Nutrition and Wellness

Creatine for BJJ: Why This Supplement is Necessary

January 08, 2025 4 min read

Using creatine for BJJ is a powerful way to dramatically boost your performance. This well-researched supplement can provide numerous benefits for bjj athletes, from increased strength and endurance to faster recovery times.

However, it’s also important to understand when not to use creatine to ensure it fits well within your training regimen.

What Creatine Does: The Science Behind It

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in certain foods and synthesized by the human body, primarily in the liver and kidneys. It is stored predominantly in the muscles, where it exists as creatine phosphate (also known as phosphocreatine).

When muscles contract during high-intensity activities, they use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as their primary energy source. ATP is rapidly depleted during intense physical exertion, and its regeneration is crucial for continued muscle performance.

Here's where creatine plays a critical role:

ATP Regeneration: Creatine phosphate donates a phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to quickly regenerate ATP. This process allows for sustained muscle contractions during short, explosive bursts of activity, such as those encountered in BJJ training and competitions.
Increased Phosphocreatine Stores: Supplementing with creatine increases the amount of creatine phosphate stored in the muscles. This elevated reserve enhances the body's ability to regenerate ATP during high-intensity efforts, thereby improving performance, strength, and endurance.
Cell Volumization: Creatine also increases water content within muscle cells, a phenomenon known as cell volumization. This not only contributes to muscle size but also has potential anabolic effects, promoting protein synthesis and reducing protein breakdown.
Enhanced Glycogen Storage: Some studies suggest that creatine supplementation can enhance glycogen storage in muscles, which can be beneficial for sustained energy during longer training sessions and quicker recovery.

Benefits of Creatine for BJJ

Increased Strength and Power: One of the primary benefits of creatine is its ability to increase strength and power. This is particularly useful for BJJ athletes who need explosive strength for moves such as takedowns, sweeps, and submissions. Studies have shown that creatine can significantly improve performance in high-intensity, short-duration activities, which are common in BJJ.
Enhanced Endurance: While BJJ is often an isometric sport, there are periods of high-intensity effort. Creatine helps in replenishing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) stores, allowing for better performance during these bursts of activity. This means you can train harder and longer, ultimately leading to improved skills and conditioning.
Faster Recovery: Another benefit of creatine is its role in recovery. It helps reduce muscle cell damage and inflammation, speeding up the recovery process. This is essential for BJJ practitioners who train multiple times a week and need to recover quickly between sessions.
Muscle Mass Gains: Although BJJ is not primarily about muscle size, having more muscle mass can be beneficial. Creatine aids in muscle growth by increasing water content in muscle cells, leading to improved muscle hypertrophy over time. This can give athletes a physical advantage on the mats.

Body Composition Change from Creatine

Below is a chart from a meta-analysis from the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showing the relationship between creatine intake and body composition.

See the right hand side of the chart to see the effects of creatine on different subjects relative to the placebo.

Pretty incredible stuff. Increased lean muscle mass and decreased fat mass, all due to a simple supplementation!

When Not to Use Creatine

While creatine offers numerous benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone or in every situation. Here are some instances when you might want to avoid or limit creatine use:

Kidney Issues: Individuals with pre-existing kidney conditions should avoid creatine, as it can potentially exacerbate these problems. Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.
Dehydration Risks: Creatine can increase water retention in muscles, which may lead to dehydration if adequate water intake is not maintained. BJJ athletes need to stay hydrated to perform at their best, so ensure you are drinking enough water when taking creatine.
Weight Class Considerations: If you compete in a specific weight class, be mindful that creatine can cause temporary weight gain due to increased water retention. Plan your supplementation and diet accordingly to avoid any surprises on weigh-in day.

Breaking the False Beliefs

Something else that should be addressed is some of the false beliefs not just behind using creatine for BJJ, but for creatine in general.

Creatine is NOT a steroid: as silly as this one is, this is something I, and many others, have heard many times. No, creatine is not a steroid, nor is it close to a steroid. Perfectly safe!
Creatine is natural: creatine not only is great for you, it is also naturally occurring. You're probably already consuming some creatine in your diet. Generally most meats have creatine in them.

Conclusion

Using creatine for BJJ can be a game-changer for many athletes, providing increased strength, enhanced endurance, faster recovery, and muscle mass gains.

However, it's important to consider your individual health and training needs before starting supplementation. By understanding both the benefits and potential drawbacks, you can make an informed decision about whether creatine is right for you.

References

Kreider, R. B., et al. (2017). "International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18.
Branch, J. D. (2003). "Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13(2), 198-226.
Cooper, R., et al. (2012). "Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 33.
Tarnopolsky, M. A., et al. (2016). "Creatine as an ergogenic aid: current status." Journal of Sports Sciences, 34(9), 769-777.
Rawson, E. S., & Volek, J. S. (2003). "Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(4), 822-831.
Chilibeck, P. D., et al. (2007). "The effect of creatine supplementation on lean body mass and strength gains during resistance exercise training in older adults: a meta-analysis." Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 17(4), 611-615.
Poortmans, J. R., & Francaux, M. (2000). "Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 32(5), 1108-1110.

FAQ

Porrada is a Portuguese term commonly used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Brazilian culture to describe a tough, intense, and gritty style of training or fighting. The direct translation of porrada from Portuguese to English is "beating" or "brawl." It embodies the spirit of going all out, giving your maximum effort, and pushing through challenges. In BJJ, practicing porrada means training with high intensity and determination.

This website is a collection of resources curated by grapplers, for grapplers. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need to succeed. Whether you want to learn about nutrition, training on the mats, lifting, or anything in between, we are here for you. We want to see you on the podium most of all, and we hope to help you do exactly that. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us an email or DM us on any of our social profiles!

There are two main ways you can get started with training: 1) You can find a BJJ gym near you and do a trial day, or 2) you can create your own mini home gym and start training with friends. Option #2 is how our team at Porrada got started! We ordered 1-inch thick puzzle mats in a 10’x10’ square and began training using online resources. If you do start with the second option, we recommend eventually finding a gym down the road in your career. It will help you by allowing you to roll with more people and receive high-level instruction.

BJJ is quite similar to wrestling. Both start standing and use takedowns as a method to score points. Both use very similar mechanics overall. The main differences are that there are no pins (you can be on your back in Jiu-Jitsu), BJJ involves submissions, and the points system for each is very different. BJJ grants points for takedowns/sweeps, back control, mount, guard passes, and knee on belly. Wrestling grants points for takedowns, escapes, and back points (back exposure for freestyle).

BJJ is a very unique sport in many ways. There are so many incredible benefits to training Jiu-Jitsu. The biggest reasons we advocate for it are the mindset training and the added ability to defend yourself. In BJJ, you are forced to humble yourself over and over again, every single day. This sport is a great way to mature rapidly and generally become a better person (in our opinion). You will also have a better ability to defend yourself than 99% of the population—a pretty big bonus.

You’re never too old to start training! We see people on the mats of all ages and sizes. Large and small, old and young can, and should, train BJJ. If you are on the older side, it is perfectly acceptable to take it slow and learn at your own pace. You don’t always have to go full speed—don’t worry. There are typically also classes that separate people by goals. Certain classes are for those who want to compete, some are for general instruction, and some are specifically for self-defense teachings. There is a place for everyone on the mats.