Creatine for Runners: Beneficial or Not?

What’s the deal with creatine for runners? Creatine is becoming quite a popular supplement that I’m sure you’ve heard of. While we typically think of creatine as a supplement used by bodybuilders, we are now seeing more of a variety of athletes using it, including runners. 

Let’s cover the basics of creatine and what the research says about creatine for athletes and specifically, runners!

What is Creatine? 

Creatine is made by the body in the kidneys, liver and pancreas from amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. Foods, primarily meat and fish, provide creatine but creatine intake from food depends on an athlete’s nutrition intake and diet. 

Once creatine is absorbed in the bloodstream, about 95% of creatine in the body is stored in the muscles as phosphocreatine and in small amounts in other tissues like the brain.

During high intensity exercise like sprinting, the body heavily relies on phosphocreatine to produce energy in the form of ATP which provides power for the muscles. After high intensity exercise, creatine muscle stores are typically depleted.

Creatine stores can be replenished in 3 ways: the body produces it, we can eat creatine-rich foods and we can take creatine supplements. Of note, it is difficult to saturate creatine muscle stores through the body’s production and food intake alone. 

Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Athletes

Creatine has been proven to be a safe supplement that has been heavily studied throughout the years. Research has primarily focused on the benefits of creatine supplementation for short, high intensity exercise and for strength training. 

Research shows supplementation increases muscle creatine stores, enhances performance and time to exhaustion in short, high intensity exercise. It also enhances strength training by improving muscle power, endurance and strength. 

When combined with strength training, creatine supplementation can contribute to positive changes in body composition as the muscles can more rapidly regenerate energy (ATP) resulting in higher quality workouts, improved performance and exercise adaptations.

Studies also show that supplementation supports exercise recovery. When creatine is consumed with carbohydrates or carbs and protein, it enhances muscle uptake and glycogen repletion. Creatine has been found to also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

For older athletes, supplementation combined with strength training may have positive benefits on body composition, bone health and overall strength. There is also growing evidence for creatine supplementation for brain health.

Benefits of Creatine for Runners

There is limited data on the effects of creatine supplementation for runners and endurance performance. However, some of the benefits that we see with supplementation may cross over to runners and endurance athletes.

Creatine’s ability to enhance glycogen repletion (when combined with carbs or carbs and protein) is beneficial for runners since optimal glycogen stores are vital for endurance performance. 

Creatine’s ability to enhance strength training, improve muscle power, strength and endurance can benefit runners by making them a stronger, more resilient and powerful athlete. 

Creatine’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can support a runner’s recovery. A study found that pre-race creatine supplementation reduced inflammatory markers in runners after completing a 30 km time trial. 

Since high creatine foods are primarily meat and fish, vegan and plant-based runners may have lower creatine intakes and therefore lower muscle creatine stores. This group of athletes may benefit from taking a creatine supplement. 

Creatine for Runners: Type, Dosage and Timing 

Having a strong nutrition foundation through daily nutrition and nutrient timing (nutrition before, during and after exercise) is important to establish before considering starting a creatine supplement. If you’re underfueling, a supplement will not make much of a difference. 

Learn How to Build a Healthy Athlete Snack, how to make a balanced athlete breakfast and how to set yourself up well with my guide on meal prep for athletes.

There are many types of creatine supplement forms on the market but creatine monohydrate is the most studied and deemed the most effective form of creatine at this time.

Protocols for supplementation is a “loading” phase where athletes consume 0.3 g/kg/day (split up into ~4 doses) for 5-7 days followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 g/day. Larger athletes may need a higher daily dosage of 5-10 g/day in order to maintain creatine stores.

The loading phase is the best method to quickly saturate muscle creatine stores but if an athlete chooses to, they can skip the loading phase and start off taking 3-5 g/day. This will create a more gradual increase in muscle stores and can take ~4 weeks to saturate stores. 

Since taking creatine with carbs or carbs and protein increases creatine muscle uptake and glycogen repletion, take your creatine supplement with a carb and protein-rich breakfast or snack to be able to reap these benefits. 

Making sure you’re staying hydrated is always important, but especially when taking a creatine supplement.

We don’t have enough research about supplement timing. Consistently taking a creatine supplement seems to be more important than timing of intake at this time. 

The Cons of Taking a Creatine Supplement

Creatine may not be appropriate for people with heart, kidney or liver conditions. If you have these conditions or any other medical conditions, please consult with your doctor before using a creatine supplement. 

Creatine supplementation can cause some initial water weight gain, especially within the first few weeks. This is because creatine pulls water into the muscles so you may initially feel a bit heavier and bloated as a result. 

Some athletes complain of GI distress following supplementation. This is more frequently seen in those who take creatine in higher dosages, like during the “loading” phase or when creatine intake is greater than the recommended maintenance dosage.

How to Choose a Creatine Supplement

Creatine monohydrate comes in powder and pill form. When choosing a nutrition supplement like creatine, you’ll want to choose a third-party tested supplement like NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Choice/Informed Sport. 

Third-Party Tested Creatine Monohydrate Supplements: 

• Klean Athlete, Klean Creatine 
• Momentous Creatine Monohydrate 
• 1st Phorm Creatine 

Bottom Line 

Creatine research has primarily focused on the benefits of supplementation for high intensity exercise and strength training. While there are limited studies on supplementation for endurance athletes like runners, some of the benefits may cross over to runners.

When consumed with carbs or carbs and protein, creatine supplementation enhances muscle creatine uptake, enhances glycogen repletion and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may promote a runner’s recovery. 

Supplementation enhances strength training and improves muscle power, strength and endurance which can help a runner become a stronger, more resilient and powerful athlete.

Before considering a supplement, it is important for runners to have a strong nutrition foundation established first through daily nutrition and nutrient timing. 

Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and effective supplement form of creatine. When choosing a supplement, choose a third-party tested supplement. If you have medical conditions, speak with your doctor before starting a supplement.

Per protocols, a “loading” phase of 0.3 g/kg/day (split into ~4 doses) for the first 5-7 days is recommended followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 g/day but the loading phase isn’t necessary. If an athlete chooses to start with 3-5 g/day it will take ~4 weeks to saturate stores. 

Older athletes and plant-based athletes may especially benefit from creatine supplementation.

Need help optimizing your nutrition so you can improve your energy, optimize your health and enhance your performance? The Eat Like a Runner Program and Avoid the Wall Program are self-paced nutrition programs that will help you do just that.

If you’re looking for 1:1 nutrition support, check out my coaching options and apply for coaching!