Why is creatine taken as a dietary supplement?

• A. Increases lean body mass
• B. Decreases lean body mass
• C. Improves HDL
• D. Reduces appetite

Answer: (A)

Creatine supplementation is used to boost the muscle’s ability to regenerate ATP during short, high-intensity efforts by replenishing phosphocreatine stores. This lets you train harder or longer, which over time drives greater muscle growth and hence an increase in lean body mass. Some weight gain can come from water being drawn into muscle cells, but the overall effect with resistance training is greater lean mass.

It doesn’t decrease lean body mass, it doesn’t reliably improve HDL, and it doesn’t reduce appetite, so increasing lean body mass is the best reason to take it.