at a glance
– Creatine is involved in the production of energy via ATP.
– Creatine is only found in animal products, we can produce some in our bodies but vegans tend to have less than omnivores.
– Studies1 indicate supplementing can enhance neurological function in vegans, but not meat eaters.
– Creatine is commonly used by athletes for sports performance, vegans may benefit more than meat eaters in this regard.
What is creatine and do vegans need it
Creatine is commonly used by athletes due to its role in ATP energy production. However, more recently, studies have shown it can increasing working memory and general intelligence in vegetarians.1 This is likely via the same pathyways of ATP production in the brain rather than muscles.
Creatine is a ‘carninutrient’, meaning that the only dietary sources are from animals. (There is some in cranberry juice but you would need to drink 50 litres to obtain a gram, which would be fatal!). We can produce some in our body but vegans tend to have reduced amounts2. Therefore it is not surprising vegetarians have been shown to have more cognitive benefits from supplementing with creatine than meat eaters.3
In that study, supplementing with creatine enhanced the memory of vegetarians, but not omnivores. This indicates to us that supplementing our (vegan) levels of creatine upto that of omnivores (which consume on average 1 gram a day) can be beneficial neurologically.
Due to their low levels of creatine, researchers have shown vegans also tend to be more sensitive to the athletic boosting properties of creatine.2 Which indicates just injesting 1g can have some physical and mental benefits for vegans. Exercise breaks down creatine, (in muscles during production of energy via ATP), which indicates athletic vegans may a further increased need and an increased risk of low levels of creatine, which could impair brain and sports functionality.
Whilst there maybe further benefits, especially regarding muscular function, to higher dosages, (like the 5g in most muscle building formulas), in Vegan Powah we are keeping our dose to 1g to maximise the neurological benefits, and mimimise the water retention and swelling sometimes reported on higher doses. We consider 1g to be a maintenance dose, which emulates what an omnivore would obtain daily in a diet containing meat.
Those who want to supplement with extra creatine can safely do so. If you have been vegan for a long time it could be worth considering taking a larger dose for a few weeks to recover creatine levels fully and then take the 1g maintenance dose found in Vegan Powah if you are looking to rapidly optimize your sports performance.
Recent clinical trials have shown in the long run, even just 1g of Creatine Monohydrate taken daily does significanltly raise levels in the body over time.4
Interestingly, recent research indicates that creatine helps to keep blood vessels supple and less prone to damage in vegans. Vegans tend to have higher levels of homocysteine, and creatine can prevent hyperhomocysteinemia. The increased levels of hyperhomoscysteinemia in vegans is probably due to the low natural levels of creatine. This results in something called reduced vascular reactivity. Creatine supplementation enhances vascular reactivity in vegans which reduces the likelihood of arterial damage and clotting.5
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7246861/
(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14600563/
(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21118604/