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Does Creatine Cause Gynecomastia? (Simple Explanation!)

There is no evidence to suggest that creatine can cause gynecomastia. Creatine works by increasing ATP levels in your cells which can increase short-term energy.

Whereas gyno (gynecomastia) is a medical condition where males develop enlarged breast tissue (moobs). It’s important to clarify that moobs and ripped pecs are different – here we’re talking about soft breast tissue in the form of fat.

It can occur in one or both breasts and it can have numerous causes, including steroid use and hormonal imbalance.

There’s no mechanistic explanation as to why creatine would cause gyno.

It’s true that creatine can increase muscle mass, so it can give you bigger pecs if you do resistance training, however it won’t give you man boobs.

Creatine can also increase water retention in your muscle cells, but again, this isn’t gyno.

If you do develop gyno while taking creatine, it’s almost certainly caused by another unrelated factor.

pecs and moobs

Does Creatine Make Gyno Worse?

Again, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that creatine can make gyno worse.

If anything, creatine may even improve gyno as if it helps you work out more intensely, then it can help you burn more fat.

Does Creatine Mess With Your Hormones?

Research suggests that creatine has negligible effects on your hormones in the short term.

For example, in one study, 11 male subjects took either 10g of creatine or 10g of maltodextrin (a placebo) before a 1-hour resistance training session.

The researchers concluded that short-term creatine supplementation does not alter responses of growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol.

There’s currently no long-term research which suggests that creatine can mess up your hormones, however, creatine is one of the safest and most studied supplements there is.

So, if it did have detrimental effects on your hormones, we’d surely know about it by now.

Does Creatine Make Your Boobs Bigger?

Since creatine can help increase muscle mass, then it can make your breast muscle tissue (pectorals) bigger.

This is assuming you’re doing some form of resistance training and you’re eating in a calorie surplus.

Again, it’s important to clarify that this is different to making man boobs bigger. If you suffer from man boobs, then taking creatine won’t affect their size.

But if you do notice that your man boobs are getting bigger while taking creatine, then it’s most likely caused by other factors, such as eating too many calories and not doing enough exercise.

If you’re trying to get bigger pecs, then creatine may help increase muscle mass in your chest area.

Can Creatine Cause Puffy Nipples?

There’s no evidence to suggest that creatine causes puffy nipples. Again, if you develop puffy nipples while taking creatine, it’s likely caused by another factor.

To be certain, it’s always best to check any sudden changes in body composition with your medical professional.

What Causes Gyno?

Gyno develops when your estrogen and testosterone levels are too imbalanced.

While estrogen is important in males for bone density, sexual function, and cognitive function, having too much estrogen can lead to problems, such as gyno.

There are many causes of high estrogen levels, and thus gyno, such as:

  • Obesity
  • Anabolic steroids
  • Certain medical conditions, like hyperthyroidism and liver failure.

Conclusion

In summary:

  • Creatine does not cause gynecomastia and will not make gynecomastia worse.
  • Creatine is a safe and effective supplement that can increase short-term energy and muscle mass.
  • If you do develop gyno while taking creatine, it’s caused by another unrelated factor. You should speak to your medical professional to determine what this factor is and help resolve the condition.

That’s all for creatine and gyno, but does creatine cause tiredness?

Hope this helped!

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11252073/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11715139/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20088734/