Creatine vs Protein Powder: Which Do You Need, and Can You Mix Them?
Love Life Supplements
Reviewed by Sarah Law, Dip CNM, Naturopathic Nutritionist
Creatine vs protein: they are not alternatives, because they do different jobs. Protein supplies the amino acids your muscles are built from; creatine tops up the phosphocreatine your muscles burn in short, hard efforts such as a heavy set or a sprint. Which one you need depends on your diet. If you already eat around 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, a 49-trial meta-analysis found extra protein added no further muscle gain,1 so a protein powder only helps if you fall short. Creatine is the addition most people training for strength are missing, because food gives you only part of what it takes to fill your stores, and 3 g a day increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. Our recommendation: get your protein from meals first, use a shake to close any gap, and add 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate daily. Yes, you can stir the creatine straight into your protein shake. Our Creavitalis creatine monohydrate powder gives 5 g a scoop for £0.67 a day on our UK store and $0.75 on our US store, or £0.60 and $0.68 for a new subscriber.
Our facts, from the printed labels and lab reports: Love Life Supplements Creavitalis is pure creatine monohydrate produced by AlzChem in Germany and packed in the UK, 5 g (one scoop) per serving and 60 servings in a 300 g tub, vegan, with no flavourings or fillers. Batch 41500291 was tested by Eurofins (report AR-733-2026-00087325-01, 26 June 2026) at 99.9 g creatine monohydrate per 100 g with heavy metals below detection. A tub is £39.95 on our UK store and $45.24 on our US store (£35.96 and $40.72 for the first Subscribe & Save order). We do not sell a whey protein powder; if you need one, the table below compares two of the biggest names, and our EAA powder sits alongside them for readers who want the essential amino acids without a full shake.
Creavitalis Creatine Monohydrate Powder: 5 g pure creatine monohydrate per scoop, 60 servings, unflavoured, mixes into water or your protein shake.
View product- Different jobs. Protein is building material; creatine is an energy buffer for short, intense work. One cannot stand in for the other.
- Protein has a ceiling. Beyond about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, extra protein added no further gain in fat-free mass across 49 trials and 1,863 people.1
- Creatine needs 3 to 5 g a day, every day. 3 g a day raised muscle creatine by about 20% over 28 days, the same rise a week of 20 g loading gives.8
- Mixing them is fine. Creatine taken with about 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate raised whole-body creatine retention by roughly 25%.7
- Price gap. Across the products below a day of creatine costs £0.07 to £1.20 on UK stores and $0.22 to $1.36 on US stores; a scoop of whey costs £1.07 at Myprotein's UK sale price and $1.78 to $2.57 on Optimum Nutrition's US store.
- Protein powder contains no creatine unless it is listed as an added ingredient, so a shake alone does not cover both.
Creatine vs protein: what is the difference?
Protein is a macronutrient: you eat it in meals, digest it into amino acids, and use those amino acids to build and repair muscle and almost every other tissue. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass and to the maintenance of muscle mass, which are authorised health claims on the GB register.15 Creatine is not a protein and supplies no meaningful protein. It is a small compound your body makes from three amino acids and stores mainly in muscle as phosphocreatine, which regenerates ATP, the energy molecule muscles spend in the first few seconds of a hard effort. The authorised claim for creatine is narrow and specific: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise, for a daily intake of 3 g.15
The practical difference is the dose. You need tens of grams of protein a day and most of it comes from food. You need only 3 to 5 g of creatine a day, and food alone rarely fills your stores: the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand points to the value of a habitual creatine intake of about 3 g a day throughout life.3
| Question | Creatine | Protein powder |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A compound made from arginine, glycine and methionine, stored in muscle | Concentrated food protein, usually whey from milk |
| Main job | Regenerates ATP for short, intense efforts | Supplies amino acids to build and repair muscle |
| Typical daily amount | 3 to 5 g (or about 0.1 g per kg)11 | 20 to 40 g a scoop, only to fill a gap in your diet2 |
| Can food cover it? | Partly; meat and fish carry some, plant foods almost none | Usually yes, with planned meals |
| How fast you notice it | Muscle stores fill in about 4 weeks at 3 g a day, or about a week with loading8 | Gradual, over weeks of training |
| Authorised claim (GB) | Increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise (3 g a day) | Contributes to a growth in, and maintenance of, muscle mass |
| Reference intake | None set in the UK (no NRV) or the US (no RDA) | UK RNI 0.75 g per kg; US RDA 0.8 g per kg |
Claim wording from the GB nutrition and health claims register. Reference intakes: British Nutrition Foundation (UK RNI) and the US National Academies Dietary Reference Intakes (RDA). US readers can find background on both supplements in the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on exercise and athletic performance.20
Which is better for muscle gain, creatine or protein?
If your diet is short on protein, protein comes first; if it is not, creatine adds something extra protein cannot. That is what the trials show when you read them together.
On protein, the largest analysis pooled 49 randomised trials with 1,863 people doing resistance training for at least six weeks. Protein supplements increased one-rep-max strength by an average of 2.49 kg and fat-free mass by 0.30 kg more than training alone, with bigger effects in people who were already trained and smaller ones with age. Crucially, once total protein intake passed about 1.62 g per kg a day, extra protein produced no further gain in fat-free mass.1 So a protein shake helps the person who is short of protein and does very little for the person who already eats plenty.
On creatine, a meta-analysis of 22 trials in 721 adults aged around 57 to 70 found that creatine taken during resistance training led to 1.37 kg more lean tissue mass than placebo, with greater gains in chest press and leg press strength.4 The ISSN's position stand summarises the wider research as consistent improvements in high-intensity exercise performance and the training adaptations that follow.3
Two studies tested the combination directly. In 36 men training for six weeks, the group given whey protein plus creatine gained more lean tissue mass and more bench press strength than whey alone or placebo, although squat strength rose similarly in every group.5 In resistance-trained men over 11 weeks, creatine with carbohydrate, whey alone, and creatine with whey all produced greater strength and muscle gains than carbohydrate alone.6 Neither study is a reason to drop one for the other; both suggest that, with adequate protein, creatine is a sensible next step.
How much protein do you need a day?
For most adults the official reference is modest: the UK Reference Nutrient Intake is 0.75 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, which the British Nutrition Foundation translates to about 56 g for men and 45 g for women,12 and the US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 g per kg.14 The UK reference intake used on food labels is 50 g a day for an adult.13 These figures are set to cover basic needs, not to maximise muscle gain. For people doing resistance training, the ISSN suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg a day,2 and the meta-analysis above found the benefit levelled off at about 1.6 g per kg.1
The table shows what that means at three body weights. It is our arithmetic from the published per-kg figures.
| Body weight | UK RNI (0.75 g/kg) | US RDA (0.8 g/kg) | Training plateau (about 1.6 g/kg) | ISSN range (1.4 to 2.0 g/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 45 g | 48 g | 96 g | 84 to 120 g |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 56 g | 60 g | 120 g | 105 to 150 g |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 68 g | 72 g | 144 g | 126 to 180 g |
Per-kg figures: British Nutrition Foundation (UK RNI), National Academies Dietary Reference Intakes (US RDA), Morton et al. 2018 (plateau), Jäger et al. 2017 (ISSN). Rounded to the nearest gram.
Per meal, a dose-response study found that about 20 g of protein after resistance exercise maximally stimulated muscle protein synthesis in young men, with more simply being oxidised.10 The ISSN puts the useful range at 20 to 40 g a serving spread across the day.2 A single scoop of whey gives 22 to 24 g, which is why one shake is usually enough to close a breakfast or post-training gap.
"When a client asks me whether they need protein powder, I ask them to write down what they ate on two ordinary days first. Most people are closer to their target than they expect. If there is a real gap, usually at breakfast, a shake is an easy way to fill it, but it is a top-up to good meals, not a replacement for them."
Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female
Do you need protein powder at all?
Many people do not. The British Nutrition Foundation reports that UK men already eat about 85 g and women about 67 g of protein a day on average, comfortably above the reference intake.12 If you train hard and want to sit nearer 1.6 g per kg, the gap is often 20 to 40 g, which a portion of Greek yoghurt, eggs, fish or a protein shake can fill. A protein powder is a convenience food, not a requirement: it is quick, portable and easy to measure, which is its real value.
The NHS Eatwell Guide places beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat as the main protein foods, and dairy alongside them;16 build your meals around those first. Reach for a powder when the numbers or your schedule do not add up. Creatine is different: to get 3 to 5 g from food you would need to eat a large amount of red meat or fish every day, and vegans and vegetarians get almost none, so a supplement is the practical route.
Can you mix creatine with protein powder?
Yes. Creatine monohydrate is unflavoured and stirs into a protein shake, milk, juice or water, and mixing the two does not stop either from working. Optimum Nutrition's own directions for its creatine say to add 5 g to a protein shake or a glass of your favourite drink.19 There may even be a small advantage: when 12 men took creatine with about 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate, whole-body creatine retention rose by about 25% compared with creatine taken with only 5 g of carbohydrate, through a larger insulin response.7 You do not need a giant shake for creatine to work, but taking it with a meal or a shake is a sensible default.
Two practical points. First, mix and drink it the same day rather than preparing shakes days ahead. Second, if you buy a protein powder with creatine already added, check that the label gives a number of grams of creatine, ideally 3 to 5 g a serving; a proprietary blend that hides the amount tells you nothing.
- Take your normal shake or breakfast drink.
- Add one level scoop (5 g) of creatine monohydrate, or 3 to 5 capsules if you prefer capsules.
- Stir or shake for a few seconds; micronised creatine dissolves quickly.
- Do the same every day, training day or not.
"I keep creatine simple for clients: the best time to take it is the time you will remember every day. Stirring it into the shake or breakfast you already have works well, because you are attaching a new habit to one you already do."
Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female
Should you take creatine or protein first, before or after a workout?
For most people the order and the clock matter much less than the daily total. A meta-analysis of protein timing found that once total protein intake was accounted for, taking protein around the training session made no significant difference to strength or muscle gains; total daily protein was the strongest predictor.9 Creatine works by saturating your muscle stores over days and weeks, so the timing of a single dose matters little. In the classic Nottingham work, 3 g a day raised muscle creatine by about 20% over 28 days, the same rise as six days of 20 g a day, and 2 g a day held the higher level once it was reached.8 If you want faster saturation, a short loading phase works; it is optional. Our guide to whether you need to load creatine covers the trade-offs, and how to take creatine covers timing in more detail.
Creatine and protein powders compared: dose and price per serving
The table lists two widely bought creatine powders, two of the biggest-selling whey powders, and our own creatine, EAA powder and combined shake. Figures for the other brands were read from each brand's own website on 2 November 2026;171819 prices are the one-off price shown that day for the stated pack, before subscription discounts. Our facts are from the printed labels named in the notes, and our prices were read live from our UK store and from our US store through Shopify's US market.
| Product (serving) | Per serving | Pack and price | Cost per serving | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love Life Supplements Creavitalis Creatine Monohydrate Powder (1 scoop, 5 g) | 5 g creatine monohydrate | 300 g, 60 servings: £39.95 UK, $45.24 US | £0.67 / $0.75 (first subscription £0.60 / $0.68) | Label v6; vegan; Eurofins 99.9 g/100 g, heavy metals below detection |
| Love Life Supplements Creapure Creatine Capsules (5 capsules) | 5 g Creapure creatine monohydrate (1 g a capsule) | 150 capsules: £35.95 UK, $40.71 US | £1.20 / $1.36 per 5 g; £0.72 / $0.81 per 3 g | Label v9; vegan capsule; 3 to 5 capsules a day |
| Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder (1 scoop, 5 g) | 5 g creatine monohydrate | 60 servings $20.49; 240 servings $53.99 (US store) | $0.34 ($0.22 on the 240 size) | "Banned substance tested" on the brand page |
| Myprotein Impact Creatine (1 serving, 3 g) | 3 g creatine monohydrate | 500 g, 147 servings: £9.99 sale (was £29.99), UK store | £0.07 at the sale price (£0.20 at full price) | Informed Choice certified; shown out of stock in our check |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (1 serving) | 24 g protein, 5.5 g BCAAs | 74 servings (5.05 lb) $131.99; 29 servings $74.49 (US store) | $1.78 to $2.57 | Brand says whey protein isolate is the No. 1 ingredient; contains milk; banned substance tested |
| Myprotein Impact Whey Protein (30 g, Vanilla) | 22 g protein, no creatine listed | 900 g, 30 servings: £31.99 sale (was £34.99), UK store | £1.07 | Informed Choice and Informed Protein; contains milk and soya |
| Love Life Supplements Essential Amino Acids (EAA Powder) (5.8 g a day) | 5,000 mg of all 9 essential amino acids incl. 2,000 mg leucine; not a protein powder | 348 g, 60 servings: £39.95 UK, $45.24 US | £0.67 / $0.75 (first subscription £0.60 / $0.68) | Label v8 (Apple & Kiwi); vegan; stevia |
| Love Life Supplements The Strength Shake (Standard: 1 scoop each) | 5 g Creavitalis creatine plus chocolate EAAs with 2,000 mg leucine | 60 servings: £84.95, UK store only | £1.42 (first subscription £1.27) | Chocolate EAA label v3 (11.2 g scoop) plus Creavitalis label v6; vegan |
Cost per serving is the pack price divided by the servings stated on the pack, rounded to the nearest penny or cent. Brand certifications are as stated on each brand's page. Our US prices are set by our US store and can move day to day; the live price is shown on each product page. Myprotein lists its UK whey and creatine at 22 g protein per 30 g and 3 g creatine per serving.
The pattern is clear. Creatine is cheap per day almost everywhere, and the cheapest options in the table (Myprotein's sale price, Optimum Nutrition's large tub) cost a few pence or cents a serving. Ours costs more because it is Creavitalis, AlzChem's German-made creatine monohydrate, independently assayed by batch, but even at full price a day of it costs less than a scoop of whey. If you are choosing what to add first and your protein is already adequate, creatine gives you more for the money. For a closer look at creatine brands alone, see our Thorne vs Optimum Nutrition vs Myprotein creatine comparison and the creatine buyer's guide.
Which do you need?
Add creatine only: 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, in water or with a meal.
Fix protein first with meals or a whey or plant shake, then add creatine to the same shake.
A protein shake with 5 g of creatine stirred in, or on our UK store The Strength Shake (creatine plus EAAs).
A plant protein if you need protein, plus creatine, which you get almost none of from plant foods.
Where do EAAs fit between creatine and protein?
Essential amino acids (EAAs) are the nine amino acids your body cannot make, supplied free rather than bound in whole protein. A scoop of our EAA powder gives 5,000 mg of all nine, including 2,000 mg of leucine; a scoop of whey gives 22 to 24 g of protein that contains the same nine amino acids along with the non-essential ones. EAAs are therefore not a replacement for a protein shake when you are short of protein, because 5 g is a fraction of the 20 to 40 g a protein serving provides. Some people use them as a light, low-calorie drink around training or alongside a protein food that is low in one amino acid. There is no authorised health claim for EAAs, and we make none. Our pages on EAAs vs BCAAs and why 2 g of leucine matters go further.
The Strength Shake (UK store): one scoop of chocolate EAAs plus 5 g of Creavitalis creatine in one daily shake, 60 servings.
View productIs it safe to take creatine and protein powder together?
For healthy adults, the research is reassuring. The ISSN's position stand reports that short- and long-term creatine supplementation, at intakes far above the usual 3 to 5 g, has been well tolerated in healthy people,3 and its review of common misconceptions addresses water retention, kidney function, hair loss and cramping one by one.11 Protein intakes up to about 2 g per kg a day sit within the ISSN's range for exercising adults.2 Creatine can raise blood creatinine, a marker used in kidney tests, so tell your doctor you take it before a blood test. Anyone with kidney disease, anyone told to limit protein, and anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding should take advice before using either. Our pages on creatine and bloating and on creatine for older adults cover two common questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is creatine better than protein?
Neither is better, because they do different jobs. Protein supplies the amino acids muscle is built from, and a shake only helps if your diet falls short of roughly 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, the point beyond which a meta-analysis of 49 trials found no further gain. Creatine tops up the phosphocreatine your muscles use for short, hard efforts, and 3 g a day increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. If your protein is already adequate, creatine is usually the cheaper and more useful addition.
Should I take creatine and protein together?
You can, and many people do. They do not interfere with each other, and in one study taking creatine with about 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate raised whole-body creatine retention by around 25% compared with creatine and a small amount of carbohydrate. Two training studies that gave whey and creatine together found larger gains in lean mass or strength than whey alone, though not on every measure.
Can I put creatine in my protein shake?
Yes. Creatine monohydrate is unflavoured and dissolves into a protein shake, juice or water, and Optimum Nutrition's own directions suggest adding it to a protein shake. Mix it and drink it the same day rather than making shakes days in advance. Timing matters far less than taking it every day, so the shake you already have is a good habit to attach it to.
Does protein powder contain creatine?
Standard whey protein powders do not list creatine on the label, so you should assume a protein shake gives you none unless creatine is named as an added ingredient with its amount. Myprotein Impact Whey's ingredient list, for example, is whey protein concentrate, emulsifiers, flavouring and sweetener, with no creatine. If you want both, check that a combined product gives a full 3 to 5 g of creatine per serving, or add your own.
Is creatine a protein or a steroid?
Neither. Creatine is a small compound your body makes from three amino acids (arginine, glycine and methionine) and that you also get from meat and fish. It provides no meaningful protein and it is not a hormone or an anabolic steroid. The International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed this question directly and describes creatine as well tolerated at 3 to 5 g a day.
Do I need protein powder if I take creatine?
Not necessarily. Creatine works alongside your normal diet and training; it does not need a shake to work. You only need protein powder if you struggle to reach your protein target from food. UK adults already eat on average about 85 g (men) and 67 g (women) of protein a day according to the British Nutrition Foundation, above the 0.75 g per kg reference intake, though people training hard for muscle often aim nearer 1.6 g per kg.
About the Reviewer: Sarah Law, Dip CNM
Sarah Law is a Certified Naturopathic Nutritionist and Functional Practitioner specialising in hormonal health, gut health, and evidence-based nutrition. She holds a Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM, London) and is a Certified Functional Health Coach. Sarah combines naturopathic principles with modern functional nutrition science to help her clients make informed health decisions.
About the Author: Ben Law
Ben Law is the founder of Love Life Supplements and host of the Optimised Health Show. He is a qualified Advanced Dietary Supplement Advisor and Primal Blueprint Certified Expert, and has spent 14 years building transparent, research-led formulations manufactured to GMP and BRC standards. He wrote this guide from the published protein and creatine research, the ISSN position stands, British Nutrition Foundation, NHS and US National Academies guidance, each brand's own product pages, and our own label and lab data.
Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard, Myprotein and Impact are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with Love Life Supplements. Creavitalis and Creapure are registered trademarks of AlzChem Trostberg GmbH. Learn more about Ben.
References
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. PubMed
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. PubMed
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, 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;14:18. PubMed
- Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017;8:213-226. PubMed
- Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Davidson KS, et al. The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001;11(3):349-364. PubMed
- Cribb PJ, Williams AD, Stathis CG, Carey MF, Hayes A. Effects of whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):298-307. PubMed
- Steenge GR, Simpson EJ, Greenhaff PL. Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2000;89(3):1165-1171. PubMed
- Hultman E, Söderlund K, Timmons JA, Cederblad G, Greenhaff PL. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol. 1996;81(1):232-237. PubMed
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10(1):53. PubMed
- Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, et al. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(1):161-168. PubMed
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. PubMed
- British Nutrition Foundation. Protein. nutrition.org.uk
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 as retained in GB, Annex XIII Part B: reference intakes for energy and selected nutrients (protein 50 g). legislation.gov.uk
- Institute of Medicine (National Academies). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005. nap.nationalacademies.org
- Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. gov.uk
- NHS. The Eatwell Guide. nhs.uk
- Optimum Nutrition. Gold Standard 100% Whey (US store, read 2 November 2026). optimumnutrition.com
- Myprotein. Impact Whey Protein Powder and Impact Creatine (UK store, read 2 November 2026). myprotein.com (whey); myprotein.com (creatine)
- Optimum Nutrition. Micronized Creatine Powder: suggested use (US store, read 2 November 2026). optimumnutrition.com
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
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