Just a few months back, my buddy at the gym started on creatine for the very first time.
Within two days, he was walking around with a huge bottle of water that seemed more like a requirement for a camping trip rather than going to the gym.
When I questioned him about this, he had an answer that I was expecting:
“Everybody says creatine dehydrates your body, so I am trying to consume as much water as I can.”
If you have ever been to gyms all over Pakistan, chances are that you have heard such pieces of advice. You start on creatine and suddenly you are recommended that you should drink anywhere between five to six liters or sometimes even more.
The issue here is that everyone seems to give such advice without really having a proper source for it.
So, how much water do you really need while on creatine?
Where Did This Myth Come From?
In addition to helping your muscles to retain phosphocreatine, which facilitates energy production, creatine also assists your body in storing more of it.
This seems like complex science jargon, but here’s something that most weight-lifters are familiar with.
Once you’ve been on the supplement for a few weeks, your muscles become a little more plump than before.
Since there’s extra water retained within muscle tissue, people think that it means that the substance is somehow robbing the body of water.
With time, the idea morphed into one of the common gym myths: “Creatine leads to dehydration.”
The reality of the matter is that scientists have been investigating this phenomenon for decades and there isn’t any substantial evidence that supports it.
The Real Problem Usually Isn’t Creatine
Imagine yourself on a normal summer day in Pakistan.
The temperature is 40°C.
You have drunk two glasses of tea, possibly one glass of fruit juice and very little water, followed by weightlifting exercise for one hour at a warm gym.
Now you come out tired and with a headache.
Many people point their fingers at creatine supplements.
The real fact was that they were under-hydrated prior to doing exercises.
The reason that people give for many issues is due to creatine, but it actually isn’t.
So How Much Water Is Enough?
This is the part that disappoints people looking for an exact number.
There isn’t one.
A 60kg office worker in Islamabad won’t have the same hydration needs as a 95kg bodybuilder training six days a week in Karachi.
Your water intake depends on:
- Body size
- Activity level
- Temperature
- Sweat loss
- Daily routine
For most active adults, somewhere around 3 to 4 liters per day is generally reasonable.
But treating that number like a strict rule isn’t necessary.
Some days you’ll need less.
Some days you’ll need more.
That’s normal.
What I Notice With Most Gym Beginners
Many beginners don’t actually have a creatine problem.
They have a water problem.
They don’t drink much all day long, but then they try to make up for it by drinking huge amounts at night time.
Your body isn’t a storage tank that can get filled up quickly before going to bed.
Hydration usually works best when water consumption occurs evenly throughout the day.
A glass here.
A bottle there.
A few sips during training.
Nothing complicated.
Your Body Gives You Clues
What I have also observed is that individuals tend to search for complex hydration formulae even though their body is sending them useful signals.
Feeling unusually thirsty all day?
Dry mouth?
Very dark urine?
Those are some of the signs you need to pay heed to.
On the contrary, if you feel just fine, are full of energy and are constantly consuming fluids, you aren’t doing anything wrong.
More Water Doesn’t Mean More Muscle
This is yet another myth.
There is an assumption that taking more water will enhance the efficiency of creatine.
However, muscle building does not work like that.
Drinking six liters rather than three liters will not help your results in any magical way.
Creatine contributes to performance in training.
Water is necessary for proper functioning of your body.
Both play an important role, but neither can enhance the effect of the other.
What Happens on Training Days?
Hydration is most important on training days.
Why? Not because of any danger of taking creatine, but due to the extra fluid loss caused by sweating while training.
Those who have ever lifted weights during a humid Karachi evening or a hot afternoon in Lahore understand the risks associated with dehydration very well.
Therefore, many experienced weightlifters find it easier to just form a routine of hydrating themselves throughout the workout.
Simple, isn’t it?
Final Thoughts
And one thing that needs to be recalled is that:
- Creatine does not necessitate any crazy hydration techniques.
- There is no need for you to carry a five-liter bottle all day long.
- There is no need for you to drink gallons of water every fifteen minutes.
- The only thing you need is the thing you have always needed—constant hydration.
- Drink lots of water, listen to your body, and increase your water intake in case of hot temperatures and high-intensity workouts.
And in most cases, this will suffice.