Short answer
There is no published evidence that it does. The two main expert reviews of creatine, from the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2017 and 2021, do not mention nighttime urination, and a PubMed search finds no study that tested it. That is not proof it cannot happen. The established causes are evening fluids, alcohol, caffeine, sleep apnea, an enlarged prostate and diabetes.
What the creatine research says
The International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand says the only consistently reported side effect of creatine is weight gain. Its 2021 review of common questions says the most common adverse effect is water retention in the first several days. Neither paper mentions nocturia, the medical term for waking to urinate, or more frequent urination.
We also searched PubMed on October 4, 2026 for creatine and nocturia. It returned four papers, and none was about creatine supplements. So the honest answer is that nobody has studied it.
Where the water goes
Creatine does change body water, but in the direction of holding it. The 2021 review explains that creatine is taken up into muscle along with sodium, and water follows. In a 2003 trial of 32 resistance-trained men and women, 28 days of creatine raised total body water without changing how fluid was distributed.
That is retention, not extra urine. No study we found measured how much people urinate at night on creatine. If you drink extra fluid with it in the evening, the fluid is the better-documented suspect.
The established causes
MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine (reviewed July 2025), says drinking too much fluid in the evening can cause night urination, and that caffeine and alcohol with or after dinner can too. Its list of other causes includes an enlarged prostate, bladder infection, diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and water pills.
It also links waking to urinate with obstructive sleep apnea. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute lists waking up often during the night to urinate as a sleep apnea symptom. The NIDDK lists nocturia as a symptom of an enlarged prostate and increased urination as a symptom of diabetes.
When to see a clinician
MedlinePlus says to contact a health care provider if waking to urinate continues over several days, if it bothers you, or if you have pain, burning or blood in your urine. It suggests keeping a diary of what you drink and how often you go.
One practical point: the workup may include a blood creatinine test, and the 2021 review notes that creatine supplements can raise blood creatinine. Tell your clinician you take creatine so the result is read correctly.
Related questions
Is creatine a diuretic?
The published reviews do not describe it as one. They describe short-term water retention, mostly in the first days, not increased urination.
Should I stop creatine to see if the night waking stops?
That is a decision for you and your clinician. No study has tested whether stopping creatine changes nighttime urination.
Is waking to pee once or twice a night a problem?
MedlinePlus says to see a provider if it continues over several days or bothers you, because causes include sleep apnea, diabetes and prostate enlargement.
Read next
Sources
- Kreider et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr: ISSN position stand, safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation (2017)
- Antonio et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr: Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation (2021)
- Powers et al., J Athl Train: Creatine supplementation increases total body water without altering fluid distribution (2003)
- MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine): Urinating more at night (reviewed 2025)
- NHLBI: Sleep Apnea Symptoms (updated 2025)
Published 2026-10-04 · Last checked 2026-10-04
Educational content, not medical advice. Made for the United States.