Creatine vs Protein: Which Should You Be Taking?

In the event you ask any bodybuilder or trainer concerning the two most significant supplements for muscle growth, it’s likely you may repeatedly hear creatine and protein listed as probably the most essential. 

Each have the flexibility to support your muscle-building and strength goals. But what are the differences between the 2? Is one higher than the opposite? Or, should you are taking each?

We’re about to check creatine vs. protein, breaking down every thing you want to find out about each. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents:

• What Is Creatine?
• What Is Protein?
• Creatine vs Protein: Which Should You Pick?
• Advantages Of Creatine and Protein
• Creatine vs Protein For Muscle Gain
• Creatine vs Protein For Fat Loss
• Creatine vs Protein For Beginners
• Protein Powder vs Creatine: What’s The Best Dosage?
• Can You Take Protein And Creatine Together? 
• FAQs

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a kind of amino acid that plays an important role in energy production in muscles. It helps with muscle contractions and provides fuel for them to maintain working, especially during short, intense exercise.

Our bodies produce roughly one to 2 grams every day, with half of our creatine coming from food sources, including beef, fish, and animal milk. The opposite half is of course produced by our kidneys, liver, and pancreas, with 95% stored in skeletal muscles. The last 5% is stored in the guts, brain, testes, and other tissues.

Studies show creatine is useful since it creates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis¹. ATP is often known as “the molecular unit of currency” since it provides energy for all living cells. ATP is always used and replenished, with the body recycling its body weight price every day. 

Supplemental creatine use has been traced back to the mid-1800s, nevertheless it really exploded in popularity following the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. A tasteless crystalline powder, creatine can easily be mixed into any liquid, capsule, powder, tablet, or food. Studies have shown creatine is protected and may significantly improve athletic performance, energy levels, and muscle growth.

Creatine supplements increase phosphocreatine levels in muscles, providing a burst of energy and delaying fatigue. A meta-analysis showed that taking creatine significantly increased lean body mass in 64% of studies². Besides improving lean body composition, supplemental creatine also increases muscle strength, improves exercise performance, assists muscle recovery, and enhances brain function.

You possibly can learn much more about creatine in our article: What Are The Kinds of Creatine?

What’s Protein?

Proteins are certainly one of the constructing blocks of all living things, consisting of amino acids joined by peptide bonds, and are answerable for cell growth, repair, and performance.

While most individuals would associate protein with muscle growth, it also builds and repairs cells within the skin, bones, organs, hair, and nails. Proteins consist of long chains of 20 total amino acids. Nine essential amino acids aren’t created within the body, so we must obtain them through food or supplementation. 

Protein is certainly one of the three primary macronutrients, together with fats and carbohydrates. Protein powder and other protein supplements are the primary selling complement, indicating their importance in fitness. 

The most well-liked protein powder is whey protein, a protein made as a byproduct of cheese manufacturing. Whey concentrate is a quite common low cost form that’s roughly 60-85% pure, while whey isolate is a highly processed type of at the very least 90% purity.

After resistance training or high-intensity exercise, taking whey protein supplementation enhances protein synthesis and lean muscle growth. Some gym goers will drink protein shakes or other products throughout the day to extend their protein intake and help them reach their macro goals. 

Take a look at our article on the Kinds of Protein to learn much more about this complement!

Creatine vs Protein: Which Should You Pick?

I just discussed what each is, in order that results in the query: Which of those supplements must you be taking?

And while a tad anticlimactic, my answer is ideally, you are taking each. You will see why as we get into more specific details about each complement, including their unique advantages and the way they work.

As they each do various things, including each in your complement line-up will make sure you’re constructing as much muscle and recovering from workouts as effectively as possible.

Let’s discuss their advantages, so you’ll be able to see why each is necessary to your muscle-building goals.

Creatine vs Protein Powder: What Are The Advantages Of Each?

Protein and creatine are the 2 hottest supplements due to their many health advantages. So how do the advantages differ between protein vs creatine? Does one outshine the opposite?

What Are The Best Creatine Advantages?

First, let’s take a look at what you’ll be able to expect to realize from creatine supplements.

• Improves exercise performance: Extensive studies have been done and shown that creatine supplementation results in increases in performance in short-duration, max-intensity exercises². 
• Muscle cell hydration: One among the principal ways creatine helps grow muscle and make someone appear much larger is by hydrating muscle cells. Creatine is hydrophilic, which suggests it attracts water into the muscle tissue. The increased water causes the cell to grow, which maximizes growth and improves performance. 
• Increases strength and recovery: A meta-analysis on creatine supplementation’s effect on lower- and upper-body strength showed significantly improved muscular strength and performance in a resistance training program. With creatine supplementation, the max bench press increased by 5.3%, with other studies showing similar results².
• Supports brain health: Studies show that creatine supplementation can have neuroprotective properties and may potentially improve cognitive function, especially in those with conditions marked by brain creatine deficiencies, equivalent to Alzheimer’s or depression³. There’s a necessity for more conclusive research on this, nevertheless it definitely has shown success. 

What Are The Advantages Of Protein?

The advantages of taking protein include the next:

• Increases protein synthesis: Studies show that taking 25 grams of protein before or after resistance training is sufficient to stimulate protein synthesis maximally⁴. Protein synthesis is the strategy of creating latest protein cells, which is crucial for muscle growth. 
• Comprises branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and amino acids: Each protein powders and natural protein sources like beef and fish contain all nine essential amino acids. Whey, casein, soy, and egg protein are complete proteins because they contain all nine essential amino acids. Several products also contain branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), proven to assist construct muscle, decrease muscle fatigue, and help muscle soreness. Most protein products contain 5.5 grams of BCAAs. 
• Supports immune system: Studies have shown that protein comprises amino acids and nutrients vital to your immune system to work properly. Amino acid deficiencies have been linked to infectious diseases, so supplementing with protein can improve health and help prevent infectious diseases⁵.
• Helps appetite control: Studies have shown that whey protein reduces the hunger-inducing hormone ghrelin and increases appetite-reducing peptides GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin. It also improves glucometabolic homeostasis, which suggests it helps stabilize the metabolism of blood sugars⁶. 
• Can assist lower blood pressure: One study found that participants who took 30 grams of whey protein every day for 12 weeks had significantly lower systolic blood pressure in comparison with the control⁷.

Protein vs Creatine: Comparing Advantages

Let’s take a look at the advantages of every complement side-by-side.

Creatine vs Protein For Muscle Gain: Which Works Higher?

Each creatine and protein have been proven effective at increasing strength, but they do it in other ways.

Creatine helps improve exercise performance by increasing ATP, the energy required for brief bursts of power during exercise. This increased energy allows the muscle to handle greater stress and resistance, equating to muscle endurance, a better quality workout, and muscle growth.

As mentioned above, an in-depth meta-analysis showed that creatine supplementation increased lean body mass in 64% of participants across all studies².

Protein is the constructing block of muscles, so it’s logical that protein supplementation would help support muscle growth and repair. Weight training and other varieties of high-intensity exercise cause tiny tears in muscle fibers. Protein powder stimulates protein synthesis, which creates and rebuilds muscle cells.

One study from 2019 found that taking a 40-gram protein shake thrice every week before and after exercise led to increased muscle circumference, strength, and exercise volume. Moreover, ingesting protein each before and after exercise could be simpler than one for muscle growth⁸. We discuss protein timing more in our article: When Is The Best Time To Drink A Protein Shake?

Protein is barely higher than creatine for muscle gain since it is directly answerable for protein synthesis, whereas creatine provides energy for the muscle. But, ideally, a mix of each is right for maximizing muscle growth and repair.

Creatine vs Whey Protein For Fat Loss: Which Works Best?

Creatine is known for its water-retaining properties, leading many to avoid it during a fat-loss phase. Nevertheless, one meta-analysis shows that creatine combined with resistance training may help increase fat loss.

Adults over 50 who took creatine lost about yet another pound of fat than those that didn’t⁹. This is probably going because of creatine increasing lean muscle mass and providing more energy during workouts.

Nearly any fat loss food regimen you discover, or effective ones for that matter, feature high amounts of lean protein. As mentioned above, protein helps with appetite control by increasing satiety. Protein’s higher thermic effect, which requires more energy to digest than carbs and fats, also can help boost metabolism. Lastly, protein also helps maintain muscle mass during food regimen and exercise. 

Overall, whey protein supplementation likely enhances fat loss probably the most, but creatine also plays a crucial role. If you ought to learn more about creatine and fat loss, take a look at our article: Should You Take Creatine While Cutting?

Whey Protein Or Creatine For Beginners

Some of the common questions beginners ask is: “Which is healthier, protein or creatine?” Ideally, it’s best to take each if possible, but when you can absolutely only pick one, I’d suggest going with protein powder.

Some of the critical features for a beginner is constructing a healthy food regimen filled with protein before supplements like creatine. Whey protein supplements are an ideal option to increase your protein intake. Once you determine a consistent workout routine and food regimen, you’ll be able to slowly add other supplements, equivalent to creatine.

Ready to search out an efficient and delicious-tasting protein powder? Take a look at these 14 Best Protein Powder Supplements!

Protein Powder vs Creatine: What’s The Best Dosage?

The FDA recommends that male adults eat 50 grams of protein as a part of a 2,000-calorie food regimen. Nevertheless, that increases to 1 gram per pound of body weight every day for bodybuilding and regular exercise.

In a scientific review, research determined a every day protein intake of 1.6 g/kg of body weight, or 0.7 grams per pound, is best for constructing muscle mass with resistance training¹⁰.

People seeking to burn fat while maintaining muscle will typically stay between 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight every day. People who find themselves bulking or doing high-intensity exercise can eat as much as two grams of protein per pound of body weight every day. 

For creatine supplements, users typically start with a “loading” phase involving a better dose, followed by a maintenance dose. During loading, users will take between 20 and 25 grams every day for the primary five to seven days. After the loading phase, you are taking five grams a day.

For more information on one of the best creatine dosage, take a look at our article on How To Take Creatine To Construct Muscle & Strength.

Creatine vs. Protein: Can You Take Protein And Creatine Together?

Yes, not only can you are taking protein and creatine together, but I highly beneficial that you just take each! 

To maximise cell energy, growth, and protein synthesis, each protein powder and creatine must be used together. One of the best overall creatine complement available on the market today is Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder.

Optimum Nutrition is mostly considered the highest complement manufacturer, and this product isn’t any different. Each serving comprises five grams of 100% pure micronized creatine monohydrate.

For much more great protein powder recommendations, take a look at our article on the 8 Best Creatine Supplements!

After which be sure you pair your creatine complement with an ideal protein powder. Among the best and easiest ways to spice up your protein intake is by drinking shakes at the very least once every day. My favorite protein powder is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder.

Each serving comprises 24 grams of a high-quality whey protein mix with 5.5 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and 11 grams of essential amino acids. Plus, there are greater than 20 amazing flavors to pick from!

To learn more concerning the top protein powders, take a look at our comprehensive round-up of the 14 Best Protein Powders.

My suggestion? Since raw creatine powder is tasteless, you’ll be able to easily add it to your protein shake so you’ll be able to take each supplements in a single serving.

FAQs

Let’s take a take a look at another questions we commonly get about creatine vs protein.

Is creatine a protein?

No, creatine could be very different from protein, although each have been proven to extend muscle growth. Creatine is a kind of amino acid, whereas a protein is a compound made up of amino acid chains. 

Does creatine have unwanted side effects?

Creatine is mostly considered protected, but there could be unwanted side effects, especially in large doses. Unwanted effects might include gastrointestinal issues equivalent to stomach discomfort, gas, bloating, or diarrhea. It can also cause weight gain and bloating because of water retention. We discuss this in depth in our article: Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight?

Can you set creatine in protein shakes?

Yes, we recommend you are trying adding your creatine to your protein shake. That is an ideal option to make sure you never miss a day’s dose. 

Do I want creatine to construct muscle?

No, you don’t want creatine to construct muscle; all you want to construct muscle is a correct exercise program, a healthy food regimen containing protein, and a healthy sleep schedule. Creatine is an ideal asset for constructing muscle but is just not required. 

Do you would like protein powder when you take creatine?

No, you technically don’t need protein powder. Ideally, though, taking each can be best, as they affect the body and muscle growth in another way.

Creatine vs Protein: Which Is Higher?

While creatine and protein each promote muscle gain, there may be a reason that protein is the number one-selling complement and creatine is number two.

While each supplements are proven to assist with muscle growth, protein is the constructing block of muscle. It’s the king of the complement industry and certain will probably be for the foreseeable future; nevertheless, creatine is an in depth second that deserves your attention.

It is also necessary to notice that if resources permit, it’s best to take them together because they each have unique advantages that may help your fitness goals. 

One of the best option to summarize the difference between creatine vs. protein powder is that creatine increases exercise capability by providing energy to the cell. In contrast, protein helps increase protein synthesis and muscle growth.

Ready to begin taking this powerhouse duo every day? Pair certainly one of these 8 Best Creatine Supplements with certainly one of the 14 Best Protein Powder Supplements and prepare to see some serious gains!

References:

1. SAITO, Suguru, et al. Creatine Supplementation Enhances Immunological Function of Neutrophils by Increasing Cellular Adenosine Triphosphate. Vol. 41, no. 4, 1 Jan. 2022. https://doi.org/10.12938/bmfh.2022-018. 
2. Butts, Jessica, et al. “Creatine Use in Sports.” Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, vol. 10, no. 1, 23 Oct. 2017. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5753968/, https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738117737248.
3. Roschel, Hamilton, et al. “Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 2, 10 Feb. 2021, p. 586, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020586.
4. Weinert, Dan J. “Nutrition and Muscle Protein Synthesis: A Descriptive Review.” The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, vol. 53, no. 3, 2009. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732256.
5. Li, Peng, et al. “Amino Acids and Immune Function.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 98, no. 02, 3 Apr. 2007, p. 237, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/amino-acids-and-immune-function/B1A9C1587A8602613F6447BA8404D8E1, https://doi.org/10.1017/s000711450769936x.
6. Rigamonti, Antonello E., et al. “Whey Proteins Reduce Appetite, Stimulate Anorexigenic Gastrointestinal Peptides and Improve Glucometabolic Homeostasis in Young Obese Women.” Nutrients, vol. 11, no. 2, 23 Jan. 2019, p. 247, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11020247.
7. Yang, Jing, et al. “Effect of Whey Protein on Blood Pressure in Pre‐ and Mildly Hypertensive Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study.” Food Science & Nutrition, vol. 7, no. 5, 21 Apr. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1040.
8. Park, Yeram, et al. “Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation Prior To, and Following, Resistance Exercise on Body Composition and Training Responses: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.” Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, vol. 23, no. 2, 30 June 2019. https://doi.org/10.20463/jenb.2019.0015.
9. Forbes, et al. “Changes in Fat Mass Following Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training in Adults ≥50 Years of Age: A Meta-Evaluation.” Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, vol. 4, no. 3, 23 Aug. 2019, p. 62, https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk4030062.
10. Stokes, Tanner, et al. “Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training.” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 2, 7 Feb. 2018, p. 180, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/180/pdf, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020180.