As with all supplement products, there are right and wrong reasons to take them. One of the oldest debates that amateur athletes and bodybuilders often face is whether to prioritize test boosters or creatine.
Now, if you have measured low testosterone levels, then a T-booster will be essential. But there are good reasons not to rule out creatine.
To help you better understand how these products might help your fitness journey, I had a nutritionist explain what you can expect.
Here’s what we found.
Quick Summary
- The male body will decrease testosterone production by 1% per year for men age 30 and over.
- Increased testosterone levels and certain amino acids play an important role in your athletic performance.
- You can stack creatine and testosterone boosters, but there are a few things to consider before you do this.
What Do Testosterone Boosters And Creatine Have In Common?
Here are the main ways in which these two types of products might influence your body in similar ways.
Exercise Performance
Creatine is common in pre-workout supplements because most studies investigating its impact on physical stamina levels have shown a significant increase [1].
Testosterone may act in a similar way, as the body responds with greater energy production after taking test boosters for a few weeks.
Muscle Growth
Most readers will probably associate increased testosterone levels with muscle growth. Why else would so many athletes be tempted to take steroids?
And while T-levels play a key role in sending growth signals to muscles, it's important to understand how creatine can support this.
It’s one of the more important amino acids your muscles need to trigger optimum muscle protein synthesis.
Mental Energy Boost
Supplementing with T-boosters and creatine has been shown in trials to improve focus on cognitive function compared to a placebo group [2].
And because they work in slightly different ways, they might even complement each other and provide an even better boost to brain function.
“Creatine is a chemical that is found in the body. It is found mostly in muscles but also in the brain. It is also found in foods such as red meat and seafood.”
- WebMD.com
Is Creatine Better For More Muscle Growth?
In the short term, you’re more likely to see results on muscle mass from creatine supplementation.
When you regularly take it before a workout, then it could allow you to lift heavier weights.
At the same time, it may also play a key role in your recovery time, especially when combined with a BCAA supplement.
With a high dose of the right amino acid profile, your body will be in a much better position to trigger protein synthesis.
But low T-levels could slow down that effect, so don’t rule out the use of a T-booster to bring you to the next level of strength and fitness.
Do Testosterone Boosters Give A Better Performance Boost?
No, testosterone levels don’t necessarily give you a sudden boost like creatine might achieve.
T-boosters tend to impact your exercise stamina more gradually, especially if you have suboptimal amounts of testosterone as a starting point, which is very different from medical treatments [3].
Sex hormones, in general, would need to have a sudden spike to give you a big boost in strength, which would require medical testosterone treatment to achieve.
But there is nothing wrong with gradually building up your muscle strength and endurance along with your sex drive.
Should You Choose One Over The Other?
The answer to this is: It depends.
If you have confirmed low testosterone levels, then a supplement booster should be your priority. You’ll get fewer benefits from creatine if your T-levels are still in trouble.
But, once your T-levels are heading back to a normal range, then stacking a testosterone booster with creatine is generally a great idea.
It’s mainly something my clients do for phases where they are focused on lifting weights to build up muscles.
Based on our research and experience, creatine is definitely something you should consider for your high-intensity days.
So the general rule is that you can and should consider taking both to get the most out of your workouts with improved stamina and strength.
But your first priority should be getting your T-levels under control before you start planning for optimum training and recovery.
Related Article: What's The Difference Between Pre Workout Vs Protein Powder?
FAQs
Does Creatine Give You Testosterone?
No, creatine doesn’t directly give you more testosterone. It may help you improve how hard and effective you can work in your training sessions. And that might give you a natural boost in T-levels.
Does Creatine Shrink Your Balls?
No, creatine doesn’t shrink your balls. This is a potential side effect of taking medical anabolic steroids; science has not shown any link between testicle size and creatine.
Testosterone Booster Or Creatine Supplementation: Which One To Choose?
Based on our research and advice from our nutritionist, we believe there is good scope for stacking a testosterone and creatine supplement.
These supplements could transform your training by achieving higher testosterone levels for overall health and growth of muscles and the improved strength and endurance that creatine may provide.
You’ll also provide the ingredients for more effective protein synthesis, which should speed up your recovery times as well.
Check out our designated guides to T-boosters and creatine to see if there’s a suitable product for you.
References:
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6093191/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188848/
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