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Creatine: What It Is, Evidence, Tolerability and Safety

VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS · COMPARED

Creatine vs Protein Powder

Creatine and protein powder are different things. What reviews found for muscle and body composition, why no trial pits one against the other, and whether combining them adds anything.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Back to Creatine: What It Is, Evidence, Tolerability and Safety

The question in plain words

Creatine and protein powder are often sold side by side for training, so people ask which to choose. They are not substitutes. This page is information only.

What the research found

5 findings · 1 mixed · 4 limited or unclearThe colour follows the evidence label on each card.

  1. Does creatine add to resistance training?

    Evidence in adequately nourished people

    In adults under 50, a meta-analysis of 12 studies found creatine plus resistance training increased lean body mass by 1.14 kg more than training alone. [2] A meta-analysis of 35 studies found a gain with resistance training (1.10 kg) but none with mixed exercise or without exercise. [3]

    Caution: The 35-study authors note high variation between individual studies

  2. Does it work equally for everyone?

    Mixed

    In the 35-study analysis, males gained 1.46 kg of lean mass; the increase for females was not statistically significant. [3]

    Caution: Subgroup result

  3. Does protein help the same goal?

    Evidence in adequately nourished people

    The ISSN protein position stand says 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight per day is sufficient for most exercising individuals. [4]

    Caution: A professional-society position for exercising adults

  4. Creatine alone vs protein alone

    None found

    Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed (creatine with whey or protein, versus or compared) on 2026-10-23 and found no trial of this comparison.

    Caution: The two have been tested against different comparison groups

  5. Adding creatine to protein

    Insufficient evidence

    In 17 resistance-trained women over 8 weeks, 24 g whey was compared with 24 g whey plus 5 g creatine monohydrate (study amounts). Lean mass rose 2.5 kg in both groups. The authors called for larger, longer studies. [5]

    Caution: Pilot study, small

Reading the table: creatine was compared with training alone, and protein is described through daily totals, so the numbers cannot be lined up as a ranking.

Who the research covers

  • Vegetarians and vegans: ISSN reports vegetarians have lower muscle creatine stores and may gain more from supplementing. [1]
  • Older adults: a narrative review by creatine researchers, several with industry ties, concludes creatine, mainly with exercise, is safe and helps muscle, strength and function. [6] See creatine for older adults, women and cognition.
  • People short on protein: the ISSN stand says active people can meet protein needs from whole foods, and supplements are a practical way to ensure adequate protein. [4]

No universal winner

Which one fits depends on the question: creatine is studied for lean mass with resistance training, and protein is a daily total. The pilot study found no extra benefit from adding creatine to whey, and no study we found shows the combination is required.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need both creatine and protein powder?

Not necessarily. They address different things. A pilot study found no extra gain from adding creatine to whey. [5]

Which gives more muscle, creatine or protein?

Proper evidence not found. No study we read compared them directly. [2][4]

Is creatine a protein?

No. ISSN describes it as a non-protein amino acid compound found mainly in red meat and seafood. [1]

Does creatine work the same for women and men?

In one meta-analysis the lean mass gain was significant in males and not statistically significant in females. [3]

Can creatine affect kidney blood tests?

In one trial serum creatinine rose in all creatine groups, within normal values for active people. Tell your clinician you take it. [7]

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.

How to read the evidence labels

Labels used on this page: evidence in adequately nourished people, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence.

What each option is

  • Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) describes as found mainly in red meat and seafood, with about 95% of the body's creatine in skeletal muscle. [1]
  • Protein powder is a concentrated protein such as whey or pea. See protein foundations and whey protein.

Creatine is a compound muscles use; protein supplies the amino acids that muscle is built from. They are not interchangeable.

Safety and who should ask first
ISSN reviewed studies of up to 30 g a day for 5 years in healthy people and described them as safe and well tolerated. [1] Those are study amounts, not advice, and they do not cover every person or condition.
  • Kidney conditions and blood tests: in one 28-day trial, serum creatinine, the blood result discussed on the page linked below, rose in all creatine groups, within normal values for active people. [7] Tell your clinician if you take creatine before kidney tests. See creatine, kidney questions and creatinine testing.
  • Medicines, pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, surgery: we did not find creatine-specific advice for these groups in the sources read for this page. Ask a clinician or pharmacist; NCCIH notes many supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children. [8] See how interactions work.
  • Quality: see quality testing and certifications.
References
  1. Kreider RB 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. PMID 28615996. Full text read via Europe PMC (PMC5469049). Read 2026-10-23.
  2. Desai I et al. The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Resistance Training-Based Changes to Body Composition: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 2024. PMID 39074168. Read 2026-10-23.
  3. Delpino FM et al. Influence of age, sex, and type of exercise on the efficacy of creatine supplementation on lean body mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition 2022. PMID 35986981. Read 2026-10-23.
  4. Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017. PMID 28642676. Full text read via Europe PMC (PMC5477153). Read 2026-10-23.
  5. Wilborn CD et al. A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of 8-Week Whey Protein versus Whey Protein Plus Creatine Supplementation on Body Composition and Performance Variables in Resistance-Trained Women. Ann Nutr Metab 2016. PMID 27866187. Read 2026-10-23.
  6. Candow DG et al. Creatine monohydrate supplementation for older adults and clinical populations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2025. PMID 40673730. Read 2026-10-23.
  7. Jagim AR et al. A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012. PMID 22971354. Read 2026-10-23.
  8. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.