Creatine for Vegetarians and Vegans – Do They Have More to Gain from Supplements? | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- Vegetarians have roughly 10-15% less total creatine and 7-10% less phosphocreatine in the vastus lateralis than people who eat meat.

- After five days of creatine supplementation, total muscle creatine rose by 76% in vegetarians against 35% in meat-eaters, leaving vegetarians 12% higher despite starting lower.

- In a strength training study of 18 vegetarians and 24 meat-eaters, vegetarians taking creatine gained 2.4 kg of lean mass, compared with 1.9 kg in meat-eaters on creatine and about 1 kg in the placebo groups.

- Brain creatine levels do not appear to be lower in vegetarians, yet creatine supplementation still improved memory and problem-solving test results in vegetarian participants.

- Because eggs and dairy supply only very small amounts of creatine, vegans have the lowest dietary intake and are singled out by researchers as the group most likely to benefit from supplementation.

Where does the body get its creatine from?

Creatine is found naturally in the body and contributes to energy production in the muscles when the intensity is high. The body produces creatine itself, but we also get some through food. The main sources are meat and fish, including beef, pork, salmon, herring, and tuna.

Vegetarians therefore get little creatine from their diet, while vegans get very little. Creatine supplements may therefore be particularly relevant for individuals who eat entirely or mainly plant-based.

Do vegetarians really have lower creatine stores?

About 90% of the body's creatine is found in the muscles as free creatine and phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is used to rapidly form new ATP. This is particularly important during heavy strength training, sprints, and other high-intensity training.

[Research](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041) shows that vegetarians have lower creatine levels in the blood and in certain muscles than people who eat meat. In the vastus lateralis on the outside of the thigh, the total amount of creatine was about 10-15% lower, while phosphocreatine was 7-10% lower.

At the same time, several studies show that vegetarians store more creatine when they start supplementation. In some studies, they ended up with higher levels than people who ate meat.

The researchers describe this as possible supercompensation, where the initially low levels may cause the muscles to store extra creatine when the supply increases.



How much do creatine stores rise after a loading phase?

In a [study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041), participants took creatine for five days. The total amount of creatine in the vastus lateralis increased by 76% in vegetarians and 35% in those who ate meat.

After five days, vegetarians had 12% more creatine in the muscle than the other group, even though they started with lower levels.

The same pattern was observed in a study where participants also trained with weights. Here, the total amount of creatine in the muscle increased by 30% in vegetarians and 8% in those who ate meat. Phosphocreatine increased by 66% and 19%, respectively.

What does it mean for training?

The [study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041) on strength training included 18 vegetarians and 24 meat-eaters. The participants had between one and five years of experience with strength training and received either creatine or a placebo.

The vegetarians who took creatine increased lean mass by 2.4 kg. Among those who ate meat and took creatine, the increase was 1.9 kg, while it was around 1 kg in the placebo groups.

The participants were also tested with 50 maximum repetitions of leg extension and leg flexion. The vegetarians who took creatine improved their results by 30 %, compared to 9 % among those who ate meat and took creatine. Both creatine groups also made greater progress in bench press than the groups that received placebo.

This study differs from several others in that creatine was combined with a fixed strength program over a longer period. The researchers highlight this as a possible explanation for why the differences were also clearly evident in the training tests.


Does creatine improve memory in vegetarians?

Creatine levels in the brain do not appear to be lower in vegetarians. Nevertheless, studies have found interesting results when creatine supplementation has been tested on memory.

In a [study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041) with 70 female vegetarians and 51 women who ate meat, 20 grams of creatine daily for five days resulted in better performance on memory tests among the vegetarians. The same improvement was not seen in those who ate meat.

Another [study](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041) followed 45 vegetarians, of whom 18 were vegans. The participants received 5 grams of creatine daily for six weeks. They performed better on tests of memory and problem-solving with creatine than with placebo.

Why may vegans benefit most from creatine?

Vegetarians get little creatine through their diet because they do not eat meat and fish. Eggs and dairy products contribute only very small amounts, while vegans get very little creatine from food.

Researchers therefore point out that particularly vegans may benefit from creatine supplementation. The lower the creatine stores are initially, the more seems to be able to be stored when one starts supplementation. How long one has eaten vegetarian or vegan may also be significant.


Sources:

Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Vegetarians Compared to Omnivorous Athletes: A Systematic Review – [International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health](https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3041)