foods high in creatine

Foods High in Creatine: What Should I Eat?

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Creatine is a naturally-occurring compound in our body. Creatine is formed of three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionin. On a daily basis, our bodies make up to 1g of creatine naturally. The rest is obtained via certain foods that are naturally rich in creatine.

Creatine plays a crucial in produce energy. Creatine is primarily stored in the skeletal muscle, while the remainder can be found in the brain, blood, and other tissues. Creatine increases phosphocreatine (PCr) in muscles, which then creates kinase to regenerate Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in skeletal muscle.

Creatine is effective for physical activities like sprinting, weightlifting, and other high-intensity exercises. Creatine significantly improves your athletic performance.

Foods High in Creatine: What Should I Eat?

There are many foods rich in creatine and there are two primary ways of obtaining creatine:

  1. Natural Food Sources: Herring, beef, salmon, tuna, cod, and milk are naturally rich in creatine. These specific foods are the best way to obtain creatine naturally. We will discuss their creatine content per 100g a bit further down.
  2. Supplementing: Creatine supplementation in powder, pill, or capsule form is very popular among gym-goers and bodybuilders. While it’s easier to obtain large quantities of creatine this way, focusing solely on supplements may not always be the best approach.

First, we need to determine how much creatine we need, which can be calculated using a simple formula: Maintenance Dose = Body Weight (kg) × 0.03g/day.

For example, for a 70kg individual, the formula would be: 70kg × 0.03g/day = 2.1g/day. Once we calculate our daily creatine needs, we can start building our diet around this requirement. Let’s take a look at the creatine content in the top foods we can eat:

  1. Herring: 1.0-1.1 grams per 100g
  2. Beef: 0.4-0.9 grams per 100g
  3. Salmon: 0.45 grams per 100g
  4. Tuna: 0.4 grams per 100g
  5. Cod: 0.3 grams per 100g
  6. Milk: 0.02 grams per 100g

Now, as we already know which foods are rich in creatine and how much creatine we need to consume on a daily basis, we can start building our diet accordingly. You can do a search and find some tasty recipes on the internet with these particular ingredients.

For more simplicity, download the Workit App and access hundreds of healthy and easy-to-make recipes that can help you hit your daily creatine goal.

When balancing your plate, make sure that healthy, creatine-rich protein takes up the main portion of your meal. We recommend aiming for 70% protein and 30% healthy carbs.

Creatine From Foods vs Supplements

This is a very important question, as we need to distinguish between obtaining creatine from natural food sources and supplementing with it. While both methods are legitimate ways of obtaining creatine, there are some differences that need to be discussed.

First of all, creatine is a well-researched, proven, and safe compound when taken as a supplement. Whether it is in pill, powder, or capsule form, creatine is safe to consume.

However, when purchasing creatine in supplement form, we need to be aware of its quality and reliability. It’s important to carefully check the label for any additional ingredients. When buying creatine supplements, we need to ensure that it contains only creatine monohydrate.

Purchasing low-quality creatine supplements can pose health risks, as they may contain extra ingredients and may be sourced from unethical suppliers.

Another point to consider when purchasing creatine supplements is whether you are buying creatine monohydrate or HCL. Creatine HCL (hydrochloride) is a newer version of creatine that has recently gained popularity.

The issue with creatine HCL is that it is under-researched, and its supposed benefits and effectiveness are not well-documented. Creatine HCL claims to offer the same benefits as creatine monohydrate, but with fewer side effects and lower dosage requirements.

We would advise against purchasing HCL, as it is not as well-researched as creatine monohydrate, which remains the most popular and reliable form of creatine.

Now, back to the question: “Creatine from natural food sources vs. creatine supplements.”

If possible, and if you can effectively structure and maintain your diet, we would definitely advise you to primarily focus on obtaining creatine from natural food sources.

However, this is not always feasible, as many people supplement with up to 5g of creatine daily. For example, 1kg of steak contains 5g of creatine, which can be unaffordable and challenging to consume in such quantities.

If you plan on consuming large amounts of creatine daily, it is recommended to use a combination approach: primarily focus on obtaining creatine from natural foods, and if the daily goal is not met, supplement the rest with a creatine supplement.

It is important not to overdose on creatine. We will discuss dosing thoroughly, as consuming too much creatine can lead to serious health problems, such as kidney failure.

Appropriate Creatine Doses

In gym culture, as popularized by many famous bodybuilders and influencers, there are two common approaches to creatine supplementation:

  1. Loading Dose: This involves taking up to 25g of creatine in 4-5 separate doses throughout the day for 5-7 days. The goal is to achieve muscle saturation quickly to maximize workout gains and performance. This is then followed by regular daily maintenance doses.
  2. Maintenance Dose: The maintenance dose is calculated using a simple formula: Body Weight (kg) × 0.03g/day, which indicates how much creatine you should supplement daily.

As you may have guessed, when the primary focus is to obtain creatine from natural food sources, you naturally start with the maintenance dosing. It is also very difficult to over-supplement creatine from natural foods because, when consuming mainly protein, it is hard to overeat.

If you want to add creatine supplements to your daily diet, we advise against starting with the loading dose method, as it can have serious health side effects.

Supplementing a large amount of creatine in a short period can cause puffiness, water retention, and, in severe cases, kidney failure. Remember that when taking creatine supplements, it is important to stay hydrated.

These risks are not a concern if you focus on obtaining creatine from natural food sources. The reason we mention these potential dangers is to illustrate the risks of irresponsible creatine supplementation and to emphasize how safe it is to simply consume naturally high-protein, creatine-rich foods.

Does Cooking Food Decrease Creatine Content?

It is a fact that cooking food causes meat cuts to lose some nutrients. Minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus decrease during cooking, and creatine is no exception.

Creatine is stable at low temperatures but starts to degrade when exposed to higher temperatures. When exposed to high heat, creatine is converted into creatinine. Unlike creatine, creatinine does not have any performance-enhancing effects.

The amount of creatine converted into creatinine during cooking depends on two factors:

  • High Heat: Grilling, frying, or roasting at high temperatures breaks down creatine into creatinine.
  • Prolonged Cooking: The longer you cook your meat, the more creatine is likely to convert into creatinine.

Don’t be discouraged by this, as cooking doesn’t cause meat to lose all of its nutrients, and not all creatine is converted into creatinine.

The nutrients and creatine are not completely lost. As your meat produces juices while cooking, the “lost” nutrients are transferred to the meat’s juices. So, it can be a great idea to make a sauce from the juices or reuse them for cooking or in a soup.

Creatine for Vegans and Vegetarians

Vegans are naturally deprived of creatine, as it is very difficult to obtain it from natural food sources. While no plants naturally contain creatine, foods like legumes, seeds, and nuts are good sources of the amino acids that make up creatine—glycine, arginine, and methionine—which are involved in the body’s natural production of creatine.

Please note that there are no direct sources of creatine for vegans; the only way to obtain it is through supplementation or by eating meat.

Vegetarians are in a better situation than vegans as they can consume dairy products and eggs. However, dairy and eggs contain only trace amounts of creatine, and compared to meat and fish products, they offer negligible amounts of creatine. For example, milk contains between 0.01 to 0.02 grams of creatine per 100g.

While vegetarians have more dietary options than vegans, the best route for both groups is to take creatine supplements, as it is quite difficult for them to obtain sufficient creatine from natural food sources.

List of Foods High in Creatine

Before we move forward and discuss creatine more thoroughly—such as how it affects our bodies and enhances athletic performance—let’s review the full list of foods that contain significant amounts of creatine:

Herring1.0-1.1 grams per 100g
Beef0.4-0.9 grams per 100g
Salmon0.45 grams per 100g
Tuna0.4 grams per 100g
Pork0.4 grams per 100g
Lamb0.4 grams per 100g
Venison0.4 grams per 100g
Chicken0.1-0.2 grams per 100g
Turkey0.1-0.2 grams per 100g
Sardines0.4 grams per 100g
Shellfish0.3 grams per 100g
Liver (beef, pork, lamb, chicken)0.2 grams per 100g
Kidneys (beef, pork, lamb)0.2 grams per 100g
Heart (beef, pork, lamb)0.3 grams per 100g
Cod0.3 grams per 100g
Milk0.02 grams per 100g
*The creatine content in these foods can vary based on the animal’s diet, age, and how the food is prepared (e.g., high-heat and prolonged cooking).

These are the primary food sources of creatine, and the list is quite extensive, giving you many options when planning your daily diet. A diet rich in creatine typically correlates with a high-protein diet, so if you follow a healthy, meat-based diet that is naturally rich in protein, it will also be rich in creatine.

For easy-to-make, great-tasting recipe ideas, download the Workit App and access hundreds of healthy recipes for free.

How Does Creatine Help Your Performance?

Supplementing or eating a creatine-rich diet increases phosphocreatine (PCr) in muscles, which then helps regenerate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in skeletal muscle. Phosphocreatine plays a key role in improving athletic performance, aiding in high-intensity exercise, and enhancing muscular strength and endurance.

Creatine also increases water retention in muscles, contributing to overall muscle mass. While you might not see immediate gains from eating a creatine-rich diet, consistency with your workouts and diet will gradually reveal the benefits that creatine has to offer.

To put it simply, in layman’s terms, creatine helps you push through those last two reps more easily. Instead of the final two reps being extremely difficult, they just become hard. This essentially leads to increased muscle mass, better endurance, and enhanced athletic performance.

Generally, creatine has more pronounced effects on male athletes than on female athletes. This is primarily because females tend to have higher resting levels of intramuscular creatine. Nevertheless, creatine is effective for both male and female athletes.

Creatine plays an important role in our bodies, not only enhancing physical health and athletic performance but also supporting brain function. It has also been shown to be effective in treating Parkinson’s disease. People with this disease often suffer from muscle mass loss, weakened muscle strength, and uncoordinated muscle movements—areas where creatine can be quite beneficial.

Simple Recipes Rich in Creatine

You are probably looking for recipes that are easy-to-make and are naturally high in creatine. While the majority of recipes are available in the Workit App, here are two very simple, tasty and easy-to-make recipes that are naturally high in creatine.

Beef and Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

  • 200g beef steak (e.g., sirloin or ribeye)
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup mixed vegetables (e.g., bell peppers, onions, and broccoli)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Cook the Rice: Prepare 1 cup of brown rice according to the package instructions.
  2. Prepare the Beef: Season the beef steak with salt and pepper. Heat the pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Cook the Beef: Sear the steak for about 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly.
  4. Cook the Vegetables: In the same pan, add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes until tender.
  5. Assemble the Bowl: Add the rice, top with vegetables, and place the sliced beef on top.

Nutritional Values (per serving): Calories: ~500 kcal, protein: ~35g, fat: ~20g, carbohydrates: ~45g, fiber: ~5g, creatine: ~0.4g (400mg) from the beef steak.

Salmon and Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients:

  • 200g salmon fillet
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Cook the Quinoa: Prepare 1 cup of quinoa according to the package instructions.
  2. Prepare the Salmon: Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat pan over medium heat.
  3. Cook the Salmon: Cook the salmon for about 4-5 minutes (first, place the skin side down on the pan) on each side. Remove the salmon from the pan and let it rest.
  4. Assemble the Bowl: In a bowl, add the quinoa, top with sliced avocado, place the salmon on top.
  5. Finish and Serve: Optionally, drizzle with soy or teriyaki sauce.

Nutritional Values (per serving): Calories: ~600 kcal, protein: ~40g, fat: ~30g, carbohydrates: ~45g, fiber: ~10g, creatine: ~0.4g (400mg) from the salmon fillet.

As you can see, salmon and beef steak make up the main portions of our dishes. To increase the creatine content in your meals, simply add more beef or salmon, and voilà.

Conclusion

Obtaining creatine from natural food sources is pretty simple. You might hear people saying that in order to see gains and progress, it’s mandatory to start using various supplements, ranging from creatine and whey protein to pre-workouts and post-workouts.

This is not true; it’s entirely possible to achieve significant gains by staying consistent in the gym or with your workouts and eating a healthy, protein- and creatine-rich diet.

Fitness is about consistency—consistency with your workout routine and your diet. Please understand that maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for seeing progress, whether your goal is weight loss, building muscle mass, or increasing endurance. Without a proper diet, you will not see progress, as you cannot outtrain a bad diet.

All in all, we advise you to build your diet around creatine-rich foods like beef, salmon, lamb, and tuna, or any other protein sources you prefer. If you’re falling short of meeting your daily creatine needs from natural food sources, consider adding creatine as a supplement in powder form.

If you decide to purchase creatine as a supplement, make sure to choose a high-quality product sourced from ethical suppliers. Double-check that the creatine you buy doesn’t contain any additional ingredients, flavors, or artificial sweeteners, as these can negatively affect your health.

Remember, never rely on supplements as your primary sources of creatine or protein. First, try to meet your daily needs from natural foods and consider supplementing the remainder.

There are many foods that are naturally high in creatine, so if you stay consistent and structure your meals properly, you should have no trouble consuming the appropriate amounts of creatine to maximize your gains and athletic performance.

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