Creatine With Alcohol, Caffeine and Energy Drinks: What Is Known
What studies show about creatine with caffeine, alcohol and energy drinks: mixed performance results with caffeine, animal-only alcohol data, and why labels and kidney health matter.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
How the evidence is labeled
Mixed means studies disagree. Preclinical means animal or laboratory work that may not apply to people. Insufficient evidence means too little to say. Proper evidence not found means we looked and found nothing usable.Creatine with caffeine
Creatine and caffeine work through independent mechanisms. [1] What studies found, with the amounts used in each study (not advice):| Study | What it found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 9 healthy men, 6 days: creatine (0.5 g per kg of body weight daily) with or without caffeine (5 mg per kg daily) [2] | Muscle torque rose 10 to 23% with creatine but did not change with creatine plus caffeine, and the authors wrote that the effect was "completely eliminated" by caffeine. [2] | Mixed (very small trial, 1996) |
| Later studies, summarized in a 2025 review (authors with creatine-industry ties) [1] | One study found no extra effect of caffeine (3 mg per kg) after 6 days of creatine loading. [1] The reviewers concluded the two ingredients likely do not oppose each other, and likely do not add to each other when habitually consumed. [1] | Mixed |
| Long-term combined use | The long-term possible interference effects are unknown. [1] | Insufficient evidence |
The same review says the combination may increase stomach upset. [1] Caffeine's own limits matter more for health than any creatine effect: the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day (about two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee) as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in most adults, and says conditions and some medications can make people more sensitive. [3] See caffeine supplements and the creatine timing and caffeine page.
Creatine with alcohol
Proper evidence not found in people. We searched PubMed for creatine together with alcohol or ethanol and found no human study of the combination. Animal results:- In mice fed ethanol, adding creatine was reported to worsen liver damage compared with ethanol alone. [4] The same team reported creatine protected against fatty liver from a high-fat diet but made alcohol-related fatty liver worse. [5]
- In rats fed ethanol for 4 to 5 weeks, creatine neither prevented alcoholic fatty liver nor reduced some alcohol-related changes. [6]
These are animal studies at diet-added amounts and cannot be applied to people. They are a reason to ask a clinician if you drink heavily or have liver disease, not proof of harm. See liver safety.
Creatine and energy drinks
Energy drinks vary widely: the FDA lists about 41 to 246 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce drink, and says medical experts advise against them for children and teens because of sugar and caffeine. [3] We found no study of creatine inside energy drinks. The FDA notes that caffeine can be an added ingredient in dietary supplements and over-the-counter medicines, so check labels. [3] A laboratory study warned that creatine products can carry the risk of undisclosed added caffeine; its authors added caffeine to samples themselves to test a detection method. [7] Read more in caffeine and energy drinks, creatine products and contamination and medication interactions.Frequently asked questions
Does caffeine cancel out creatine?
Results are mixed. A 1996 trial in 9 men found caffeine removed creatine's performance benefit. [2] A 2025 review concluded the two likely do not oppose each other. [1]
Is it safe to drink alcohol while using creatine?
Proper evidence not found in people. Mouse data suggest worse liver damage with alcohol plus creatine. [4] Ask a clinician if you drink or have liver disease.
Can I mix creatine into an energy drink?
We found no study of that. The FDA gives 41 to 246 mg caffeine per 12-ounce energy drink. [3] Ask a pharmacist if you take medicines.
Does coffee affect how creatine works?
The long-term effects of caffeine and creatine together are unknown. [1]
Do creatine products ever contain added caffeine?
A laboratory study warned of that risk but spiked its own samples. [7] Check labels.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Who should ask first
References
- Antonio J, Brown AF, Candow DG, et al. Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2025 (narrative review, full text read via PMC11703406; several authors declare creatine-industry ties). Read 2026-10-23.
- Vandenberghe K, Gillis N, Van Leemputte M, et al. Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading. J Appl Physiol 1996 (abstract read). Read 2026-10-23.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? Consumer update, content current as of 08/28/2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- Marinello PC, Cella PS, Testa MTJ, et al. Creatine supplementation exacerbates ethanol-induced hepatic damage in mice. Nutrition 2019 (animal study, abstract read). Read 2026-10-23.
- Marinello PC, Cella PS, Testa MTJ, et al. Creatine supplementation protects against diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver but exacerbates alcoholic fatty liver. Life Sci 2022 (animal study, abstract read). Read 2026-10-23.
- Ganesan M, Feng D, Barton RW, et al. Creatine Supplementation Does Not Prevent the Development of Alcoholic Steatosis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016 (animal study, abstract read). Read 2026-10-23.
- da Cruz Pires MC, de Oliveira ACA, Folli GS, et al. Mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with machine learning for rapid detection of caffeine in creatine supplements. Spectrochim Acta A 2026 (laboratory method study using samples the researchers spiked themselves, abstract read). Read 2026-10-23.