Creatine in Food: Meat, Fish and How Much the Body Makes Itself
Where dietary creatine comes from, the amounts reviews report for beef and fish, how much the body makes itself, and what is known about vegetarian and vegan diets.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Uses studied and safety checks for Creatine in Food (Meat and Fish)
Read the safety checks first. Each card says whether a finding comes from people, from the lab or from tradition, which product and way of use was tested, and how strong the evidence is. A finding for one product or one way of using it does not carry over to another.
Check before you use (1)
- Meat, creatine and the creatinine blood test. Creatinine is a by-product of creatine. Both blood and urine creatinine can rise after eating meat as well as after taking creatine supplements, which can affect how a kidney blood test looks.
Meat and fish as the main food sources
Established roleAdults get creatine from food almost only from animal foods, mainly muscle meat and fish.
Supplements: This page is about food. Whether extra creatine from a supplement helps anyone is covered on the supplement pages.
The body makes its own creatine
Established roleThe body builds creatine from three amino acids (arginine, glycine and methionine), mostly in the kidneys and liver.
Supplements: Humans can usually make enough for normal function unless there is an inborn enzyme problem or a shortage of the building-block amino acids.
How much comes from food versus the body
Preliminary or mixedOne review says up to half of the daily need (about 2 g for a 70-kg man) may come from a typical mixed diet, the rest being made by the body.
Supplements: Figures are review estimates for an average adult; individual intake varies with how much meat and fish is eaten.
Amounts in beef, fish and a steak meal
Preliminary or mixedReviews report roughly 1 to 2 g of creatine per pound of uncooked beef or salmon, and about 0.7 g per 6 oz serving of meat. In one absorption study a lightly cooked steak of 408 g held 5.4 g.
Supplements: Amounts are approximate and vary by cut, fish type and cooking. We found no food-composition table listing creatine, so these come from review papers. A 2025 paper says limited data exist and calls for creatine to be measured and labelled in common foods.
Creatine from meat versus a drink
Preliminary or mixedIn a small study of five people who did not use supplements, creatine in meat was absorbed about as well overall as the same amount in a drink, with a lower but longer-lasting peak.
Supplements: Very small study (5 people); it measured blood levels only, not muscle stores or performance.
Vegetarian and vegan diets and lower muscle stores
Preliminary or mixedVegans get no dietary creatine and vegetarians tend to have somewhat lower plasma and muscle creatine than meat eaters. In a 6-month trial in 40 women, muscle total creatine fell over 3 months after switching to a vegetarian diet without supplements. In an 8-week trial, baseline muscle total creatine was 117 mmol per kg in vegetarians versus 130 in non-vegetarians.
Supplements: Trials are small. Lower stores do not by themselves show a health problem. The 2020 systematic review of supplement trials in vegetarians found mixed results on exercise performance.
Food creatine and health or performance outcomes
Not enough evidenceNo trials in the sources read tested a creatine-rich food pattern (such as more meat or fish) against muscle, brain or other outcomes.
Supplements: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read that eating more creatine-containing food changes performance or health outcomes. Results in vegetarians for memory are mixed, and those trials used supplements.
Infants, milk and soy formula
Not enough evidenceInfants receive creatine from mother's milk or milk-based formula; soy-based formula supplies none.
Supplements: The source states what the milks contain. It does not show a health effect, and infant feeding questions belong with a pediatrician.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Body systems (5)
- Bones, Joints & MusclesEstablished role
Most creatine is stored in muscle, and food and the body's own production keep stores up.
- Musculoskeletal SystemEstablished role
Most creatine is stored in muscle, and food and the body's own production keep stores up.
- Kidney & UrinaryDocumented risk
The kidneys help make creatine and clear creatinine; meat can raise blood creatinine, which can affect a kidney blood test.
- Urinary SystemDocumented risk
The kidneys help make creatine and clear creatinine; meat can raise blood creatinine, which can affect a kidney blood test.
- Hepatic / Liver SystemEstablished role
The liver is one of the two organs that make creatine from amino acids.
Body parts (3)
- MusclesEstablished role
Muscle holds most of the body's creatine, and meat and fish carry it. Vegetarians and vegans tend to have somewhat lower stores.
- KidneysDocumented risk
The kidneys help make creatine and clear its by-product creatinine. Meat and creatine supplements can both raise blood creatinine; people with kidney disease should ask a clinician.
- LiverEstablished role
The liver is one of the two organs that make creatine from arginine, glycine and methionine.
Functional actions (1)
- Energy ProductionEstablished role
Muscle stores creatine as phosphocreatine for quick energy in short, powerful efforts. This is its normal role; it does not show that more food creatine raises energy.
Root causes (1)
- Nutrient DeficiencyPreliminary or mixed
Diets without meat or fish give little or no dietary creatine and are linked to lower muscle stores. Lower stores are not shown to be a health problem.
Biomarkers (1)
- CreatinineDocumented risk
Creatinine is a by-product of creatine. Eating meat, like taking creatine, can raise blood and urine creatinine, so a kidney blood test needs this context.
Conditions & symptoms (1)
- Kidney DiseasesDocumented risk
Meat and creatine supplements can raise blood creatinine, which can affect kidney tests. People with kidney disease should ask a clinician about diet and creatine.
What we could and could not verify
We did not find a food-composition database table (for example a national food-composition database) that lists creatine, so the amounts below come from review papers, with the source named. They are approximate and vary by cut, fish type and cooking. A 2025 paper says limited data exist on dietary creatine and calls for more food chemistry studies that measure creatine and for labeling creatine content in common foods. [3]Amounts reported in reviews
| Food or comparison | Amount reported | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Uncooked beef or salmon | About 1 to 2 g of creatine per pound | ISSN position stand, 2017 [2] |
| Meat | About 0.7 g of creatine per 6 oz serving | Misconceptions review, 2021 [4] |
| Lightly cooked steak | 408 g contained 5.4 g of creatine in one absorption study | Critical review, 2022 [5] |
| A 5 g creatine monohydrate serving | Described as equivalent to about 1.1 kg of uncooked beef | Critical review, 2022 [5] |
These show why researchers say it is hard to match supplement amounts from food alone. They are not an intake target. For other protein foods, see oily fish.
What the body makes
The body builds creatine from arginine, glycine and methionine, mostly in the kidneys and liver. [4] Humans can usually make enough for normal function unless there is an inborn error in a making enzyme or a shortage of the building-block amino acids. [1]Vegetarian and vegan diets
- The 2016 review states vegans receive no dietary creatine and that plasma and muscle creatine are usually somewhat lower in vegetarians than in omnivores. [1]
- In a trial of 40 omnivorous women, muscle total creatine fell over 3 months after switching to a vegetarian diet without supplements. [6]
- In a trial of vegetarians and non-vegetarians, baseline muscle total creatine was lower in vegetarians (117 vs 130 mmol per kg). [7]
Lower stores do not by themselves show a health problem. Details on supplement trials are on creatine for vegetarians and vegans.
Cooking and storage
The sources we read do not give cooking-loss figures for creatine in food. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read on how cooking changes creatine content.Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain creatine?
Mainly red meat and fish. [2]
How much creatine is in a serving of meat?
One review gives about 0.7 g per 6 oz serving of meat. [4]
Do vegans get creatine from food?
The 2016 review states vegans receive no dietary creatine; the body still makes some itself. [1]
Does the body make its own creatine?
Yes, from arginine, glycine and methionine in the kidneys and liver. [4]
Can food change a creatinine blood test?
Yes. Meat and creatine supplements can both raise blood and urine creatinine. [4]
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.
Cautions
References
- Brosnan ME, Brosnan JT. The role of dietary creatine. Amino Acids 2016 (abstract read). Read 2026-10-22.
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017 (full text read via PMC5469049; prepared at the request of the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the ISSN; several authors declare industry ties). Read 2026-10-22.
- Ostojic SM. Assessing Dietary Creatine Intake in Population Studies: Challenges and Opportunities. Nutr Rev 2025 (abstract read). Read 2026-10-22.
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021 (full text read via PMC7871530; several authors declare creatine-industry funding or advisory roles). Read 2026-10-22.
- Kreider RB, Jager R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review. Nutrients 2022 (full text read via PMC8912867). Read 2026-10-22.
- Blancquaert L, Baguet A, Bex T, et al. Changing to a vegetarian diet reduces the body creatine pool in omnivorous women, but appears not to affect carnitine and carnosine homeostasis: a randomised trial. Br J Nutr 2018 (abstract read). Read 2026-10-22.
- Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Parise G, et al. Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003 (abstract read). Read 2026-10-22.