Is creatine vegan?

Is creatine monohydrate vegan?

Creatine monohydrate is usually made by synthesizing sarcosine and cyanamide. Since it does not contain animal products, 100% creatine monohydrate can thus be classified as 100% vegan. However, there is one important exception: creatine capsules usually contain gelatin from cattle and are therefore not suitable for vegans.

So, if you are looking for a vegan option, it's best to choose a pure powdered form based on creatine monohydrate. To be even more certain that your supplement is plant-based, you can check the packaging for a vegan certification or label.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a natural organic compound produced in the body, primarily by the liver and kidneys. It is mainly found in skeletal muscles, where it exists as free creatine and creatine phosphate, which serve as important energy storage forms – facilitating the recycling of ATP, which can be seen as the energy currency of our cells.

The body produces creatine using the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. So, as long as you consume enough of these amino acids through your diet (which is the case if you follow a balanced vegan or vegetarian diet), you will produce enough creatine to function healthily.

100% creatine monohydrate is suitable for vegans.

However, meat-eaters often consume much more creatine through their diet: on average about 2 grams per day. This is logical, as creatine is primarily found in muscle tissue, including that of other animals.

In comparison, dietary creatine intake among people following a vegan or vegetarian diet is negligible. Therefore, lower concentrations of creatine are often found in the blood and skeletal muscles of people who follow a plant-based diet.

Learn more about: how creatine works

Creatine in a vegan diet

Creatine supplements can therefore be an important addition for people following a vegan diet. This is because the main dietary sources of creatine are, for example, seafood and red meat, and these foods are naturally not an option for vegans.

According to research, vegans also often have lower creatine stores in their muscles. They are also more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can reduce creatine production in the body. Therefore, a creatine monohydrate powder can be an excellent choice for vegans.

Learn more: How is creatine made?

Creatine for vegan athletes

If you are a vegan athlete, creatine monohydrate supplements become even more interesting, as they can help you compensate for nutritional deficiencies and improve your athletic performance.

Research has shown that creatine can increase creatine stores in vegetarians and vegans and improve performance during high-intensity exercise.

Another study showed that creatine supplements improved the strength training performance of vegetarian subjects.

Creatine dosage for vegans

A common protocol involves a high intake (20 to 30 grams per day) during the ‘loading phase’ for about a week, followed by a lower ongoing ‘maintenance dose’ of 3 to 5 grams per day.

The loading phase is intended to rapidly saturate creatine stores in skeletal muscles, and once saturated, the lower daily intake of 3 to 5 grams can maintain these levels.

The loading phase can be omitted, and a daily intake of 3 to 5 grams per day will also lead to the same increase in muscle creatine levels over time, but it may take slightly longer (3 to 4 weeks) to maximize your stores.

In terms of timing, there is no unambiguous advice available. Some studies show that consuming it shortly after resistance training is slightly more beneficial for increasing muscle mass compared to supplementation just before training.

It is probably more important to use creatine with carbohydrate and/or protein sources, as this seems to promote absorption into skeletal muscles by about 25%. Adding creatine to a carbohydrate and protein-rich smoothie after your workout could therefore be a good option.

Learn more about: How long to use creatine?

Creatine increases creatine stores in vegetarians and vegans.

Frequently asked questions

Is all creatine plant-based?

No, this depends on the form of administration. Creatine pills and capsules, in particular, contain bovine tissue and gelatin from cattle. Therefore, generally, synthetic creatine powders are the best choice for vegans. You can also look for the labels '100% vegetarian' or 'for vegetarians'.

Which creatine is vegan?

Arie Boomsma's BOOM creatine monohydrate is a very good option for vegans. This popular creatine powder has only one ingredient and is vegan.

Are creatine supplements cruelty-free?

Yes, most creatine supplements are vegan and cruelty-free. Check the packaging to ensure your supplement is cruelty-free.

What are good creatine-containing foods for vegans?

Unfortunately, there are no creatine-containing foods that vegans can eat. But vegans can still enjoy several protein-rich foods that naturally contain a lot of arginine, glycine, and methionine, all of which support the body's natural production of creatine.

Some of these foods include:

• Legumes
• Grains
• Nuts
• Pumpkin seeds

But also soybeans, peanuts, spirulina, chickpeas, lentils, watermelon seeds, and seaweed are foods that can promote the natural production of creatine.

Conclusion: How vegan is creatine?

Especially 100% creatine monohydrate powders are very vegan and fit perfectly into a vegan diet. And that's good, because people on a vegan diet may have lower creatine levels as there are no creatine-rich foods available.

Therefore, vegans may benefit from adding a creatine supplement to their routine. Fortunately, there are plenty of good vegan creatine supplements, including BOOM, which has also been tested as the best creatine for muscle growth.

Vegans should be careful with creatine supplements in capsule form, as they may contain gelatin, which is made from animal ingredients.