Should you be worried about creatine on a plant-based diet?
By Isabelle Sadler
- Does the lack of creatine in a plant-based diet impact health?
- Do creatine supplements provide any added health benefits for individuals following a plant-based diet?
What is creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound that is made in the body – mainly in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas, but also in the brain and testes. It’s produced from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. The body makes about 1g of creatine per day this way.
Because it’s made in the body, it’s not considered an essential compound i.e. we do not need to get it from the diet. However, you do find creatine in certain foods, namely animal meat and fish products, and in small amounts in dairy. Creatine is not found in plant foods.
Creatine can also be obtained in supplement form as a powder, which is usually taken by mixing with water and drinking it. Some individuals might also blend it into their smoothies or protein shakes as an easy way to consume the supplement.
Why do we need creatine?
Creatine helps to supply energy to our cells and tissues. This makes it critical for energy demanding processes such as cognitive performance and muscle contraction.
Creatine supports the rapid recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from adenosine diphosphate (ADP). ATP is the primary source of energy in the body, so effectively, creatine helps the body produce more ATP and get more energy to the tissues that need it most.
It’s popular with athletes because it helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high intensity activity. Approximately 90-95% of the body’s creatine is stored in the skeletal muscle as free creatine and phosphocreatine.
Creatine in individuals following plant-based and omnivore diets
A meat-containing diet generally provides around 1g per day of creatine whereas individuals following a plant-based diet do not get any creatine from the food they eat. Therefore, vegans and vegetarians tend to have lower serum and muscle concentrations of creatine.
Despite these differences in individuals, mean concentrations of creatine appear to remain comparable between diet groups, which is likely due to the brain’s ability to produce creatine internally. Despite differences in serum and muscle concentrations, the amount of creatine in the brain is similar among individuals following plant-based and omnivorous diets.
Brain function and cognitive impairment
Although individuals following a plant-based diet consume less creatine than their meat-eating counterparts, there is no evidence that this increases the risk of cognitive impairment.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving a total of 17,809 individuals, there was no association between plant-based diets and cognitive impairment, in either the short term (less than a year) or the long term (more than one year).
Therefore, as Goldman et al., point out in their review article, it appears that the amount of creatine produced by the body itself is enough to support cognitive health in those consuming plant-based diets. If it wasn’t enough, studies would show an impairment in cognitive function in those following a vegan or vegetarian diet.
What about creatine supplementation for brain health?
While evidence shows that plant-based diets do not impair cognitive health when compared to omnivorous diets, there may be benefits for all from creatine supplementation, which provides more creatine than you could get from a normal diet.
While there are some conflicting results in the literature, creatine supplementation of 5g/day may provide small beneficial effects on cognitive performance, regardless of dietary pattern. A recent study also found that following sleep deprivation, a single high-dose of creatine improved cognitive performance and processing speed.
Studies suggest that individuals following a plant-based diet do not consistently experience greater cognitive benefits from creatine supplementation compared to those following omnivorous diets. This further supports the point that a lack of dietary creatine does not significantly limit cognitive function, otherwise we would likely see consistently larger improvements in those following a plant-based diets.
Muscle health and muscle performance
Some have also questioned whether lower muscle creatine levels in vegans and vegetarians could impact muscle strength. However, evidence across several studies summarised by Goldman et al., demonstrate that lower muscle creatine levels in individuals following a plant based diet have not been shown to impair body composition, muscle strength, muscle function, or exercise capacity in young, middle-aged, or older adults
What about creatine supplementation for muscle health?
The benefits of creatine supplementation when combined with exercise training are well established for our muscles. Regular creatine supplementation can help increase upper and lower body muscle strength, muscle power, muscle mass and the ability to perform repeat sprints. This has been shown in individuals following both plant-based and omnivorous diets.
Creatine itself does not build muscle. But when combined with regular resistance training, it can help build more muscle and potentially offset the loss of muscle mass that happens as we grow older, known as sarcopenia.
Take home message
There is no evidence to suggest that a lack of creatine in plant-based diets causes any health concerns. Individuals following all dietary patterns might benefit from creatine supplementation, in relation to muscle size and strength and brain health.
As with all nutritional supplements, creatine does not replace the benefits of exercise or a healthy plant-based diet. Regular resistance training, combined with meeting your micronutrient needs from a healthy diet, is the best way to protect your brain health and maintain muscle as you age. Creatine may just provide a boost in doing so, especially for muscle health.
Please note people with kidney disease should consult with their doctor prior to taking creatine supplements.