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August 1, 2026
Marianne Waldenfels
People following a vegan or vegetarian diet typically consume little to no creatine through food. Research suggests they often respond particularly well to supplementation, especially for strength and high-intensity exercise.
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Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched dietary supplements in existence. Most people associate it with strength training and muscle building. In reality, though, the people who stand to benefit most from supplementation are often the very ones who avoid meat and fish.
The reason: vegetarians and especially vegans tend to have lower creatine stores. Studies show that they can replenish those stores to a greater extent through supplementation than people who eat a mixed diet — with potential benefits for physical performance and, possibly, for certain cognitive functions as well.
But what exactly is creatine, why do stores vary depending on diet — and is supplementation worth it in the first place?
Creatine is a compound the body produces naturally from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. It is synthesized primarily in the liver and kidneys, then transported into muscle cells, where it serves as a rapidly available energy reserve.
In the form of phosphocreatine, it helps regenerate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) — the body's primary energy carrier — with remarkable speed. This is particularly important during short, intense efforts: sprints, strength training, explosive movements.
The body can produce creatine on its own, but only in limited amounts — roughly 1–2 grams per day. The rest is normally obtained through food, and this is precisely where the problem lies for people who don't eat meat or fish.
Creatine is found almost exclusively in animal foods. Particularly high amounts occur in beef, pork, and fish such as salmon or herring.Plant-based foods, by contrast, provide virtually no creatine.
Vegetarians, and especially vegans, are therefore entirely dependent on the body's own production. Studies show that, on average, they have lower creatine and phosphocreatine stores in their muscles than people on a mixed diet. At the same time, they tend to respond more strongly to supplementation, precisely because their baseline levels are lower.
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This difference doesn't have to be a disadvantage, however. On the contrary: those who start with lower creatine stores can generally replenish them to a greater extent through supplementation. Researchers see this as a likely explanation for why vegetarians and vegans often show particularly pronounced benefits from creatine in studies.
The fact that people following a vegetarian or vegan diet often have lower creatine stores may actually work in their favor. The lower the baseline levels, the more room there is to replenish those stores through supplementation.
Several studies show that vegetarians who take creatine often achieve greater improvements in strength, muscle performance, and sometimes cognitive test scores than people on a mixed diet. The explanation is that their muscles contained less creatine before supplementation began and can therefore absorb more.
For the brain, this difference may matter too. Creatine is involved in supplying energy to brain cells as well. Individual studies suggest that people with low creatine stores might benefit from supplementation on certain memory and concentration tasks. The evidence here is considerably less clear-cut than it is for athletic performance, however.
The good news: synthetically produced creatine monohydrate is inherently vegan. It is manufactured industrially from chemical starting materials and contains no animal-derived ingredients. Chemically, it is identical to the creatine found naturally in meat.
Those following a vegan diet should nonetheless read product labels carefully. Some creatine capsules use gelatin as a capsule shell, whereas powders or capsules made from plant-based cellulose (HPMC) are suitable for a vegan diet. Many manufacturers also label their products explicitly as vegan.
Numerous creatine variants are available on the market — from creatine hydrochloride (HCl) to buffered creatine to creatine ethyl ester. Scientifically, however, creatine monohydrate is by far the most thoroughly researched form.
Hundreds of studies confirm that creatine monohydrate can improve strength, power, and performance during intense efforts. It is also considered safe, well tolerated, and comparatively affordable. For these reasons, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends creatine monohydrate as the standard form.
Anyone who experiences gastrointestinal discomfort or has trouble dissolving the powder can try micronized creatine monohydrate. It dissolves more easily in liquid and is better tolerated by some people.
Creatine hydrochloride (HCl) is also widely marketed. While it is more water-soluble and can be taken in smaller amounts, existing studies have not demonstrated a clear advantage over creatine monohydrate. The same is true of many other specialty forms, which are often significantly more expensive without offering any documented additional benefit.
For most people, including vegetarians and vegans, creatine monohydrate therefore remains the first choice.
For most adults, 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day is enough to build up creatine stores over the long term.
Those who want to reach full stores more quickly can carry out a so-called loading phase. This involves taking approximately 20 grams of creatine per day, divided into four portions, for five to seven days. A maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams per day is then sufficient.
A loading phase is not necessary, however. Without one, it simply takes a few weeks longer for stores to be fully replenished, but the same effect is achieved in the long run. Many professional bodies therefore recommend consistent daily intake as the simpler and generally better-tolerated approach.
Whether creatine is taken before or after training appears to make only a minor difference. Some studies point to a slight advantage in taking it after training, but overall the differences are minimal. What matters most is regular daily intake — including on rest days.
Taking creatine with a meal is advisable. Carbohydrates and protein likely help promote uptake into the muscles, though this effect is relatively modest in practice.
Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched dietary supplements in sport. Its effects during short, intense efforts such as strength training, sprinting, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are particularly well documented. In addition, creatine is increasingly being studied in relation to brain health and healthy aging, though the evidence in these areas is less conclusive.
Numerous studies show that creatine monohydrate can improve performance during short, intense efforts. People who train regularly with weights often benefit from greater strength, higher training output, and, over time, greater muscle gains. The gains come not from the creatine itself, but from the ability to train more intensely and thereby generate stronger training stimuli.
Also the Recovery between individual efforts may also improve, as creatine stores are replenished more quickly.
Not only muscles but also the brain requires large amounts of energy. Creatine plays an important role in the rapid provision of ATP, the primary energy carrier of cells.
Some studies suggest that supplementation could improve memory performance or mental capacity — particularly in people with low creatine stores, under conditions of sleep deprivation, or during periods of high cognitive demand. Whether healthy individuals benefit to the same extent in everyday life has not yet been clearly established, however. The evidence here is considerably weaker than in the area of athletic performance.
Creatine is also attracting growing attention in geriatric medicine. Research is underway, among other things, into whether supplementation combined with strength training can help counteract the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength known as sarcopenia.
Scientists are also exploring possible applications in neurological conditions and depression. The findings to date are in some cases promising, but are not yet sufficient to support a general recommendation for these uses.
This myth refuses to go away — but it is not supported by the science. Numerous studies show that creatine has no negative effects on kidney function in healthy people at normal doses. Anyone with existing kidney conditions should consult a doctor beforehand.
No. Creatine is a natural compound that the body produces itself. It has nothing in common with anabolic steroids — neither chemically nor in its mechanism of action.
When starting supplementation, body weight often increases by one to two kilograms. This is not body fat, however. Creatine causes more water to be stored in the muscle cells, which can make muscles appear slightly fuller — a normal and harmless effect.
Creatine is relevant for anyone engaging in intensive athletic activity — whether that means endurance sports, team sports, or combat sports. And as noted above, the brain can benefit too.
People following a vegetarian or vegan diet obtain virtually no creatine from food and therefore often have lower creatine stores than those on a mixed diet. This may be precisely why they tend to respond particularly well to supplementation in studies.
For physically active vegetarians and vegans in particular, creatine monohydrate is one of the few dietary supplements whose benefits are well supported by a large body of high-quality research. There are promising indications of possible effects on brain health and healthy aging, but research in these areas is still in its early stages.
