Is creatine good for runners and endurance athletes?

Creatine is most useful for short, repeated, high-intensity efforts, so it helps sprinters, team sport players, and endurance athletes who rely on surges or a strong finish more than steady distance runners. For long, steady running, the evidence is mixed and the small weight gain can work against you. Whether it is worth taking depends on your event.

By Creatine Today · Editorial policy

Is creatine good for runners?

It depends on the distance. Creatine raises phosphocreatine stores in muscle, which help supply energy during the first seconds of a maximal effort and help it recover between efforts. That is why the ISSN position stand lists track sprints and events like the 400 m and 800 m among the activities where creatine may help.

For distance running, the picture is less clear. A 2003 meta-analysis found larger effects for laboratory tasks lasting 30 seconds or less than for field tasks such as running and swimming, and concluded that creatine did not appear effective for running and swimming performance. A 2023 review on endurance performance was more positive about specific situations: creatine increased time to exhaustion in high-intensity endurance tests, and may help in races decided by surges or a final sprint. Results for time trials were mixed.

Does creatine help endurance or only sprints?

Its strongest effect is on sprints and repeated sprints. A 2022 meta-analysis of 14 placebo-controlled trials found that short-term creatine loading increased mean power output during repeated sprint tests. It did not improve peak power or the drop in performance across sprints, and the authors called for more research to confirm the effect.

For endurance, researchers have proposed several possible benefits: better use of energy during hard surges, more muscle glycogen when creatine is taken with carbohydrate, and better recovery from intense training. These ideas have some support, but they come mostly from small studies. Treat creatine as a possible help for the hard parts of an endurance race, not as a way to improve steady aerobic fitness.

Will creatine make you heavier and slower?

It can make you a little heavier. In the 2022 repeated sprint meta-analysis, body mass rose by about 0.8 kg after a few days of loading. Most of this early gain is water stored inside muscle, as explained in our weight gain guide.

For a distance runner, extra weight means more work on every stride, and the 2023 endurance review noted that the weight gain may offset benefits in weight-bearing activities. Whether that cost outweighs any benefit for you is not well studied. Some practical ways to reduce the effect:

• Skip the loading phase and take 3–5 g a day, so any gain happens slowly.
• Start in a training block, not in the weeks before a goal race.
• Compare your training paces and body weight over a few weeks before you decide.

Creatine for cyclists, swimmers, and team sports

The common pattern is that creatine helps most when a sport involves repeated bursts of maximal effort with short recovery. It helps least, or not at all, in steady aerobic work.

Should you take creatine before a run?

Timing on the day matters little. Creatine works by keeping muscle stores full over weeks, so taking it right before a run does not give an immediate boost. Take it at a time you will remember every day, including rest days. Our timing guide covers this in more detail.

Large single doses can cause stomach upset in some people, which is unpleasant during a run. If that happens, take it with a meal at another time of day. See our guide on creatine and stomach problems.

Is creatine allowed in competition?

Yes. The ISSN position stand notes that creatine is not banned by any sport organization, although some organizations do not allow teams to provide certain supplements to athletes. For tested athletes, the bigger risk is contamination in poorly made supplements. If you compete in a tested sport, choose a product with third-party testing for banned substances. Our guide on creatine and drug tests explains this. Athletes under 18 should talk with a parent and a doctor or sports dietitian first.