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Key Takeaways
- Protein is essential for muscle growth and development, helping repair muscle tissue and build stronger muscle fibers.
- Creatine improves performance for high-intensity exercises. It supplies energy to get through a tough workout and is particularly beneficial for sprinters and weightlifters.
- Including both creatine and protein in your diet may give you even better results for your overall workout performance and recovery.
Creatine enhances energy and performance during high-intensity exercise, while protein supports muscle growth, repair, and development. Combining both may improve workout results and recovery.
Which Is Better for Workout Performance?
Creatine can help boost performance during high-intensity exercises, such as sprinting, weightlifting, and high-intensity interval training. It will help you recover in between sets and can reduce workout fatigue.
However, adequate protein is necessary for anyone who engages in exercise. While protein does not provide immediate energy, it enables muscles to recover, repair, and grow after exercise.
Combining the two will give you the best results. You may experience improved endurance, increased strength, and enhanced muscle mass, while also aiding in the recovery of damaged muscle fibers.
Creatine vs. Protein: Main Differences
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound formed from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. The body can make creatine from amino acids, and it can absorb creatine from certain foods.
On the other hand, protein is a nutrient that is composed of amino acids and provides calories. Protein can be found in every cell in the human body, which is why it is known as the building block of life.
| A Comparison of Creatine vs. Protein | ||
|---|---|---|
| Creatine | Protein | |
| Primary Role | Providing energy for the muscles | Necessary for proper muscle growth and development and tissue repair; helps repair muscles after exercise |
| Best For | Boosting performance during high-intensity exercise | Supporting recovery and muscle growth after exercise |
| How It works | Increases phosphocreatine, which provides phosphate to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is used for energy during high-intensity exercise. | Supplies amino acids for tissue repair, muscle building, and other body functions |
| Sources | Found in animal foods (e.g., meats, poultry) and supplements | Found in both animal and plant-based foods (e.g., beans) ; protein powders |
Creatine Benefits
The benefits of creatine include:
- Can increase and maintain muscle mass during strength training: One meta-analysis found that creatine increased lean muscle mass in 64% of studies analyzed.
- Faster recovery after intense exercise: One study showed that creatine supplementation can reduce soreness, muscle damage, and inflammation post-exercise.
- Improved performance with high-intensity exercise. Studies have shown that creatine can improve sprinting time and enhance agility and jumping performance.
- Increased strength. One meta-analysis has shown that creatine supplementation can increase bench press strength by approximately 5%.
Some people may not respond to creatine supplementation. This may be because some athletes have higher baseline levels of creatine in their muscles.
Creatine Sources
Creatine can be found in the following foods and supplements:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Fish
- Pork
- Supplemental powder or pills
The body produces about 1 gram of creatine per day. Supplementing with creatine can increase the amount of creatine stored in muscles.
Protein Benefits
Protein is essential for many bodily processes. Protein provides the following benefits:
- Limits muscle loss: Protein can help reduce muscle mass loss associated with aging, weight loss, and deconditioning.
- Supports muscle growth: When used during strength training, protein can increase strength and muscle mass.
- Aids recovery: Post-workout, protein can decrease symptoms of muscle damage. Protein with carbohydrates can replenish glycogen stores.
- Weight maintenance: Protein can help you feel full and can decrease ghrelin, the hunger hormone. This can help reduce your appetite and aid in weight loss or weight maintenance.
Protein Sources
Protein is found in a variety of plant and animal sources. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids and are typically derived from animal sources, but also from whole food sources like soy, such as tofu and edamame. Most plant sources of protein are incomplete, so a wide variety of these is needed each day to get all of the essential amino acids.
Food sources of protein include:
- Beans
- Beef
- Chicken
- Eggs or egg whites
- Fish
- Lamb
- Milk
- Pork
- Protein powder
- Shrimp
- Tofu
- Turkey
Precautions and Side Effects
The International Society of Sports Nutrition regards creatine as safe for most healthy individuals. Common side effects associated with creatine use include:
- Gastrointestinal upset: Bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and nausea may occur. This is more likely to occur if you take large doses.
- Water retention and weight gain: This is usually temporary and is more likely to occur if using loading doses of creatine.
- Muscle cramping: Insufficient hydration during intense exercise can lead to dehydration and muscle cramps. It is essential to stay well-hydrated while exercising and using creatine.
Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet; however, consuming too much protein through diet or supplementation long-term can lead to complications, including:
- Gastrointestinal upset, including nausea, diarrhea, or constipation
- Kidney stones
- Increased risk of kidney damage
- Higher risk of heart disease (if consuming high-protein foods high in saturated fat)