more farting after taking it.

Solution: Stop Taking Creatine

If you think that you may be one of the 5-10% of people who are sensitive to creatine, then stopping it for a few weeks is sensible idea.

If you’re farting less, then there’s a good chance that you’re sensitive to creatine and you may want to weigh up the pros and cons to see if it’s worth taking for you.

In my opinion, the benefits of creatine far outweigh the inconvenience of passing gas a lot, but each to their own!

You’re Using A Low-Quality Creatine Powder

Since creatine is so common and cheap to make, many low-quality creatine supplements sneak their way onto the market.

But low-quality creatine does not dissolve very well.

Since creatine is hydrophilic, then any creatine that’s not dissolved in your stomach will draw in water to your intestines.

This can make you bloated and gassy and can result in you needing to fart.

Solution: Take A High-Quality Creatine Monohydrate Supplement

Good quality creatine monohydrate usually dissolves much better, meaning there’s less risk of water being drawn into your intestines. This would reduce bloating and gas.

Any creatine you buy should be 3^rd party certified, meaning that an independent company with no affiliation to the creatine manufacturer tests the quality and purity of the product.

Keep an eye out for the seal on the label which tells you that its 3^rd party certified.

You Mix Creatine With Whey Protein

Some people like to mix their creatine with their post-workout protein shake for convenience.

In this situation, the whey protein is more likely to be the cause of flatulence, rather than creatine.

This is because whey is high in lactose. For many people, lactose can cause gastrointestinal distress, causing you to fart.

(Even if you’re not lactose intolerant!)

Some whey protein supplements contain a bunch of other ingredients, like additives and flavourings, which again, can make you gassy.

Solution: Cut Out The Whey Protein

If you suspect that whey protein could be the cause of flatulence, then try taking a break from it for a few weeks.

If you’ve stopped farting, then great – you’ve removed the cause and can continue taking creatine with no problems.

If not, then it’s fair to say that whey protein isn’t the cause, and you may want to try some of the other suggested solutions.

You’re Taking Too Much Creatine

At the start of a creatine cycle, you’ll often see people adding up to 20g of creatine into their creatine drink!

But if you remember your high-school science class, you’ll know that the more powder you add to a liquid, the less likely it is to dissolve.

And as you now know, any undissolved creatine can make its way to your stomach where it can draw in more water leading to bloating and other gastrointestinal problems.

Solution 1: Take Less Creatine

The obvious solution here is to take less creatine. By doing so, there’s less chance of undissolved creatine reaching your stomach and so less chance of you experiencing stomach issues.

Solution 2: Spread Out Your Doses

If you’re adamant of taking 20g of creatine per day, then try taking 5g spread out 4 times over the course of the day.

This will give your intestines time to absorb all the creatine, reducing the chances of excess water being drawn into them.

You Mix Creatine With Pre-Workout

Some people like to mix their creatine into their pre-workout drink.

Pre-workout often contains artificial sweeteners which can be difficult to digest and absorb.

When the undigested sweetener enters the colon, the bacteria start to ferment it, producing carbon dioxide and methane.

As you’re probably aware, these are both gases and they can cause abdominal discomfort, resulting in you breaking wind.

Solution: Stop Using Pre-Workout

If you think that your flatulence may be caused by pre-workout, then it makes sense to stop taking it for a couple of weeks.

This should give you enough time to work out whether or not your pre-workout is the culprit.

You’re Taking Creatine Alongside A High-Protein Diet

If you’re taking creatine, then there’s a good chance that you’re trying to build muscle, so you’re probably on a high-protein diet.

But for some people, consuming a lot of protein can cause excessive farting.

(We’ve all heard of the dreaded protein farts, right?)

Solution: Monitor Your Diet

I’m not going to suggest you cut your protein intake, as we all know how important it is when it comes to muscle building.

That being said, there are ways to reduce farting while keeping your protein intake high.

For example, you may be one of those people who have smelly farts after eating a large quantity of eggs.

If that’s you, then perhaps you can try swapping eggs for a different protein source, like fish.

Conclusion: Does Creatine Cause Gas?

In summary:

• Creatine can cause you to fart if you’re sensitive to it.
• Using a high-quality creatine monohydrate powder in sensible serving sizes will reduce the risk of flatulence.
• Quite often, there are external factors which are causing you to fart, such as your diet, or what you mix your creatine with.

That’s all for this article, but does creatine make you tired?

Thanks for reading!

FAQs

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30783042/

https://www.healthline.com/health/protein-farts

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198517/