What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural energy source. It is usually found in products like meat and animal milk. Also, your body makes it from amino acids like glycine and arginine. You might be lacking creatine if you are a vegetarian or vegan.
Do vegetarians lack creatine?
Yes, vegetarians generally have lower levels of creatine in their muscles compared to non-vegetarians. Since vegetarians don’t consume creatine-rich foods, studies have shown they tend to have:
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Lower muscle creatine stores
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Reduced phosphocreatine availability
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Potentially slower recovery from high-intensity efforts
Also read: Don't repeat these muscle recovery mistakes
Should vegetarians supplement with creatine?
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Yes, creatine supplementation can offer the best performance benefits for vegetarians. Especially creatine monohydrate can be helpful in:
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Improving strength for lifting weights and more training
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Increasing endurance and more workout sessions
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Boosting cognitive function, as creatine also benefits brain energy metabolism
Plus, creatine supplements are vegan-friendly and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Also read: Why are creatine supplements good for Indians?
How Creatine Works?
When you consume creatine monohydrate, most of it is stored in your muscles. After entering the body, creatine combines with phosphoric acid to form a compound called phosphocreatine. The phosphocreatine is important because it promotes the creation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy source your muscles use during exercise. So, essentially, creatine supports a constant supply of energy that fuels muscle contractions, allowing you to perform better in intense activities.
Creatine Intake
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Stored in Muscles
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Creatine + Phosphoric Acid
Combines to form Phosphocreatine
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Phosphocreatine
Aids in ATP Production
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ATP Production
ATP Fuels Muscle Contraction
What is beta-alanine?
Where Beta-Alanine Comes From
Beta-alanine is a natural non-essential amino acid, which means your body can produce it independently. Unlike most amino acids, beta-alanine is not used to build proteins. Instead, its important role is to combine with the compound histidine to form carnosine.
What is carnosine? It is a molecule that helps to regulate the pH levels in your muscles during intense physical exercise.
Read more: benefits of beta-alanine for vegetarians
Beta-Alanine For Fitness: Role in Boosting Carnosine Levels
By increasing carnosine levels in your muscles, you can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid. This means your muscles can tolerate intense activity for a longer period without feeling tired.
Creatine vs. Beta-Alanine for Vegans: What’s Better for Performance?
If you're vegan or a vegetarian and also into fitness, you might have wondered which supplement is the best between creatine and beta-alanine. Both are well-researched, but they do very different things for your body.
1. Why Vegans and Vegetarians Should Care About These Supplements
As a vegan, you might be missing out on creatine and beta-alanine because they mainly come from non-veg sources like meat, poultry, and fish.
Even if you eat plenty of protein-rich plants, you might not get much of either compound directly from your diet.
That’s why supplementing becomes more important for vegans who want to build strength, improve endurance, or train at a high level.
2. How Creatine helps Vegans
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Creatine supplementation boosts quick energy (ATP) during high-intensity exercise
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Creatine and beta-alanine improve strength and power output
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Creatine and beta-alanine help build lean muscle
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Studies show they might support brain health