There are tons of creatine supplements on the market, including powders, pills, and gummies. These supplements use various forms of creatine (more on that later), and some contain other ingredients that aim to help you grow muscle, recover faster, or sharpen your focus in the gym. 

On one hand, having such a wide variety of options can be empowering. On the other hand, it can be a challenge to figure out which is right for you.

To narrow down the field to only the best of the best, our expert product testers tried dozens of creatine supplements ranging from standard powders to convenient capsules to flavorful gummies. We looked for creatine supplements that taste good, mix well (when applicable), use quality ingredients, contain enough creatine per serving, and are affordable. Along the way, we spoke with certified personal trainers and nutritionists for guidance. 

Below are our picks for the best creatine supplements for men. However, individuals of any gender can choose from this lineup with confidence.  

Disclaimer: While this article is intended for educational and informational purposes, it should not be viewed as a substitute for medical advice. Furthermore, we intend the term “men” to include all men, including trans men. However, we understand most research on this topic has focused on cis men (men who are not trans). When we reference gender-based research and nutritional recommendations, we will clarify by saying “cis men.” We encourage trans and nonbinary people of all genders to consult with a trans-competent nutritionist regarding their supplements and training needs.

The Best Creatine for Men in 2025:

• Best Creatine Monohydrate: Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
• Best Creatine for Athletes: Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate
• Best Creatine Gummies: Swoly Creatine Mono Gummies
• Best Value Creatine: Nutricost Micronized Creatine Monohydrate
• Best Flavored Creatine: Legion Recharge Post-Workout Creatine
• Best Creatine Pills: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules
• Best Creatine for Muscle Growth: Gnarly Creatine

Best Creatine Monohydrate: Transparent Labs Creatine HMB

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB

4.5

• Price per serving: $1.67 (30 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 5g
• Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate 5,000mg, β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) 1,500mg, Bioperine (black pepper extract) 5mg, vitamin D 12.5mcg, natural flavors 1,000mg, citric acid 810mg, malic acid 805mg, stevia extract 300mg
• Certifications: Informed Choice certified, gluten-free, non-GMO, artificial sweetener and color-free
• Best For: Those after serious strength gains; those who don’t like unflavored creatine

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Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is our pick for the best creatine monohydrate because it contains 5 grams of it per serving, which is the researched-backed dose for improved athletic performance. “This dose is a great recommendation for the general population, but some sports nutrition recommendations recommend a dosage based on kilograms of body weight, so some individuals may require more than 5 grams to see a benefit,” says Anna Marie Clear, M.S., R.D., C.P.T.

This dietary supplement contains β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB), which the body naturally produces when it breaks down the amino acid leucine. Although more studies are needed, some research suggests HMB promotes muscle growth. “Leucine is the primary amino acid that triggers muscle protein synthesis,” Clear explains.”HMB and leucine are very similar, but research shows HMB has no greater effect than leucine alone.” 

Transparent Labs also includes BioPerine, a derivative of black pepper that studies show increases nutrient bioavailability. “Bioperine may help enhance absorption of some nutrients, but research is limited on its impact alongside HMB and creatine,” says Clear.

Earning a perfect formulation score of 5 out of 5 stars, Creatine HMB also received high marks from our testing team for taste. Although it fell shy of another 5-star rating, this supplement earned a solid score of 4 out of 5 in this all-important category. 

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB comes in 13 flavors, including an unflavored version. This is a lot more flavor options than you’ll find in most creatine supplements and the most of any on our list. 

Pete Nastasi, C.P.T., C.S.N.C., tried this supplement. “I’ve tried both the Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Lemonade flavors, which are sweetened with stevia extract, and both tasted great,” he says. “I love having a flavored creatine supplement in the morning before my morning workout.” 

However, while Nastasi liked the flavor, other testers say this supplement has a slightly bitter taste, which they attribute to the BioPerine. 

“I tried Black Cherry and I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste of this one—it tasted a bit watered down, even with the right amount of water,” our product tester noted. “Some people may prefer this though!”

While another tester also noted some tartness due to the BioPerine, she’s still optimistic about the Tropical Punch flavor.

“I bought this at the end of winter but I’m looking forward to drinking it in the summer because I find something refreshing about it that I think will be nice during the hotter months,” she explained.

Best Creatine for Athletes: Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate 

Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate

4.9

• Price per serving: $0.28 (100 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 5g
• Ingredients: Micronized creatine monohydrate 
• Certifications: Informed Sport Certified, non-GMO, gluten-free
• Best For: People after the highest recommended dose of creatine, those who want a pure creatine supplement, budget shoppers

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We chose Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate as our top pick for athletes because it contains 5 grams of creatine per serving, which research shows is an optimal dose for muscle gain, muscle recovery, and overall improved athletic performance. For this reason, we rated the formulation a 5 out of 5. 

This creatine is also a great choice for athletes because it’s Informed Sport Certified—this third party tests for purity and banned substances. So, if you’re planning on competing in any events, you can feel good knowing this product is certified banned substance-free.

Another benefit of this supplement is that it uses micronized creatine. Micronized creatine is ground into finer particles than non-micronized so it dissolves much more easily in water. However, according to Nastasi, “micronized creatine is a bit of a marketing gimmick—it isn’t digested any better than standard creatine monohydrate.” 

Research supports Nastasi, as this 2022 study says there is “no evidence” that micronized creatine is more bioavailable than non-micronized creatine.  

However, using micronized creatine does contribute to excellent solubility. Our tester showed no hesitation giving Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate a 5-star rating in this category. 

“If you didn’t tell me there was creatine in this water I wouldn’t know—it’s truly tasteless and mixes easily,” our tester reported.

Unfortunately for your taste buds, this supplement only comes in an unflavored version. However, while some creatine powders can have a bitter aftertaste, this one doesn’t. 

“It tastes just like water,” our tester noted. One thing to consider about this creatine supplement is that it only comes as a powder. If you prefer creatine capsules (or a flavored powder), you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Related: The Best Pre-Workouts

Best Creatine Gummies: Swoly Creatine Mono Gummies

SWOLY Creatine Mono Gummies

4.3

• Price per serving: $1 (30 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 4g
• Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate 4g, sucrose, dextrose, pectin, maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavors, fruit and vegetable juice, stearic acid, citric acid, carnauba wax 
• Certifications: Third-party tested, gluten-free
• Best For: People who want a creatine gummy

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If you don’t like measuring out and mixing powders, you’re in luck. Swoly Creatine Mono Gummies are ideal for athletes on the go who don’t want to carry around an additional shaker bottle for their creatine. 

Although they only come in one flavor (Strawberry), Swoly knocked it out of the park from a taste perspective, earning a perfect score of 5 out of 5 from one of our most experienced product testers. 

“These are dangerously delicious — like, need-to-make-sure-my-child-doesn’t-find-these-or-she-will-eat-them all kind of delicious,” our tester eloquently described. “They remind me of the BEST fruit snacks.” 

Concerned about the texture? No need to worry about that, either. Our product tester also gave Swoly a 5-star rating for swallowability. 

“Super easy and delicious. I’d eat these every day,” she noted. 

As much as our tester enjoyed chowing down on these creatine gummies, be aware that one serving is five gummies, which can be a lot for some people. Plus, one serving only contains 4 grams of creatine monohydrate, which is a little shy of our preferred dosage of 5 grams. Our R.D. reviewer, Anna Marie Clear, notes that “larger individuals may need to take more of these gummies to get their research-backed dose of 0.1 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight.” 

If that’s you, you may want to opt for a different option, since taking more than five gummies could “lead to GI symptoms because of the added sugar and gums,” she says. 

Unlike some other creatine supplements on this list, Swoly gummies contain more than a few added ingredients, including artificial ingredients. They also have 15 calories per serving and 2.5 grams of added sugar per serving from sucrose, dextrose, and maltodextrin. 

As a result, we give the formulation 4 out of 5 stars since we prefer 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per serving and the added sugar may not align with some consumers’ dietary preferences. 

Although Swoly says these gummies are third-party tested, there’s no information about through which organization. As a result, we could only give 3 out of 5 stars in this category.

Best Value Creatine: Nutricost Micronized Creatine Monohydrate

Nutricost Micronized Creatine Monohydrate

4.3

• Price per serving: $0.20 (100 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 5g
• Ingredients: Micronized creatine monohydrate
• Certifications: Third-party tested, gluten-free, non-GMO
• Best For: Those who want flavors, budget shoppers

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If you’re looking for a budget-friendly creatine supplement, you can’t do much better than Nutricost. At just $0.20 per serving, this supplement is the cheapest on our list. But cheap doesn’t equate to low-quality—Nutricost creatine is third-party tested, which is something you typically only find in more expensive supplements. 

However, there’s a caveat. 

“This company does not elaborate on its third-party testing,” Clear says. “It’s hard to determine the brand’s safety without a detailed explanation of its testing process.”

Although we docked a few points for the lack of transparency in third-party testing by giving 3 out of 5 stars, Nutricost earned a perfect formulation score. 

“It’s recommended to take 3-5 grams of creatine daily to enhance athletic performance, and Nutricost provides 5 grams daily, ensuring your muscle cells remain saturated,” says registered dietitian Perry Nix. 

Our product tester reported no adverse side effects when taking Nutricost. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t experience any bloating like he did with other creatine products.

Another benefit of this creatine supplement is that it comes in five flavor options, which is more than most brands offer for creatine supplements. Flavors include Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Pineapple Mango, Watermelon, and Unflavored. However, these flavors are sweetened with sucralose, which research shows may cause gut issues in some people when consumed in high doses.

One of the few knocks against this budget-friendly creatine is its solubility; or potentially, the lack thereof. Our tester only gave it 3 out of 5 stars, noting that “it settles quite a bit.” 

Amazon reviewers are pleased with this product, giving it 4.6/5 stars overall. Many praise its lack of additional ingredients and effective formula. “It has made a significant positive impact on my workout performance and recovery,” says Amazon reviewer Kurt. However, a few reviewers mention finding pieces of plastic in their containers, which is something to watch out for.

Best Flavored Creatine: Legion Recharge Post-Workout

LEGION Recharge Post-Workout Creatine

3.8

• Price per serving: $1 (60 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 5g
• Ingredients: Micronized creatine monohydrate 5g, L-carnitine L-tartrate 2.1g, corosolic acid 10.5g, natural flavors, stevia, calcium silicate, citric acid, red beet powder (for color; found only in fruit punch, watermelon, and strawberry lemonade flavors)
• Certifications: Labdoor tested for sport, made in an NSF-certified facility
• Best for: Those who want flavors

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Some unflavored creatine tastes chalky and a little bitter (no bueno!). If you drink your creatine with water, a flavored option like Legion Recharge should suit your taste buds better. Legion offers this supplement in six flavors, which although not as vast as Transparent Labs’ variety, taste better, according to customers and our team of experts.

Our product tester tried the Strawberry Lemonade flavor, giving it a perfect 5-out-of-5 rating for taste. 

“It’s pretty sweet but also tart. I really liked it” she noted. 

Many customers on Amazon attest to how good Legion’s flavors are, with a few noting that Strawberry Lemonade and Fruit Punch are particularly good. However, some reviewers mention the Unflavored version has an unpleasant, bitter flavor.

One thing you won’t have to worry about with Recharge is solubility. Our tester reported the power dissolved perfectly with no clumps or sediment at the bottom of her shaker cup, leading to another 5-out-of-5 rating.

Similarly, we’re also big fans of the formulation. Legion Recharge has a research-backed dose of 5g of creatine per serving. The creatine is micronized, which means it’s been processed to be finer. Legion says this makes it easier to blend and less likely to cause an upset stomach. However, our R.D. reviewer Anna Marie Clear notes, “While micronized creatine monohydrate is processed to be finer, the research does not support the micronized version to be more bioavailable.”

Legion Recharge also contains 2.1 grams of L-carnitine in each serving, which helps the body convert fat into energy, and 10.5 grams of corosolic acid, which research shows helps regulate blood sugar.

Unfortunately for budget-conscious shoppers, Recharge is one of the more expensive options on this list, checking in at $1.33 per serving. As a result, we could only give it 1.5 out of 5 stars for price. So, if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to go with something like Nutricost.

Related Post: The Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts

Best Creatine Pills: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules

3.8

• Price per serving: $0.60 (for two capsules)
• Creatine per serving: 2.5g
• Ingredients: Creatine monohydrate
• Certifications: Banned Substance Tested (not certified for sport)
• Best For: Athletes on-the-go

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If you don’t like the taste of creatine powder or find it a pain to mix, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Capsules are a convenient and tasteless alternative. Plus, a bottle of these capsules will take up less room in your gym bag than a tub of creatine powder. 

Optimum Nutrition offers three sizes: 100 capsules for $30 ($0.60/serving), 200 capsules for $50 ($0.50/serving), or 300 capsules for $69 ($0.46/serving). Optimum Nutrition recommends you take two capsules twice daily since one serving (two capsules) only contains 2.5 grams of creatine. 

That may not be a deterrent for some folks, but our team docked a few points off the formulation, giving Optimum Nutrition 3 out of 5 stars in this key category. 

“You can always double the intake, but four pills is a lot and makes the serving size much more expensive,” our product tester noted. 

Furthermore, our R.D. reviewer Anna Marie Clear notes: “A larger athlete (ie. 100 kilograms) would need to take eight capsules (10 grams of creatine) in order to meet the 1 gram per kilogram of body weight recommendation.” So if you’re a bigger person, you may want to opt for a powder that’s easier to take more of. 

These capsules have a simple ingredient list: creatine monohydrate, gelatin, and magnesium stearate. Magnesium stearate and gelatin form the capsule. Gelatin is an animal product, so these supplements are not vegan.

As for how easy they go down? Our product tester rated the swallowability 5 out of 5 stars. 

“They are tasteless aside from a slight gelatin flavor,” he says. “And the pills are a bit large—about 1 inch long—but I didn’t have trouble swallowing them.”

Best Creatine for Muscle Growth: Gnarly Creatine

Gnarly Creatine

4.4

• Price per serving: $0.61 (90 servings)
• Creatine per serving: 5g
• Ingredients: CreaPure® creatine monohydrate
• Certifications: NSF Certified for Sport, NSF Content Certified
• Best For: Those competing in athletic competitions; people who want the most widely studied form of creatine

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If you’re trying to achieve some gnarly gains, you can’t go wrong with an affordably priced supplement made with the most widely used brand of creatine. Experts consider CreaPure®, a branded form of creatine monohydrate, the gold standard for purity and effectiveness. Nastasi agrees: “It’s manufactured in Germany and is super pure, so from a purity perspective it’s no. 1.” 

Gnarly is the only supplement on our list with this form of creatine. Each serving contains 5 grams of 100% CreaPure® creatine monohydrate, putting it ahead of the class and leading to a formulation score of 5 out of 5 stars. This research-backed dose can help support your physique-building efforts, as combining creatine supplementation with adequate resistance training is shown to be an effective muscle growth strategy.

In addition, Gnarly Creatine is NSF Certified for Sport and NSF Content Certified. This means it’s third-party certified to be pure and free from banned substances. This is great news for athletes who compete in drug-tested athletic competitions, since testing positive for banned substances, even if they’re consumed by accident, can lead to disqualification. So, if you’re an aspiring bodybuilder looking to pack on as much muscle as possible, you don’t have to worry about any issues with Gnarly.

“NSF Certified for Sport also indicates this supplement has undergone label claim testing (so the label is accurate) and contaminant testing for heavy metals, microbes, and pesticides,” says Clear. “This may be the most pure option on this list,” she adds.

While Gnarly earned a perfect third-party testing rating, it didn’t live up to our standards for solubility, leading to a disappointing score of 3 out of 5 stars. 

“It doesn’t mix very well and settles quite a bit,” our product tester noted. “I usually end up stirring it several times while I take it.”Many Amazon reviews echo similar sentiments, so if you’re searching for a smooth sipping experience, consider an alternative like Sports Research.

Other Creatine Supplements We Tested

Our team tested dozens of other creatines to come up with this list, with many of us relying on some form of this popular supplement for years. However, not every creatine product could make our list, so here are some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut: 

• Muscle Feast Creapure Creatine: Produced in Germany and distributed by partners like Proteinfactory and BPN, this branded creatine monohydrate is touted to be high-quality. Yet upon closer inspection, there isn’t anything special about this product that separates it from another micronized creatine monohydrate. 
• Cellucor Cor-Performance Creatine Monohydrate: Another micronized creatine monohydrate powder at an affordable price point of less than 50 cents per serving. We’d call this a solid runner-up for sure. (We also love Cellucor’s C4 pre-workout.))
• Ghost Creatine: Although Ghost Creatine contains 5 grams of a branded type of creatine monohydrate and other ingredients that support increased muscle size and strength, the strong formulation wasn’t enough to overcome the expensive price per serving ($1.50).
• RedCon1 Tango Creatine: As one of the better-known sports nutrition brands, RedCon1 makes some solid products. However, while our tester enjoyed the effects of Tango Creatine, the high price tag precluded us from putting it on this list. 
• Swolverine Creatine Monohydrate: Similar to RedCon1 Tango, this unflavored creatine supplement missed the cut since we found more affordable options.

How We Picked and Tested the Best Creatine for Men

Our team has tried more than 43 creatine supplements in total, with more added on the regular. We evaluate each supplement for the following factors:

• Taste: If the creatine was flavored, did we enjoy the taste and think it was true to the advertised flavor? If it was unflavored, did we notice any bitter or unpleasant taste?
• Mixability: We mixed each creatine with the recommended amount of water. We noted whether or not it stayed mixed or settled to the bottom of the glass. We considered how long it took to mix and how long it stayed mixed. For gummies, we assess how easily it chews and goes down.
• Dosage: Although dose may vary by user, we looked for supplements with the general sports nutrition recommendation of 3–5 grams of creatine per serving.
• Form of Creatine: Almost every option on this list uses creatine monohydrate, which is the most widely researched form of creatine. 
• Price: We chose supplements that deliver results at an affordable price.
• Third-Party Testing: We looked for supplements with certifications like NSF-Certified Safe for Sport or Banned Substance free. We also looked for certifications like gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan to suit a range of diets and preferences.

How to Choose the Best Creatine for You

There are a few key factors you’ll want to consider when choosing a creatine supplement.

Creatine per Serving

Research shows the most efficacious dose of creatine is between 3 and 5 grams for most individuals. Look for supplements with servings within this range if you’re looking for maximum benefits, including increased muscle mass, faster recovery, and improved exercise capacity. Remember, larger individuals may require more creatine for maximum benefits—0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight is the research-backed recommendation.

Other Ingredients

Some supplements have additional ingredients to bolster the product’s effectiveness. Transparent Labs, for example, includes HMB, which some research shows promotes muscle growth, though more research is needed. Legion includes L-carnitine, which research shows helps metabolize fat into energy. Consider your goals and whether or not you want a pure creatine supplement or one with other athletic performance-enhancing ingredients. 

“I highly recommend collaborating with a sports dietitian to find the most optimal supplement for you based on your personal health, athletic, or physique goals and to ensure you are consuming an appropriate dosage from a safe and high-quality supplement,” says Anna Marie Clear, our expert reviewer and R.D.

Fillers and Additives

Some creatine supplements use artificial ingredients and fillers to help improve taste and mixability. While many of the products on our list contain creatine as their sole ingredient, some, like Swoly gummies, use some artificial ingredients. Consider whether or not it’s important for your supplement to be completely pure.

Third-Party Testing

Third-party testing is the best way to ensure that your supplement’s ingredients are pure and match what’s on the label. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so third-party testing gives consumers confidence in their products. 

“It is also especially important to consider third-party testing for sport certifications from either Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport if you are a collegiate or professional athlete or if you are looking to compete in a weightlifting, bodybuilding, or other fitness competition to ensure you are consuming supplements free from banned substances,” says Clear. 

What is Creatine and How Does It Work?

Creatine phosphate (CrP) is a compound made of three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine. The body produces creatine naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, with about 95% of it found in skeletal muscle. “Through diet, creatine is found primarily in red meat and seafood, however, to get an extra creatine boost, a creatine powder or pill supplement can help,” says personal trainer and strength coach Will Duru.

Creatine supplies energy to muscles through the phosphocreatine system. “Creatine helps in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate)—the compound that provides energy to bodily processes such as muscle contraction,” nutritionist Rob Hobson says. “Creatine can help with the production of ATP during maximum-effort exercises, such as sprints or intense muscular effort lasting between five and 10 seconds. It can also help recovery between exercise bouts.” 

Hobson says creatine can improve performance in sports involving repeated sprints, such as rugby or football, and high-intensity bursts, like track or swim sprints. “Creatine can also help you train harder through being able to do more work over a series of training sets,” he adds.

As a certified personal trainer, former rugby player, and longtime lifter, I can attest to the impact that creatine has on both performance and recovery. It’s been a staple in my supplement stack for years, and despite myths about unwanted weight gain and water retention, I’ve never experienced those side effects.

Benefits of Creatine

As the most-researched supplement on the market, creatine has long been utilized by everyone from professional athletes to strength training enthusiasts to casual lifters. Let’s explore some of the positive potential effects of creatine supplementation:

May Improve Athletic Performance

“Research shows creatine supplementation helps muscle performance throughout a number of activities including soccer training, weight training, plyometric training, and even canoe training,” says Duru. Interestingly, this study also showed that muscle power output and muscle strength still increased with creatine supplementation, even when research subjects didn’t do any exercise. This is in comparison to subjects who took a placebo supplement.

“There are lots of studies showing how creatine supplementation can improve strength, power, and high-intensity exercise performance. This is due to the role it plays in energy production and its ability to increase ATP availability during short bursts of intense activity,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson.

Can Help Increase Muscle Mass

Want to build muscle? Creatine could be your go-to. “Creatine supplementation is often used to increase muscle mass. It can draw more water into your muscle cells, creating a cell volumization effect that may promote muscle growth,” says Hobson. “Additionally, creatine can enhance the effects of resistance training by increasing total muscle mass and strength gains.”

According to a 2023 meta-analysis on the effects of creatine supplementation combined with resistance training, this protocol can promote “a small increase in the direct measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in both the upper and lower body.” 

Duru says for maximum muscle-building results, creatine loading can help. “The first time you take creatine, take around 20 to 25 grams of creatine every day for up to a week, broken up into 5-gram servings across the day. Then drop to the recommended 3 to 5 grams the day after this.” 

Clear adds: “If you are looking to initiate creatine supplementation with a loading dose of 20 grams per day, I recommend breaking this large dosage into smaller servings throughout the day to minimize gastrointestinal distress (i.e., diarrhea).”

Can Promote Faster Athletic Recovery

Recovery is key when training. Not only does it help you avoid injury, but a speedier recovery means we can get back to exercise quicker. Research shows creatine supplementation may reduce recovery time between spurts of intense exercise by reducing muscle damage. 

Can Help Reduce Muscle Aches

Although supplementing with creatine does not entirely prevent muscle damage, studies show creatine reduces the immediate muscle damage that occurs after resistance training.

May Enhance Cognition

Studies show creatine can benefit brain function. “Creatine supplementation may have a beneficial effect on brain function, as the brain requires a significant amount of ATP for normal operation. It may be particularly beneficial in tasks requiring speed and quick thinking,” says Hobson.

May Improve Muscle and Bone Density

Creatine supplementation is also important for overall health and wellness as you age. According to a 2021 study led by renowned creatine researcher Dr. Darren Candow, one year of creatine supplementation and resistance training had favorable effects on bone area and muscle density in older adults. This included both male and female participants, suggesting no differences between sex when it comes to creatine’s impact. 

What Are The Different Types of Creatine?

Not all creatine is created equal. In fact, there are multiple forms. Here’s a brief overview of the different types of creatine so you understand what to look for and what might suit you best. 

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate consists of creatine paired with a water molecule. As nutritionist Rob Hobson notes, this is the most research-backed form of creatine, and it’s typically the primary form used in most of the best-selling supplements in this category.

Micronized Creatine Monohydrate

“Micronized creatine is processed to create smaller particles than the standard creatine powder,” Hobson says. “The intention of micronized creatine is to improve its solubility and absorption in the body so creatine is then used up by muscles more quickly.”

Creatine Ethyl Ester

In this form, creatine is bound to ester salts, which some studies show makes the creatine more easily absorbed within the body. However, research shows creatine ethyl ester is not as effective as monohydrate.

Creatine Nitrate

Creatine nitrate is derived from the same molecule as creatine monohydrate but with a nitrate added. Some studies suggest creatine nitrate is more bioavailable than monohydrate, but results are mixed and more research is needed. Currently, creatine nitrate is only approved by the FDA at a daily dose of 750 milligrams per day.

Buffered Creatine

This type of creatine is normally manufactured with added alkaline, so it has a higher pH than regular creatine monohydrate. However, research shows there is little difference between buffered creatine and creatine monohydrate when it comes to training gains.

What Is a Creatine Loading Phase?

A creatine loading phase involves taking a higher dose of creatine, typically between 20 and 25 grams, for up to a week, according to Duru. He recommends reducing to a dose of 3 to 5 grams a day after a week.

“A lot of people do a creatine loading phase to fully saturate the muscles when they first start taking creatine, and this can potentially speed up the benefits by a few days,” says Pete Nastasi, CPT, CSNC. “But if you take more than two to three days off from creatine, it’s likely that your creatine stores will go back down to baseline and you might want to do another loading phase,” he says. “That’s why I suggest people take it every day.”

Studies show creatine loading phases (e.g. 20 grams per day for five to seven days) can help increase muscle creatine storage by 10 to 30 percent. However, creatine loading phases aren’t necessary. Studies show that long term, you can achieve the same effects without a loading phase. But if it’s speed you’re after, loading phases are a safe and effective way to quickly improve gains.

Is Creatine Safe?

Studies show creatine supplementation is safe in both the short and long term for healthy individuals. Healthy people can safely take up to 30 grams per day for up to five years. However, as we’ll explain below, those with certain health conditions should avoid creatine supplements.

Precautions When Taking Creatine

“Since creatine is a safe supplement, there aren’t many precautions to take beyond sticking to the recommended dosage,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson. “Like all supplements, figure out if it is really necessary to suit your performance goals, as there is little point in taking it if it is not. If you are training for a marathon then it’s not really going to be of use to you but if you are looking to build more muscle and become stronger, then it’s a good choice.”

Who Should Avoid Creatine

Creatine works for most people, but those with certain pre-existing health conditions should avoid it. “Anyone with pre-existing kidney or liver conditions or impaired function should avoid creatine,” says Hobson. Experts say creatine supplements may prevent those with kidney or liver problems from producing their own creatine. “Anyone taking medications affecting kidney function should avoid creatine or speak to their GP first. This might include blood pressure medication or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on a regular basis,” Hobson adds.

Hobson also advises against creatine supplementation for those younger than 18. “With adolescents, while the research suggests it may be okay for this age group, I avoid recommending it as the long-term effects are not fully understood yet,” he says.

Best Creatine for Men: Final Thoughts

While myths exist about water retention, cramping, and even its legality, creatine is one of the most researched-backed supplements. If you’re a dedicated lifter looking to enhance your muscle gains, improve your performance in activities requiring short bursts of energy, or hasten your recovery, you shouldn’t hesitate to add one of the options from our list to your stack. 

All you have to decide is whether you prefer a powder, pill, or gummy and you’ll be well on your way to unlocking the benefits of this uber-popular supplement. 

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Protein plays a multifaceted role in weight management, influencing factors like hunger levels, metabolism, and muscle preservation. While heavy resistance training provides the necessary stimulus, signaling to the body that existing muscle should be retained, a high-protein diet ensures the body has an ample supply of amino acids. This prevents your body from metabolizing muscle tissue for energy.

The best protein powders provide a convenient and lean source of the muscle-building macronutrient, helping you hit your daily protein goals while also maintaining a calorie deficit. We tested more than 100 protein powders and selected nine products we think are best for weight loss.

This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.

How We Chose Our Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss

We chose these products based on a number of factors, including:

• Testing and expert analysis: We tested all of the protein powders and shakes on this list and received input from our panel of expert contributors, which includes registered dietitians and highly credentialed experts in sports nutrition and exercise science.
• Protein content: All the products we’ve highlighted contain at least 25g of protein per serving, a good benchmark for the typical consumer.
• Protein-to-calorie ratio: The ideal ratio is at least 15g of protein per 100 calories, and all the products on our list exceed that mark.
• Taste: We’ve accounted for flavor, texture, mixability, and flavor options.
• Third-party testing and certifications: Products that have undergone testing by independent labs and received quality certifications reflect a brand’s commitment to quality and purity.
• Consumer criteria: We took into account prices, subscription discounts, and other factors that determine the product’s overall value.

Our Picks for the Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss in 2025:

• Best Overall Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Affordable Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Jacked Factory Authentic Iso 
• Best Plant-Based Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Ka’Chava 
• Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss on Amazon: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
• Best Meal Replacement Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Huel Black Edition
• Best Clean Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Promix Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Casein Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Legion Athletics Casein+
• Best Unflavored Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Naked Grass-Fed Whey
• Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain: Sports Research Whey Protein

Best Overall Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

4.9

• Price per serving: $2.00 per serving
• Protein per serving: 28 grams
• Protein type: Whey protein isolate
• Number of servings: 30
• Calories per serving: 120 to 150
• Flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon French Toast, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mocha, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, Strawberry, Unflavored, Vanilla Peanut Butter
• Third-party tested: Yes, by independent labs

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I chose Transparent Labs as the best protein powder for weight loss because it has a very high ratio of protein to the total number of calories: 28 grams to 130 calories. This helps you maximize protein consumption during a caloric deficit, which helps prevent you from losing muscle while you’re losing weight. It’s also third-party tested, Informed Choice certified, and completely artificial ingredient-free. And it comes in 15 flavor options.

I’ve tried a number of different flavors from Transparent Labs and Chocolate Peanut Butter is by far my favorite, followed closely by Mocha. I found they mixed easily in both a blender and a conventional shaker bottle. Whenever I’m trying to cut weight, I find this delicious protein powder helps curb my sweet tooth and tide me over between meals.

While I didn’t personally experience this, some customer reviews mention it can be challenging to get in contact with Transparent Labs’ customer service team.

Best Affordable Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Jacked Factory Authentic Iso

Jacked Factory Authentic ISO Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate Powder

4.0

• Protein type: Whey isolate
• Number of servings: 30
• Cost per serving: $1.20 to $1.33
• Calories per serving: 110 to 130
• Protein per serving: 25 grams, depending on the flavor
• Flavors: Cookies & Cream, Unflavored (if you buy from Amazon)
• Third-party tested: No

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Jacked Factory Authentic Iso is the cheapest option on our list and, one of the best whey protein options, with certain flavors, like Cookies & Cream and Peanut Butter, costing just $1.05 per serving as of this writing. And while this protein powder may be cheap, it has the nutrient profile you need for weight loss and tastes great, too, according to testers.

Jacked Factory Authentic Iso has 25 grams of protein per serving, 2 grams of carbohydrates, and just 0.5 grams of fat, which is the least amount of fat of any powder on our list. If you’re looking to lose weight, this macronutrient profile will help keep you on the right track. However, something to keep in mind: This protein powder is sweetened with sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener—studies link these sweeteners to increased cancer risk. Additionally, unlike most brands on our list, Jacked Factory doesn’t do third-party testing on its products. This means there isn’t a guarantee the ingredients are pure and match the ingredient label.

Kessler tried Jacked Factory Authentic Iso and was impressed. “This is the only protein powder I’ve tried that didn’t settle at all,” he says. “I found it a bit too sweet, but if you’re looking for a powder that tastes like dessert, you should opt for this one.”

Best Plant-Based Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Ka’Chava

Ka’Chava

3.8

• Price per serving: $4.66
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Chocolate: 240 calories, 25g carbohydrates, 7g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, vegan
• Sweeteners: Monk fruit extract
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut Acai, Chai, Matcha

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If you’re looking for one of the best vegan protein powders that also works with a weight loss diet, Ka’Chava is a great choice. This vegan protein powder is marketed as a “whole-body meal,” which means it’s designed as a meal replacement rather than an addition to a meal or snack, like the other protein powders on our list. That’s why the calorie, carbohydrate, and fat counts (240, 25 grams, and 7 grams, respectively), are higher. The carb count is high for those on a low-carb diet, so that’s something to look out for. However, it packs in 25 grams of plant protein, derived from a combination of peas, brown rice, and quinoa, which will help preserve muscle while on a weight loss diet. 

Tester Zoe Ettinger, a C.N.C.-in-training, uses this protein powder often. “I’m a big fan of Ka’Chava. It tastes delicious mixed in a smoothie with some frozen blueberries,” she says. “I also like that it also has adaptogens, probiotics, greens, and probiotics. I notice a difference in how good I feel when I take Ka’Chava regularly,” she says.

One thing to note about Ka’Chava is that it is the most expensive option on our list at $79.99 for a 15-serving bag. While the price reflects the fact that this protein powder is intended as a meal replacement, it’s still a big investment. 

Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss on Amazon: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

• Price per serving: $1.75
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Vanilla: 130 calories, 2g carbohydrates, 2.5g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, gluten-free
• Sweeteners: Sucralose, acesulfame potassium
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry Milkshake, Unflavored

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I chose Nutricost as the best protein powder for weight loss available on Amazon because its calorie and macronutrient profile is ideal for shedding pounds. Nutricost has a high protein content per serving, which is important for weight loss as protein can help enhance satiety and preserve muscle mass while in a deficit. With minimal fat and carbohydrates, this protein ensures you get the maximum protein intake without the added calories, making it an ideal choice for those looking to lose weight efficiently.

The taste and mixability of this protein are also top-notch. I tested the Vanilla flavor; it blended excellently in both milk and water and had an authentic vanilla taste profile. Despite using artificial sweeteners, which often make products sickly sweet, I found the sweetness level to be on point. However, if you’re trying to avoid artificial sweeteners, choose Promix or Transparent Labs, which use natural sweeteners.

Best Meal Replacement Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Huel Black Edition

Huel Black Edition

4.0

• Price per serving: $2.50
• Protein per serving: 40g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Chocolate: 400 calories, 24g carbohydrates, 17g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, non-GMO, vegan
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar, steviol glycosides
• Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Banana, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Roll, Unflavored & Unsweetened

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Huel is our favorite meal replacement for weight loss because it has a great protein-to-carb ratio. Huel has 40 grams of protein per serving, the most of any protein powder on our list, and 24 grams of carbs. While this might be more carbs than ideal for those on a keto diet, it’s a solid portion for most. Carbs are an essential nutrient and according to experts, you can consume 100 to 150 grams a day and still lose weight.

Kessler tried Huel in Chocolate and Vanilla. “The Chocolate flavor was great, probably because it uses real cocoa powder, which gave it an authentic chocolate flavor,” he says. “The Vanilla wasn’t as good—it didn’t really taste like vanilla and had an artificial aftertaste.” He notes that it doesn’t mix very well, but says it made him feel great. “Other similar products, like Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, give me an upset stomach. But I felt great after taking Huel Black Edition,” he says.

Best Clean Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Promix Grass-Fed Whey

Promix Grass-Fed Whey

4.0

• Price per serving: $1.63
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Vanilla: 135 calories, 7g carbohydrates, 1.5g fat
• Certifications: Third-party tested, gluten-free, artificial ingredient-free
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar
• Flavors: Raw Chocolate, Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Unflavored, One Ingredient Whey

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Promix is our favorite clean protein powder because it’s third-party tested and results are easily viewable on Promix’s website. Those results show this product is tested for heavy metals and verified gluten-free. And beyond these positive results, this protein powder has one of the most simple formulas on our list. Vanilla, for example, has just four ingredients, and Promix doesn’t use any artificial ingredients.

This protein powder, like others on our list, has a solid protein-to-carb ratio for weight loss (25 grams to 7 grams, respectively). A 2020 study found consuming a higher portion of protein versus carbs helped participants lose weight and prevented them from gaining the weight back.

I tried the Vanilla flavor of this protein powder. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste. And I wish it mixed a little better—there were some clumps after mixing. 

One thing to note about Promix is that while it has been third-party tested, it hasn’t been third-party tested for sport specifically. This means it hasn’t been tested for substances banned in athletic competitions. So if you’re an athlete planning to compete, opt for a powder that’s Informed Sport Certified or NSF Certified for Sport.

Best Casein Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Legion Athletics Casein+

Legion Athletics Casein+

• Price per serving: $1.99
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Dutch Chocolate: 110 calories, 3g carbohydrates, 0.5g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, artificial ingredient free
• Sweeteners: Stevia leaf extract
• Flavors: Dutch Chocolate, Cinnamon Cereal, French Vanilla, Strawberry

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One of my favorite casein protein powders is Casein+ from Legion Athletics. I chose Casein+ because it’s all-natural, meaning it’s free from artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors, and it’s third-party tested by Labdoor for purity and potency. This product provides 25 grams of protein per serving and only contains 110 calories, regardless of the flavor you choose. This protein-to-calorie ratio is ideal for weight loss.

Along with whey, casein is a type of protein found in milk and is characterized by its slow digestion and absorption. This prolonged digestion makes it an ideal option for people looking to manage hunger levels and maintain a consistent supply of amino acids over an extended timeframe—such as during sleep or when going a long time between meals. By providing a steady stream of protein to the muscles, casein helps mitigate the risk of muscle breakdown that often accompanies calorie restriction. As a result, incorporating a casein protein powder into your diet can be a strategic move to help support your weight loss goals.

Tester Brandon Lunsford, C.P.T., tried the Dutch Chocolate flavor, saying it reminded him of a dark chocolate bar that isn’t too rich or too sweet. The only downside is that casein protein has a different consistency than whey. It’s generally thicker and often takes longer to dissolve. Lunsford noticed this during his testing, saying the product had a “slightly chalky aftertaste.”

Best Unflavored Protein Powder for Weight Loss: Naked Grass-Fed Whey

Naked Grass-Fed Whey

4.5

• Price per serving: $1.25
• Protein per serving: 25g
• Nutrition facts: Vary slightly by flavor. For Unflavored: 120 calories, 3g carbohydrates, 2g fat
• Certifications: Non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, artificial ingredient-free
• Sweeteners: Coconut sugar is used for flavored options
• Flavors: Unflavored, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate

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Naked Whey’s Unflavored protein stands out for its simplicity and purity; its single-ingredient formula consists of whey protein concentrate sourced for grass-fed cows. This simplicity aligns with the brand’s commitment to transparency, priding itself on avoiding additives, fillers, or artificial ingredients in its products.

With its neutral taste profile, this protein powder is very versatile, letting you integrate the protein powder seamlessly into your favorite recipes or smoothies without altering the flavor profile. Kessler tried the Unflavored version and says it “has a very slight vanilla taste to it.” He also detected a note of earthiness, but says “It would be really good mixed into a smoothie.” However, he mentions the two-scoop serving size can feel like a lot, so he recommends using extra liquid when blending it.

If you’re someone who prefers a flavored protein powder, you’ll be happy to know Naked also offers five flavored options, including Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Double Chocolate. Naked only uses coconut sugar to sweeten its protein supplements, which isn’t nearly as sweet as artificial sweeteners like sucralose or acesulfame potassium.

Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain: Sports Research Whey Protein

Sports Research Whey Protein

4.7

• Price per serving: $1.36 per serving (25 servings); $1.06/serving (60 servings)
• Protein per serving: 25 grams
• Nutrition facts: 140 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of fat
• Protein source: Whey protein isolate
• Sweeteners: Stevia, sucralose
• Flavors: Dutch Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla
• Subscription: Monthly, subscribe and save 10 percent

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We chose Sports Research as our best protein powder for weight loss and muscle gain because it has a solid protein-to-calorie ratio (25 grams to 140 calories), is Informed Sport Certified, is fairly priced at $1.20 per serving, and tastes great, according to testers.

From a nutritional standpoint, Sports Research stacks up well against many of its competitors. The per-serving content for protein (25 grams), calories (140), and carbs (2 grams) compares favorably with most of the choices on our list, although the fat per serving (3.5 grams for Vanilla and 4 grams for Dutch Chocolate) is on the high side. Other ingredients include vitamin D, which has been linked to muscle health in recent research.

Tester Cory Kessler, C.N.C., C.P.T., tried the Creamy Vanilla flavor. “When I mixed it with milk it almost tasted like vanilla ice cream,” he says. “But when I mixed it with water it diluted the flavor, and all I could taste was the sweetness,” he warns. He also notes that it mixed very well, and “wasn’t gritty or clumpy at all.”

What Does Protein Powder Do for Weight Loss?

Whether from powder or whole food sources, protein aids weight loss mainly by:

• Enhancing satiety: In less clinical terms, satiety simply means feeling full. Research has found that the potential benefits of a high-protein diet include increasing your body’s secretion of certain hormones that promote a feeling of fullness, which could in turn help you better regulate your appetite.
• Preserving fat-free muscle mass: Eating more protein could have positive effects not just on body weight but also on body composition. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue.

Protein powder can be an effective tool in helping you achieve your weight loss goals. Drinking a protein powder shake or smoothie provides a quick, easy way to consume high amounts of protein with a limited amount of calories, fat, and carbohydrates. One of the main benefits of protein powder is that it’s often extremely lean, with a very high ratio of protein to total number of calories. This makes protein powder an efficient way to hit your daily protein target while adhering to your calorie guidelines.

How to Choose the Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss for You

Protein Content and Quality

Choose a protein powder with a significant amount of protein, typically around 25 grams per serving. If you have weight loss goals, a whey, soy, or pea protein isolate is likely your best bet since they are ultra-filtered to remove excess carbohydrates and fats.

Calories per Serving

When you have weight loss goals, it’s best to choose a protein powder with a moderate calorie count per serving, e.g., 100 to 160 calories. You should also ensure the majority of those calories come from protein, as this will best support your weight loss progress. Remember, protein is four calories per gram, so you can expect a supplement that has 25 grams of protein to have around 110 to 120 calories if it’s extremely lean.

Ingredient Quality

It’s important to check the ingredients list of the supplement to ensure the product is free from added sugars or unnecessary fillers. Although these ingredients may contribute to the flavor, sweetness, and creaminess of the supplement, they often come with added calories. It’s generally best to select protein powders with minimal ingredients.

Occasionally, protein powders contain ingredients such as creatine, probiotics, or branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). While these aren’t necessary, it’s important to assess whether these added ingredients align with your health and fitness goals, and whether it’s worth choosing a protein powder that offers these options.

Taste and Mixability

Regardless of your goals, choose a protein powder with a flavor and consistency you enjoy. I know this seems obvious, but if you dislike the taste, then you’re far less likely to use the protein powder on a consistent basis, if at all.

Third-Party Testing

As a certified nutrition coach, I advise my clients to choose a protein powder that’s been third-party tested for quality, purity, and safety, especially when I’m working with athletes. This ensures your supplement is free from contaminants, including banned substances, and is deemed safe for consumption. Third-party testing also holds supplement companies accountable, providing assurance that the ingredients in the product align with the information provided on the supplement facts label.

What to Avoid in a Protein Powder for Weight Loss

Whenever you’re purchasing a dietary supplement, you should look for one that aligns with your specific health and fitness goals. With weight loss in mind, it’s typically recommended to avoid products with added sugars, or excessive amounts of carbohydrates and fats. Some consumers may also choose to avoid products with artificial additives, such as sweeteners, flavors, and colors, which are routinely found in protein powder supplements. If you’re looking for an all-natural protein powder with minimal ingredients, consider Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey or protein powders from Naked Nutrition.

Final Thoughts: Is Protein Powder for Weight Loss Worth It?

As a certified nutrition coach, I think it’s important to emphasize that a protein powder isn’t a necessity for weight loss success. However, due to its convenience and effectiveness, it does offer some notable benefits when used as part of a holistic approach to weight loss that includes resistance training, quality sleep, and healthy lifestyle habits. Consuming a high-protein diet, especially during a weight-loss phase, helps manage hunger levels and improves muscle preservation. If a protein powder can help you hit your daily protein targets while still maintaining a calorie deficit, then I think it’s worth incorporating into your regular routine.

Protein Powder for Weight Loss FAQs

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Whey is a complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids our bodies need to build muscle. Whey protein also supplies the body with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), like leucine, which help promote muscle growth (1).

We consulted Pete Nastasi, a certified nutrition coach (C.N.C.), to help us find the best whey protein powders on the market. 

Here, we break down the different types of whey protein powders available (concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate), which types will work best for you, and what nutrition information to look for. Plus, we’ve tested over 50 protein powders to help us create the list of our top picks.

Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.

How We Chose the Best Whey Protein Powders

We chose products for our list of the best whey protein powders based on a number of factors reflected in our whey protein powder scoring methodology. These include:

• Protein source: Whey protein is available as a concentrate, isolate, hydrolysate, or blend. We rank whey isolates and hydrolysates higher than concentrates because they are easier to digest and filtered to remove carbs and fat.
• Macronutrient calories per serving: We prioritize whey protein powders with the most calories from protein—as opposed to fat or carbs.
• Total protein per serving: While everyone has varying protein needs, 25–30 grams of protein is generally recommended with each snack or meal. This amount is also the best value per serving of protein powder.
• Price per gram of protein: While price isn’t always indicative of quality or value, we do reward whey protein powders that are more affordable, though we give this category less weight than the others.
• Sweeteners: We consider research about common sweeteners when assessing which whey protein powder formulas provide the least health risks to users.
• Bonus credits: Whey protein powders can earn small bumps in their overall score by having third-party testing credentials, no proprietary blends, an organic certification, sustainable packaging, and the addition of digestive enzymes.

We also receive input from our panel of expert contributors, which includes registered dietitians and highly credentialed experts in sports nutrition and exercise science. 

Our Picks for the Best Whey Protein Powder of 2025:

• Best Overall Whey Protein Powder: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
• Best Chocolate Whey Protein: Sports Research Whey Protein
• Best Grass-Fed Whey Protein: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Concentrate
• Best Vanilla Whey Protein: Legion Whey+
• Best-Tasting Whey Protein: Gainful Protein Powder

Best Overall Whey Protein Powder: Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

4.9

• Price per serving: $2.00 per serving
• Protein per serving: 28 grams
• Protein type: Whey protein isolate
• Number of servings: 30
• Calories per serving: 120 to 150
• Flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon French Toast, French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Mocha, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, Strawberry, Unflavored, Vanilla Peanut Butter
• Third-party tested: Yes, by independent labs

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No sugar, all protein—that’s what Transparent Labs set out to accomplish with its grass-fed whey protein isolate. This whey protein undergoes filtration (2), taking out the excess sugar, fat, carbs, and lactose so you’re giving your body the pure protein it needs to rebuild. Whey isolate has the highest protein concentration of the different types of protein powders, and this protein is a good option if you’re trying to reduce your carb and fat intake.

Transparent Labs’ Whey Protein Isolate packs 28 grams of protein into each serving—one of the highest on our list. We also like the flavor variety, including unique flavors like Cinnamon French Toast. Bonus: This protein isn’t too sweet, so you can mix it with fruit juice or add it to a fruit smoothie without feeling like you’re drinking a shake made with Fun Dip.

Best Chocolate Whey Protein: Sports Research Whey Protein

Sports Research Whey Protein

4.7

• Price per serving: $1.36 per serving (25 servings); $1.06/serving (60 servings)
• Protein per serving: 25 grams
• Nutrition facts: 140 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of fat
• Protein source: Whey protein isolate
• Sweeteners: Stevia, sucralose
• Flavors: Dutch Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla
• Subscription: Monthly, subscribe and save 10 percent

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Sports Research Whey Protein is formulated with 6.9 grams of BCAAs, including 1,000 milligrams of L-leucine. Studies show leucine may help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Depending on flavor, this Informed Sport Certified protein powder is sweetened with stevia or sucralose, so those sensitive to these ingredients may need to steer clear.

Rachel Pasche says she has a protein shake for dessert some nights using the Dutch Chocolate flavor. “It might be too sweet for some people, but I honestly love the taste so much,” she says. “It’s my favorite flavor of protein powder I’ve ever tried.” She says the powder mixes well with water alone, with both a handheld mixer and in a shaker cup, noting there is some foam at the top that doesn’t last long and no clumping.

Additionally, Pasche says she sometimes feels bloated after whey protein shakes, but after six months of using Sports Research Whey, she has not experienced any bloat.

Best Grass-Fed Whey Protein: Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Concentrate

Nutricost Grass-Fed Whey Protein Concentrate

4.2

• Price per serving: $1.74 per serving (2-pound container)
• Protein per serving: 25 grams
• Nutrition facts: 140 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat
• Protein source: Grass-fed whey protein concentrate
• Sweeteners: Stevia
• Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Unflavored
• Subscription: Monthly, subscribe and save 10 percent

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Why is grass-fed whey protein better? Studies show that dairy sourced from grass-fed cows has a higher concentration of whey proteins and amino acids (3), which may further support muscular training adaptations.

This Nutricost protein powder is non-GMO, gluten-free, and third-party tested. Whey protein concentrate, like this one, is often made with sunflower lecithin, an ingredient to help promote mixability. Testers also enjoy the taste and say this protein powder mixes well. “The taste was nostalgic; I’d liken it to Nesquik,” says tester Grant Smith. “And the mixability was on par with some of the better proteins I’ve had previously.” Smith was pleasantly surprised by the mixability of Nutricost Whey Protein, noting he didn’t find any small chunks of undissolved protein floating in his shake when mixed with milk.

After drinking most of his shake, Smith let a bit of the mixture sit for almost 10 minutes after initially mixing to test for separation. He noticed some slight separation between the protein and skim milk he mixed it with, but says it wasn’t enough to make the drink any less appealing.

Best Vanilla Whey Protein: Legion Whey+

Legion Whey+

4.6

• Price per serving: $1.54 to $2.00
• Protein per serving: 21-24 grams
• Protein type: Whey isolate
• Number of servings: 30 to 78
• Calories per serving: 100 to 130
• Flavors: Apple Pie, Banana Bread, Cinnamon Cereal, Dutch Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cocoa Cereal, Cookies & Cream, French Vanilla, Fruity Cereal, Honey Cereal, Mocha Cappucino, Pumpkin Pie, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Banana, Unflavored
• Third-party tested: Labdoor

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The protein in Legion Athletics is certified to contain no banned substances by Labdoor, the gold standard of third-party lab testing. This helps ensure the protein isolate is in its purest, most nutritionally dense form without any interference from pesticides and growth hormones.

Additionally, Legion Athletics whey is filtered to remove extra carbs and fat, so you’re only getting the good stuff with every serving. The removal of these elements is geared toward bloat-free digestion.

Testers say it also tastes great, giving especially high marks to the French Vanilla flavor. “I really like the flavor of this one. It tastes like a vanilla creamer!” says Kayla Godfrey. “This is delicious. Great vanilla taste,” says Carlo Barajas.

Best Tasting Whey Protein: Gainful Protein Powder

Gainful Vegan Protein Powder

4.2

• Price per serving: $3.21
• Protein per serving: 19–27 grams (varies based on your personalized formula)
• Protein source: Depends on your formula, and may include whey protein isolate or concentrate, micellar casein, organic pea protein, or organic brown rice protein
• Sweeteners: Monk fruit or stevia leaf extract
• Flavors: Strawberry Cream, Madagascar Vanilla, Rich Chocolate, Caffè Mocha, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Matcha Green Tea, Cinnamon Toast, Sea Salt Caramel

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You’ve probably seen that one of the biggest general complaints about protein powder is it can taste “chalky” and leave you with an off-putting aftertaste. Our testing team tried Gainful’s Caffe Mocha flavor, and liked the subtle, not-too-sweet flavor profile. “This reminds me of an at-home cappuccino mix,” says Barry Bridges. “The coffee flavor is very light—I’d say it’s more of a chocolate flavor,” adds Rachael Harris.

If you’re not a fan of coffee flavors, Gainful offers nine total flavors in individual-use packets, so you can pick and choose what you’re craving each day. Nastasi, who has tried many different Gainful Protein Powder flavors, says the Chocolate Peanut Butter, Caffe Mocha, and Sea Salt Caramel are his favorites.

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is a concentrated protein source derived from cow’s milk, which contains two major proteins called casein and whey (4). Whey accounts for 20 percent of milk protein, and is considered a high-quality protein source. Cow’s milk protein is considered a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids required by the body (5).

Beyond basic nutrition, whey protein (6) may offer specific health benefits, such as enhanced immune function (7) and cardiometabolic health (8). Usually, whey is sold in powder form, which can be blended with water or other liquids or added to soft foods. Also, people use whey protein powder in cooking, which adds nutritional value to baked goods. Food manufacturers use whey formulations rather than cream, butter, or egg ingredients to make high-protein, low-fat products.

What Are the Three Types of Whey Protein?

When you browse online or at your local nutrition shop for whey protein products, you’ll probably notice different forms of whey. The main difference in the types of whey protein is how they’re processed. The three most common forms of whey protein are concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate (hydrolyzed whey).

Concentrate

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) is the least processed form of whey, so it contains the highest levels of lactose (milk sugar), fat, carbohydrates, and nutrients. Food manufacturers use WPC (9) to replace fresh dairy and eggs in products like sauces, soups, and baked goods because it adds flavor, color, and texture and extends shelf-life (10). However, it has the lowest protein content out of the three—typically 70 to 80 percent.

Isolate

Whey protein isolate (WPI) is made when whey is filtered and processed. It contains the most protein, 90 percent or more, and less lactose. Because of its higher protein content, sports nutrition companies often prefer WPI for use in supplements, protein bars, and other protein products (11). However, it lacks some of the beneficial nutrients found in the concentrated form (12).

Hydrolysate

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH), also known as hydrolyzed whey, is produced by a process called partial hydrolysis, which breaks down whey protein for easier absorption (13). WPH is digested faster than WPC or WPI (14), so it causes a 28 to 43 percent increase in blood sugar levels (15). Diabetics don’t have to worry about this, though. Protein digestion is slow. In fact, recent research suggests that whey protein improves glycemic (blood sugar) control (16).

Benefits of Whey Protein Powder

The real benefit of a whey protein powder is that it’s an incredibly convenient and high-quality source of dietary protein. However, if you consume enough dietary protein through meat, dairy, legumes, and other foods, then you don’t need a protein powder to achieve your health and fitness goals. However, if you’re having trouble consuming enough protein through your diet alone, then adding a protein powder to your daily routine can have some real benefits.

Building Muscle

Whey protein is rich in essential amino acids, including BCAAs, which can be beneficial for supporting muscle integrity and growth with training (17). Adding a protein powder for muscle gain to your daily diet can be a great way to help maximize your dietary protein intake and stimulate muscle growth.

Preserving Lean Muscle Mass

When you’re in a caloric deficit with the goal of losing weight, you want to ensure that the weight you’re losing is primarily fat and not muscle. Eating a diet rich in protein helps preserve the lean muscle mass you’ve worked hard to achieve and enables your body to prioritize burning fat for energy.

Weight Loss

Consuming whey protein has a satiating effect, meaning that it helps you feel full for a longer period of time. High protein diets help with weight loss by regulating your hunger levels and therefore reducing the amount of total calories you consume throughout the day.

How To Use Whey Protein Powder

In order to properly use a whey protein powder, you should first determine how much protein you should be eating on a daily basis. The amount of protein you consume is dependent on your fitness goals and current body weight, activity level, and physique. A simple way to calculate your daily protein intake is by multiplying your body weight by 0.8. The resulting number is how many grams of protein you should consume each day. This should provide most active individuals with sufficient protein intake. Remember that whey protein powder is a supplement and shouldn’t be your main source of dietary protein.

As far as how to consume this protein powder, you should follow the instructions on the supplement label. This usually entails mixing one scoop of protein powder with 10 to 12 ounces of your favorite beverage. It can also be mixed in a smoothie or foods like oatmeal and pancake batter. Whey protein powder can be consumed at any time of the day, but it’s usually utilized as a post-workout supplement to begin repairing muscle tissue.

Potential Side Effects of Whey Protein Powder

When used in moderation, protein powder is free of side effects and generally considered safe for healthy adults. However, consuming large amounts of protein powder can lead to digestive issues, dehydration, and (potentially) nutrient deficiencies. It’s important to use whey protein powder as part of a balanced diet and not as your main source of dietary protein. If you experience any unusual symptoms after using protein powder, stop use immediately and consult a healthcare professional.

Who Should Use Whey Protein?

A whey protein powder will benefit anyone who is looking to increase their daily protein consumption and has trouble doing so through their diet alone. This is especially relevant for very active individuals, such as athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts who have increased protein demands due to their workouts and training.

Another segment of the population that may benefit from using a whey protein powder is older adults. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing protein from food (18). Using protein supplements can be an easy way for older adults to meet their daily protein needs and support muscle health.

How To Choose the Best Whey Protein for You

When picking a whey protein product, there are a few factors to consider, including the type of protein, taste, nutrition, additives/allergies, and price.

Type of Protein

Check the ingredients list to see what type of whey the protein powder contains. Some brands will use a blend of whey forms.

• Whey concentrates have the most nutrients, but slightly less protein. They also contain more lactose, which may trigger lactose sensitivities.
• Whey isolates have more protein, but less fat and carbs, so they’ll likely be lower in calories. They may also be more expensive, since they require more processing.
• Whey hydrolysates may be easier to digest and absorbed faster, so if you’re looking for a post-workout recovery shake, a hydrolysate might be the best choice to deliver muscle-building proteins.

Taste

Whey proteins come in a wide variety of flavors. You’ll find options from unflavored to vanilla, chocolate orange, and summer berries, to name a few. Taste is important because you want a protein supplement you’ll enjoy. When just starting to supplement your protein intake, try a small container or buy samples of flavors you might enjoy and get creative with your add-ins. You can try fruits, flavored milks, or juices to create new flavors that fit your taste preference.

Nutrition

Check the whey protein label for the amount of protein per serving, and factor it into your daily protein intake. Most protein powders have around 25 grams per serving, which is an ideal dosage to maximize muscle protein synthesis (19). Also look for calories, fats, carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and even amino acid profiles. Make sure that the supplement you choose gives you the maximum benefit without unnecessary add-ins.

Additives/Allergies

Read the ingredients section, too. Look for additives or allergens that you want or need to avoid. For example, labels warn you if the whey powder contains soy or was processed in a facility with nuts.

Price

The protein powders on our list give you a good idea of the price range for whey supplements. Our top picks vary from $1.16 to $3.41 per serving or $34 to $95 per container, so there’s an option for most budgets.

FAQs

References

1. Kimball SR, Jefferson LS. Signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which branched-chain amino acids mediate translational control of protein synthesis. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):227S-31S. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.1.227S. PMID: 16365087.
2. Patel, S. (2015). Functional food relevance of whey protein: A review of recent findings and scopes ahead. Journal of Functional Foods, 19, 308–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2015.09.040
3. Alothman M, Hogan SA, Hennessy D, Dillon P, Kilcawley KN, O’Donovan M, Tobin J, Fenelon MA, O’Callaghan TF. The “Grass-Fed” Milk Story: Understanding the Impact of Pasture Feeding on the Composition and Quality of Bovine Milk. Foods. 2019 Aug 17;8(8):350. doi: 10.3390/foods8080350. PMID: 31426489; PMCID: PMC6723057.
4. Davoodi SH, Shahbazi R, Esmaeili S, Sohrabvandi S, Mortazavian A, Jazayeri S, Taslimi A. Health-Related Aspects of Milk Proteins. Iran J Pharm Res. 2016 Summer;15(3):573-591. PMID: 27980594; PMCID: PMC5149046.
5. Miller, D. G., Jarvis, K. J., & McBean, D. L. Dairy Foods and Nutrition. https://books.google.com.br/books?
6. Shah NP. Effects of milk-derived bioactives: an overview. Br J Nutr. 2000 Nov;84 Suppl 1:S3-10. doi: 10.1017/s000711450000218x. PMID: 11242440.
7. Ha, E., & Zemel, M. B. (2003). Functional properties of whey, whey components, and essential amino acids: mechanisms underlying health benefits for active people (review). The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 14(5), 251–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0955-2863(03)00030-5
8. Fekete ÁA, Givens DI, Lovegrove JA. Can milk proteins be a useful tool in the management of cardiometabolic health? An updated review of human intervention trials. Proc Nutr Soc. 2016 Aug;75(3):328-41. doi: 10.1017/S0029665116000264. Epub 2016 May 6. PMID: 27150497.
9. USDA’s National Organic Program. Whey Protein Concentrate. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media
10. United States Dairy Export Council. 2004. Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products. U.S. Dairy Export Council; Arlington, VA. Retrieved on May 31, 2016 from: http://usdec.files.cms-plus.com/PDFs/2008ReferenceManuals/Whey_Lactose
11. Hoffman, J. R., & Falvo, M. J. (2004). Protein – Which is Best?. Journal of sports science & medicine, 3(3), 118–130. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905294/
12. Patel S. (2015). Emerging trends in nutraceutical applications of whey protein and its derivatives. Journal of food science and technology, 52(11), 6847–6858. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-1894-0
13. Morifuji, M., Ishizaka, M., Baba, S., Fukuda, K., Matsumoto, H., Koga, J., Kanegae, M., & Higuchi, M. (2010). Comparison of different sources and degrees of hydrolysis of dietary protein: effect on plasma amino acids, dipeptides, and insulin responses in human subjects. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(15), 8788–8797. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf101912n
14. Nakayama, K., Tagawa, R., Saito, Y., & Sanbongi, C. (2019). Effects of whey protein hydrolysate ingestion on post-exercise muscle protein synthesis compared with intact whey protein in rats. Nutrition & metabolism, 16, 90. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-019-0417-9
15. Power, O., Hallihan, A., & Jakeman, P. (2009). Human insulinotropic response to oral ingestion of native and hydrolysed whey protein. Amino acids, 37(2), 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0156-0
16. Chiang, S. W., Liu, H. W., Loh, E. W., Tam, K. W., Wang, J. Y., Huang, W. L., & Kuan, Y. C. (2022). Whey protein supplementation improves postprandial glycemia in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 104, 44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2022.04.002
17. Stokes, T., Hector, A. J., Morton, R. W., McGlory, C., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients, 10(2), 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020180
18. Baum, J. I., Kim, I. Y., & Wolfe, R. R. (2016). Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake?. Nutrients, 8(6), 359. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060359
19. Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of sports sciences, 29 Suppl 1, S29–S38. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.619204
20. Kårlund, A., Gómez-Gallego, C., Turpeinen, A. M., Palo-Oja, O. M., El-Nezami, H., & Kolehmainen, M. (2019). Protein Supplements and Their Relation with Nutrition, Microbiota Composition and Health: Is More Protein Always Better for Sportspeople?. Nutrients, 11(4), 829. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040829
21. Hulmi, J. J., Laakso, M., Mero, A. A., Häkkinen, K., Ahtiainen, J. P., & Peltonen, H. (2015). The effects of whey protein with or without carbohydrates on resistance training adaptations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12, 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0109-4
22. Vasconcelos, Q. D. J. S., Bachur, T. P. R., & Aragão, G. F. (2021). Whey protein supplementation and its potentially adverse effects on health: a systematic review. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 46(1), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0370

The post The Best Whey Protein Powders of 2025, According to a Certified Sports Nutrition Coach appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Some of us don’t mind eating an unvaried diet of the same few foods, day in and day out, year after year. Others need more variety in their diet to accommodate differing tastes, overall compliance, and the simple practicality of eating with family and friends.

With all of the different protein options available, along with some creativity, you will never have to endure a repetitive diet again. Let’s go over a list of 20 high-quality, high-protein, low-carbohydrate foods to make your diet varied, interesting, and, most of all, effective.

Editor’s Note: The content on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen, diet plan, and/or supplement protocol, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for individualized consulting with a qualified medical professional.

High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Foods

• Benefits of a High-Protein Diet
• 20 High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Foods
• Sample High-Protein Menu Plan

The Benefits of a High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet

While protein does function in the repair and building of muscle tissue, it also is used by our bodies for more biological, less obvious, functions including make hormones and enzymes.

Protein also beats fat and carbohydrates for the thermic effect of food (TEF) — the increase in your metabolic rate that naturally occurs after eating. A higher TEF essentially means that you can eat more of it, compared to the two other macronutrients, with less chance of those calories being stored as body fat. (1)

Additionally, protein has a higher satiating effect than the other macronutrients. You’ll feel more full after a meal rich in protein, compared to a meal that’s carb- or fat-dominant. (2) All these benefits of protein can combine to make you leaner, more muscular, more satisfied, and potentially more healthy overall — just by focusing on a relatively high-protein diet.

Depending on your individual goals and current body composition, protein is typically prescribed at 0.8 to 1.25 grams per pound of body weight (1.76 to 2.75 grams per kilogram of body weight). Because athletes and lifters have varying goals for their target weight and body composition, the total calories and macronutrient breakdown are calculated respectively for weight loss, muscular weight gain, or maintenance.

Since protein is most often the macronutrient not drastically changed depending on your specific goal — while carbohydrates and fats are significantly scaled up and down — incorporating enough high-protein, low-carbohydrate food items can be an important part of designing a successful nutrition plan. 

The 20 Best High-Protein, Low-Carb Foods

Your individual daily meals certainly don’t need to include each of these foods throughout the day — that would be beyond impractical. However, regularly rotating your protein choices can deliver a variety of micronutrients (including vitamins and minerals), while also adjusting your macronutrients (total carb and fat intake).

While the foods listed are all relatively high in protein and low in carbohydrates, the fat content varies, which allows you to more accurately choose foods that fit your individual plan and goals. Try to get past any reluctance to trying some new foods or new methods of cooking. No rule says your options are limited to “grilled or boiled.”

Eggs

Eggs contain protein and healthy fats. They can be prepared in omelets, stews, scrambles, and frittatas to which meats, vegetables, cheeses, and herbs are often added. This provides a variety of flavors and textures. Hard or soft-boiled eggs can also make a convenient, portable snack, and can be used to complete a range of salads from classic egg salad to a comprehensive “chef’s salad.”

• Serving Size: One large egg
• Protein: 6 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Calories: 74 calories

Egg Whites

Using exclusively egg whites in an omelet or scramble is a way to bump up a meal’s protein content without adding extra carbohydrates or fat. The whites can also be used in smoothies and muffins for added texture and volume, along with additional protein. Pasteurized liquid egg whites, sold in cartons, provide convenience because they do not have to be painstakingly separated from the yolks in a whole egg.

• Serving Size: ½ cup
• Protein: 13 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram
• Calories: 63 calories

Salmon

Salmon contains protein and heart-healthy omega-three fatty acids. (3) Because it contains a moderate amount of fat, it has a smooth mouthfeel unlike some more lean fish. It can be pan-fried, roasted, poached, broiled, or grilled, or even served over a salad. Salmon is also available canned and pre-cooked, making it a convenient, go-to source of protein when short on time.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 40 grams
• Fat: 22 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 236 calories

Sardines

Sardines, like salmon, are another source of protein and omega-three fatty acids. The fresh variety can be similarly pan-fried, broiled, roasted, or grilled, or served over a salad. They are commonly available canned, packed either in water or oil, sometimes available with a variety of herbs, seasonings, and sauces, making them another convenient source of pre-cooked protein. Oil-packed sardines will contain higher levels of fats.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 42 grams
• Fat: 19 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 354 calories

Tuna 

Tuna is a low-fat source of protein. Again, the fresh variety can be pan-fried, baked, or grilled, or served over a salad. It is commonly available canned or in pouches, packed in water or oil. Oil-packed tuna will contain higher levels of fats.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 42 grams
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 190 calories

Shrimp

Shrimp is a lean shellfish that has relatively few calories for its volume. A relatively large amount can be eaten without necessarily “overeating,” making it a satisfying choice for people on weight-loss diets.

It can be grilled, sauteed, baked, or skewered for kebabs. It’s also a popular choice for tacos, burritos, and seafood salads. High-quality shrimp may be served raw in shrimp ceviche — a salad in which acid from citrus juice and onion denature its protein, instead of traditional cooking.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 35 grams
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 2 grams
• Calories: 180 calories

Pork Chops

Pork chops are a source of protein with varying amounts of fat depending on the cut. Because some cuts are fairly lean and subject to dryness, they are sometimes brined or marinated before cooking, adding both moisture and flavor. They are suitable for pan-frying, grilling, or roasting. They are available bone-in or boneless.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 36 grams
• Fat: 18 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 306 calories

Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is a moderate-fat source of protein. It is a traditional barbecue item and can be braised, smoked, roasted, or skewered. It can be used in tacos, sandwiches, salads, soups, stews, and pasta, or served on its own as a main entree.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 63 grams
• Fat: 30 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 454 calories

Ham

Ham is a relatively lean source of protein. It is a pork leg cut that has been preserved by curing. It is sometimes additionally preserved by smoking. It can be consumed in sandwiches, omelets, frittatas, pasta, rice dishes, salads, or as a main entree.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 37 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 2 grams
• Calories: 236 calories

Sirloin Steak

Sirloin is one of the leaner cuts of steak. It can be prepared by grilling, roasting, pan-frying, or skewered for kebabs. Like most cuts of steak, it is commonly served as a main entree, but can be served over salads, alongside eggs at breakfast, and in sandwiches, fajitas, tacos, omelets, or frittatas.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 52 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 300 calories

Strip Steak

Strip steak is another relatively lean cut of red meat. It can be prepared in a variety of ways, nearly interchangeable with sirloin.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 48 grams
• Fat: 6 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 294 calories

Ribeye Steak

Ribeye steak is a higher-fat steak with much marbling and a strong flavor.  It can be prepared similar to other cuts of steak. The higher fat content should be taken into consideration when preparing and serving, as ribeye will yield a higher calorie meal.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 40 grams
• Fat: 37 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 494 calories

Lean Ground Beef

Lean ground beef has a fat content of 5%, which can be preferred over higher fat ground beef options to monitor total calorie intake. It can be used to make hamburgers, meatballs, meat sauce, stuffed peppers, tacos, burritos, or a classic meatloaf.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 44 grams
• Fat: 10 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 280 calories

Beef Liver 

A staple of bodybuilding diets back in “the old days,” beef liver and other organ meats have made a comeback on some personal menus thanks to its consumption being dubiously promoted on social media. Like other organ meats, liver has a strong flavor and it tends to either be loved or intensely disliked. It can be prepared by grilling or pan-frying.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Protein: 50 grams
• Fat: 9 grams
• Carbohydrates: 8 grams
• Calories: 324 calories

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a dairy product consisting of curds and whey from skimmed milk, to which cream is added. It has a sour flavor, and it can be eaten on its own, with pasta, on toast, or with granola, nuts, fruit, or vegetables. It is commonly available in fat-free, 1%, 2%, and 4% (whole or full-fat) varieties.

• Serving Size: 1 cup, 4% (full-fat)
• Protein: 25 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 8 grams
• Calories: 222 calories

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is yogurt strained of most of its whey, giving it a thicker consistency and higher-protein content than a similar volume of more common, unstrained yogurt. It can be eaten plain, topped with fruit, granola, seeds, or nuts, and used in smoothies. It is available in fat-free, 2%, and full-fat varieties. Note that many pre-flavored Greek yogurts often contain higher levels of carbohydrates from added sugar.

• Serving Size: 1 cup, 2%
• Protein: 24 grams
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 9 grams
• Calories: 160 calories

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is a quintessential muscle-building food because it is a low-fat source of protein that can be eaten in a variety of forms. It can be poached, grilled, pan-fried, roasted, or skewered for kebabs. It can be cut and served in sandwiches, on salads, in omelets, soups, frittatas, quiches, and tacos, or served as a showcase main entree.

Because of a mild flavor, it can serve as a blank slate for flavor profiles of your choice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with seasonings beyond simple salt and pepper.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces, boneless/skinless
• Protein: 52 grams
• Fat: 6 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 281 calories

Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are a protein source moderate in fat. Like chicken breast, thighs can be eaten in a wide variety of forms. They can be braised, pan-fried, roasted, grilled, or skewered for kebabs. They can also be used in stews, soups, quiches, tacos, sandwiches, and tacos, or used as a main entree.

• Serving Size: 6 ounces, boneless/skinless
• Protein: 42 grams
• Fat: 15 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Calories: 310 calories

Whey Protein Powder

Whey protein powder is a convenient, low-fat, low-carbohydrate protein. It is dried whey, which is the portion of milk that separates from curds during cheesemaking. It is a convenient protein source, with a shaker bottle or blender, a protein shake can be made in seconds and carried out the door.

RELATED: Best Whey Protein Powders

Other items, such as fruit, nut butters, vegetables, and different kinds of milk or milk alternatives can be added to make a customized smoothie. Whey protein can also used in recipes for pancakes, muffins, cakes, and even cookies. Note that scoop portions and specific macronutrients will vary between brands and flavors.

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (31 grams)
• Protein: 24 grams
• Fat: 3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 3 grams
• Calories: 120 calories

Casein Protein Powder

Casein protein powder is another convenient, low-fat, low-carbohydrate protein. It is dried casein, the milk protein of curds. Casein is sometimes considered a “slow digesting” protein, allowing it to increase feelings of satiety and curb hunger for longer periods. (4) The same method and recipes used for whey protein powder can be used for casein. Similarly, the scoop portions and specific macronutrients will vary between brands and flavors.

RELATED: Best Protein Powder

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (33 grams)
• Protein: 24 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 3 grams
• Calories: 110 calories

Sample High-Protein Menu Plan

Now that you have a list of a wide variety of protein-packed foods, here is an example of a day’s menu for a 200-pound (90.7-kilogram) athlete. Seeing a full day’s plan should help you see how to work high-quality protein choices into your diet.

The sample plan is calculated to provide approximately 1.25 grams of protein per pound (2.75 grams per kilogram) of body weight, 3,500 total calories, 20% of the calories from fat, and the remaining calories from carbohydrates. This is a general, effective guideline for athletes and offseason bodybuilders.

Meal One

• Omelet — 1 cup egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1-ounce ham, ½-cup cooked spinach
• Cream of Wheat cereal — 1 cup
• Banana — 1 medium

Total: 50 grams protein, 9 grams fat, 106 grams carbs, 684 calories

Snack One

• Smoothie — 1 scoop whey protein powder, ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, ½-cup oatmeal, 1 cup frozen fruit, 2 cups water

Total: 45 grams protein, 16 grams fat, 53 grams carbs, 505 calories

Meal Two

• Broccoli — 1 cup, cooked
• Chicken Breast — 6 ounces, boneless/skinless
• Rice — 2 cups
• Avocado — 1 medium

Total: 65 grams protein, 28 grams fat, 107 grams carbs, 949 calories

Snack Two

• Full-Fat (4%) Cottage Cheese — 1 cup
• Granola — 1 cup

Total: 34 grams protein, 15 grams fat, 57 grams carbohydrates, 390 calories

Meal Three

• Asparagus — 1 cup, cooked
• Sirloin Steak — 6 ounces
• Potato — 10 ounces, baked
• Butter — 1 tablespoon

Total: 67 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 118 grams carbohydrates, 905 calories

Daily Total

• Protein — 261 grams
• Fat — 87 grams
• Carbohydrates — 441 grams
• Calories — 3,433 calories — 30% protein, 22% fat, 51% carbohydrates

A Protein-Packed Plan

Now you have the knowledge to work a variety of high-protein foods into your diet without compromising on quality or nutrition, and without settling for a humdrum existence rotating between the same two or three protein sources. Setup an overall plan that suits your physique or performance goals, and make adjustments as needed to ensure success. Get out your calculator, pen and paper, frying pan, and grill, and get to it.

References

1. Westerterp K. R. (2004). Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutrition & metabolism, 1(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-1-5
2. Leidy, H. J., Clifton, P. M., Astrup, A., Wycherley, T. P., Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S., Luscombe-Marsh, N. D., Woods, S. C., & Mattes, R. D. (2015). The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 101(6), 1320S–1329S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084038
3. Khan, S. U., Lone, A. N., Khan, M. S., Virani, S. S., Blumenthal, R. S., Nasir, K., Miller, M., Michos, E. D., Ballantyne, C. M., Boden, W. E., & Bhatt, D. L. (2021). Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 38, 100997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100997
4. Hoffman, J. R., & Falvo, M. J. (2004). Protein – Which is Best?. Journal of sports science & medicine, 3(3), 118–130.

Featured Image: VasiliyBudarin / Shutterstock

The post The 20 Best High-Protein, Low-Carb Foods from a Registered Dietitian appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Judicious use of a pre-workout can certainly lead to higher intensity sessions that last longer and deliver a greater muscle-building, fat-burning stimulus. However, all pre-workout formulas are designed with different ingredients in different doses, so “one scoop” of something isn’t always comparable to “one scoop” of another mixture.

Knowing what you’re taking, how much, and, more importantly, how your body reacts to those ingredients is essential to get the best results. Before you start your next training session with a high-potency pre-workout, here’s how to know the possible side effects you might encounter.

Editor’s Note: The following information is meant to be informative in nature, but should not be taken as medical advice. The content presented is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It is not a substitute for consulting a qualified medical professional.

Pre-Workout Side Effects

• Common Ingredients
• Benefits
• Potential Side Effects

Most Common Pre-Workout Ingredients

Pre-workouts are technically a general category of supplements made up of different mixes with a variety of ingredients. However, some similar types of ingredients tend to pop up across different formulas.

Stimulants

Possibly the most well-known and, for some, most desired, type of ingredient is a straightforward stimulant to bolster physical and mental energy. Caffeine, tyrosine, yohimbine, and theacrine are some of the most common sources of stimulants.

While the majority of pre-workouts contain some form of stimulant, there are many non-stimulant pre-workout mixes that can be just as effective while omitting key energizing ingredients.

Blood Flow Enhancers

Many pre-workouts contain ingredients designed to improve blood circulation throughout the body. This can help to improve “the pump” while training and may increase endurance. Common nitric oxide boosters, sometimes called “NO2 boosters,” include arginine, citrulline, and betaine (not to be confused with beta-alanine, which is an unrelated ingredient with different effects).

Endurance Support

Many pre-workouts improve your physical endurance during a training session. This can either occur physiologically, by improving your body’s capacity for sustained output, or by decreasing your sense of fatigue so you essentially “feel less tired” as a workout progresses. Common endurance boosters include highly branched cyclic dextrins (which are actually a carbohydrate source rather than a specific supplement) and beta-alanine.

Benefits of Pre-Workout

When it’s time for a pre-workout to deliver results, many formulas knock the ball out of the park. Pre-workouts are popular largely because they are effective. Here are some of the most noticeable benefits.

Increased Energy and Alertness

Whether by stimulants, improved blood flow, or other mechanisms, pre-workouts typically get you “fired up” headed into a training session. This can be useful if you train after a tiring day at work, if you’re dragging in a slow gear before your first repetition, or if you head into a workout when your mental focus is less than 100%.

Increased Power and Strength

Pre-workouts can have a direct impact on your strength output during a given workout. (1) By helping to recruit more muscle units, exciting your central nervous system, or improving your muscles’ ability to contract, pre-workouts may help to move more weight for more reps. Over time, this can contribute to greater strength gains and muscle mass.

Improved Blood Flow

Many pre-workout formulas increase total-body circulation. This improved blood flow may help with general alertness and energy, greater motivation to train, increased physical endurance, and an improved muscle pump. The pump, in particular, has been associated with a greater muscle-building stimulus. (2)

Enhanced Endurance

The ability to perform longer workouts without decreasing output has been a time-tested recipe for improved fitness, strength, and performance.

Many pre-workouts help to improve endurance during a training session, either by decreasing your body’s sense of fatigue or by encouraging a sustained power output. This can be achieved either with improved recovery between sets or with better fueled performance at a higher intensity.

10 Potential Side Effects

For all of its potential benefits, a pre-workout also has the potential to deliver some side effects. No lifter should reasonably expect all gain for no proverbial “pain” in the gym, whether it’s a challenging set or a useful supplement. Here are the most common, though certainly not guaranteed, potential issues from using a pre-workout.

CNS Burnout

Your central nervous system (CNS) is essentially the way your brain communicates with, and activates, your muscles during exercise. Your CNS can become more stressed when training intensity or volume is increased, which can negatively affect overall recovery and performance. (3)

Because pre-workouts allow you train train harder and longer — with greater intensity and potentially more volume — you may be at risk over overstressing your CNS with excessive use.

Impaired Sleep

Perhaps the most “obvious” potential drawback of a stimulant-laden pre-workout is interrupted sleep and potential insomnia. This is primarily an issue with stimulant-heavy pre-workouts (those which include caffeine or other stimulants in their formula), particularly if they are taken in the afternoon or evening.

For example, taking a pre-workout around 5 p.m. for an afterwork training session is much more likely to cause sleep problems than a pre-workout taken at 7 a.m. for an early morning workout. However, individual sensitivities and total daily caffeine intake (from coffee, tea, soda, etc.) can be a factor.

Nausea

Sometimes simple hard training can lead to nausea. Many experienced lifters have needed to visit the “puke bucket” during high-rep squats, but potent pre-workout formulas might turn even an average workout into a sour stomach fiasco.

Whether it’s due to an overload of stimulants, an excessive workload, or just a mix of various ingredients swirling around your gut, a strong pre-workout could leave you feeling queasy, which would ultimately interrupt your training session. Some research suggests this is actually one of the most common side effects some lifters experience after taking a pre-workout. (4)

GI Upset

Similar to nausea, some lifters may experience gastric distress (upset stomach and/or bowel issues) after taking a pre-workout, often due to high-dose stimulants or related ingredients. This can severely interrupt a training session, often derailing a workout before it’s even begun. In extreme cases, it may be severe enough to force a lifter to abandon a workout entirely.

Attenuation

While stimulant-based pre-workouts can be highly effective for improving strength, power, and endurance, they can also deliver gradually diminishing results if used in excess. The body can develop a tolerance to stimulants, including caffeine, making their beneficial effects less impactful over time. (5)

To ensure maximum impact, aim to use a pre-workout no more than every other day, rather than every workout. If you frequently consume significant amounts of caffeine during a regular day, consider cutting back or using a pre-workout even less frequently. This should allow the formula to deliver a more noticeable benefit. (6)

Dehydration

A notable, but relatively easily preventable, side effect of pre-workouts is dehydration. By prompting a more challenging workout, some lifters may become more depleted during a high intensity training session via increased sweating and the loss of basic nutrients. (7)

This may not necessarily be accounted for with sufficient intra-workout hydration. Dehydration can lead to an overall decrease in power and endurance, making the workout counterproductive.

Headache

Another possible side effect of pre-workout, which may be noticeable sooner rather than later during some sessions, is a straightforward headache. Many pre-workout ingredients increase overall blood flow which can be beneficial to muscular performance, but can also be contraindicated in a person who is already experiencing high blood pressure. (8)

If you’re currently dealing with hypertension, double-check your pre-workout formula for ingredients which may exacerbate the issue such as arginine, citrulline, and other purported “nitric oxide boosters.”

Increased Heart Rate

Pre-workouts may increase a lifter’s heart rate, either relatively directly through stimulant-based ingredients or by supporting a high degree of training intensity. In lifters with hypertension or other cardiovascular risks, an increased heart rate may present a potential danger.

While exercise, in itself, may raise a person’s heart rate, the addition of a pre-workout may bring it to inappropriate or unexpected levels.

Skin Reaction

A relatively minor side effect, but no less distracting, is a “tingling” or itching skin sensation after taking a pre-workout. This can be particularly common in formulas which contain beta-alanine — a supplement typically associated with a “flushing” of the skin.

Some research associates the beta-alanine reaction with an overstimulation of nerve endings, rather than a symptom of acute allergic reaction. (9) Regardless, the skin flush may be distractingly uncomfortable, despite being considered a “successful sign” that the supplement may be working.

Medication Interaction

Many nutritional supplements carry the risk of potential interactions with prescription medications. Pre-workout formulas are no different and should be approached with adequate consideration.

Several individual ingredients common to pre-workout mixes are considered “contraindicated” when taking key categories of medications. For example, NO2 boosters such as arginine or citrulline may have an additive effect in people taking certain medications for erectile dysfunction. (10)

Similarly, the amino acid tyrosine (sometimes used in pre-workouts for improved mental focus) may interact with certain prescribed antidepressants and may lead to increased blood pressure and related problems.

Pre-Workout with Care

Pre-workout formulas can be distinctly useful when used strategically. However, like any supplement, there are also potential side effects to be aware of. Mistaking pre-workout formulas as being entirely risk-free would be a short-sighted error. Make sure you know what you’re taking and why you’re taking it. Once you have those details sorted out, you’ll be better prepared to anticipate and mitigate any potential side effects, leading to greater results overall.

References

1. Martinez, N., Campbell, B., Franek, M., Buchanan, L., & Colquhoun, R. (2016). The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13, 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7
2. Schoenfeld, Brad J. PhD, CSCS, CSPS, NSCA-CPT1; Contreras, Bret MA2. The Muscle Pump: Potential Mechanisms and Applications for Enhancing Hypertrophic Adaptations. Strength and Conditioning Journal 36(3):p 21-25, June 2014. | DOI: 10.1097/SSC.0000000000000021
3. Zając, A., Chalimoniuk, M., Maszczyk, A., Gołaś, A., & Lngfort, J. (2015). Central and Peripheral Fatigue During Resistance Exercise – A Critical Review. Journal of human kinetics, 49, 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0118
4. Jagim, A. R., Camic, C. L., & Harty, P. S. (2019). Common Habits, Adverse Events, and Opinions Regarding Pre-Workout Supplement Use Among Regular Consumers. Nutrients, 11(4), 855. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040855
5. Boulenger, J. P., Patel, J., Post, R. M., Parma, A. M., & Marangos, P. J. (1983). Chronic caffeine consumption increases the number of brain adenosine receptors. Life sciences, 32(10), 1135–1142. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(83)90119-4
6. Addicott, M. A., & Laurienti, P. J. (2009). A comparison of the effects of caffeine following abstinence and normal caffeine use. Psychopharmacology, 207(3), 423–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1668-3
7. Judge, L. W., Bellar, D. M., Popp, J. K., Craig, B. W., Schoeff, M. A., Hoover, D. L., Fox, B., Kistler, B. M., & Al-Nawaiseh, A. M. (2021). Hydration to Maximize Performance and Recovery: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Collegiate Track and Field Throwers. Journal of human kinetics, 79, 111–122. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0065
8. Cameron, M., Camic, C. L., Doberstein, S., Erickson, J. L., & Jagim, A. R. (2018). The acute effects of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement on resting energy expenditure and exercise performance in recreationally active females. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0206-7
9. Liu, Q., Sikand, P., Ma, C., Tang, Z., Han, L., Li, Z., Sun, S., LaMotte, R. H., & Dong, X. (2012). Mechanisms of itch evoked by β-alanine. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 32(42), 14532–14537. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3509-12.2012
10. El-Wakeel, L. M., Fouad, F. A., Saleem, M. D., & Saber-Khalaf, M. (2020). Efficacy and tolerability of sildenafil/l-arginine combination relative to sildenafil alone in patients with organic erectile dysfunction. Andrology, 8(1), 143–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.12671

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Rather than trying to construct an effective diet plan on your own, you might be ready to enlist the help of a professional, but who?

If you search around the web, you’re likely to find services offered by dietitians, as well as by nutritionists. While the occupations might sound identical, they actually have very different and distinct roles and responsibilities.

Both professionals offer nutrition-based counseling, but they’re distinguished by their educational requirements, their potential to help a variety of clients and goals, even their technical legal standing. Here’s an extensive look at what really lies behind these two confusing titles.

Nutritionist vs. Dietitian

• What Do They Know?
• What Do They Do?
• Which Do You Need?

Education Requirements — What Do They Know?

Beginning with fundamental educational requirements, nutritionists and dietitians differ greatly. What formal education is required to begin a career as a nutritionist? None. One can simply educate themself on general nutrition principles to whatever extent they see fit and then apply the title of “nutritionist.”

The self-determined criteria might include getting a formal education in nutrition or obtaining a certification in nutrition offered by various organizations, such as Precision Nutrition or the ISSA Nutritionist Certification. However, neither a higher education degree nor an accredited certification are technically required before being labeled a nutritionist.

What education is required to become a registered dietitian? Quite a bit. In the US, for example, a four-year undergraduate degree in nutrition and a seven to 12-month unpaid dietetic internship are mandatory.

After which prospective dietitians obtain registration by passing the Registered Dietitian Examination offered by the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Hence the title “registered dietitian” (RD). 

Many dietitians have gone on to obtain a master’s degree and/or PhD in nutrition or related fields. In fact, starting in January 2024, prospective dietitians will be required to obtain a master’s degree in nutrition to qualify for completing the RD examination. (1)

As a snapshot of what a dietitian needs to study, an undergraduate degree in nutrition includes courses in preparatory math, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology.

The curriculum also includes courses that make up what is called a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which includes Introduction into Dietetics and Nutrition, Community Nutrition, Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), Advanced Concepts in Nutrition, Food Service Management, Energy and Exercise, Nutrition Communication, Research Methodology, Food and Culture, Contemporary Nutrition, and Advanced Concepts in Nutrition. 

A seven-month-long dietetic internship program consists of 1,200 to 1,500 hours of training supervised by preceptors (experienced RDs). This training involves working in rotations for clinical nutrition in a skilled nursing facility and hospital; community nutrition in a non-profit or government agency or health-maintenance organization, such as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or Meals on Wheels; and food service management in a school and skilled nursing facility or hospital. 

Aside from nutritionists and dietitians, there is also an occupational designation of nutrition professionals called Certified Dietitian-Nutritionists (CDN). To be a CDN, one has to complete an undergraduate degree in nutrition, complete 10 years of experience in nutritional practice (usually under the supervision of a registered dietitian), and show proof of education and experience to the Office of Professions of the Department of Education. 

Services Provided — What Do They Do?

Both dietitians and nutritionists can provide nutrition education and counseling to people looking for weight control, body composition and physical performance goals, or general well-being.

However, nutritionists are generally not legally allowed to provide advice for those medical conditions. So it would be beyond the scope of practice for a nutritionist to consult with a person with diabetes, for example.

Dietitians can provide those types of services for a variety of medical conditions such as bariatrics, kidney disease, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes.

Dietitians can also work with people in various stages of life including pediatrics, pregnancy, and advanced age. Additionally, dietitians can write prescriptions for enteral (tube-feeding) and parenteral (intravenous) nutrition in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. 

Both dietitians and nutritionists may work for athletic teams, in private practice, or in fitness and weight loss centers. However, because of their education, training, legal status, and ability to care for health conditions, dietitians can also be found working in hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities, academia, public health programs, health maintenance organizations, and government agencies. 

Know Your Goal — Which Do You Need?

When the time comes that you’re ready to let a professional develop a goal-focused nutrition plan, whether it’s for building muscle or shedding fat, you might decide to invest in working with either a nutritionist or a dietitian.

If you are someone with no current medical conditions that are managed by nutrition (high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease, etc.) and your goals are to improve your  overall well-being or just to increase your own general education on nutrition, you can choose either a dietitian or nutritionist.

For more tangible goals such as weight loss, muscle gain, contest prep for physique competitions like bodybuilding, or optimal physical performance — whether it’s for a traditional sport like baseball or a strength sport like powerlifting — you could also be well-served by either a dietitian or nutritionist.

However, if you need the nutrition-based management of medical conditions, you should look for counseling from a dietitian. Their training requires more in-depth education and experience working with significant medical issues, which allows more appropriate and more accurate recommendations.

How to Make the Right Choice

Whether you seek the services of an individual nutritionist or dietitian, be sure to review their education and general credentials. It’s also important to check their history working in the specific area of nutrition you’ll be utilizing them for.

If you are a powerlifter, athlete, or bodybuilder and you’re aiming to meet strength, performance, or body composition goals, check to see if the nutrition professional you are considering has experience counseling others with the same goals. The nutritionist or dietitian might even have personal experience reaching those goals.

Similarly, if you are seeking nutrition counseling for a medical condition, look into the background and success rate of a prospective dietitian. With the advent of social media and personal/professional websites, many nutrition professionals may have photo collections showcasing the results and testimonials from their clients. 

Diet isn’t a “Four-Letter Word”

Now you’re ready to make a proper decision as to which of the seemingly interchangeable occupational designations can help you best plan your diet. You also now have a better idea of who will be taking care of your, or your loved ones’, nutritional needs when it comes to healthcare institutions. The right (or wrong) nutrition professional could end up being the difference between success and failure or fitness and sickness.

References

1. Sanchez, M. and Pucciarelli, D.L. (2019) Master’s Degree, a New Requirement to Become an RDN by 2024: A Comparison of Nutrition Graduate Programs Offered in the USA. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 10, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2019.101001

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The post Nutritionist vs. Dietitian: What’s the Difference Between These Nutrition Experts? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Whether it’s a mustachioed plumber who touches a star and turns invincible while a catchy jingle plays or a race car driving over a nitrous canister for high-speed support, power-ups work. The only downside is that the advantage is fleeting and sometimes disappears just as you finally learn how to harness it.

In the gym, one of the most common real-world “power-ups” comes in the form of pre-workout supplements. By providing your body with specialized ingredients, you can get the upper hand on daily fatigue and potentially complete more reps with more weight, leading to a higher intensity training session and, ultimately, greater results.

However, just like in the games, timing is everything. For maximum benefit, you want to time your pre-workout to deliver the biggest boost right when you need it. Nobody wants to be flying through their warm-up and then sputtering into their hardest sets. Here’s everything you need to know to capitalize on your pre-workout boost before it’s game over.

How Long Does Pre-Workout Last?

• Pre-Workout Timing and Dose
• Benefits of Pre-Workout
• Side Effects of Pre-Workout

Pre-Workout Timing and Dose

Half-life isn’t just another convenient gaming metaphor, it’s also the term that relates to the duration of a supplement’s effects on your body. The longer an ingredient’s half-life, the longer it essentially stays in your system delivering its effects.

However, those effects gradually decrease as your body processes and digests the supplement, leaving a diminished amount of it circulating through your body. When you take an effective dose of a particular supplement (or a formulated supplement blend like a pre-workout), you’ll likely notice certain results almost immediately, before they peak and eventually taper off as the ingredients reach their half-lives. 

Generally speaking, you want to take your pre-workout, a short time before you begin your training session. Depending on how thorough your warm-up is, consider taking your pre-workout 20 to 60 minutes before arriving at the gym. That should generally allow enough time for the nutrients to circulate through your system and deliver their supercharge by the time you’re knee-deep into heavy squats.

Here’s a more specific look at the optimal timing and dosage for some of the most common pre-workout ingredients.

Caffeine

Caffeine is the Tetris of pre-workouts — even people who don’t play video games are aware of its influence, while they might not really be clear on the details. As a supplement, caffeine has been shown to improve anaerobic power output and aerobic endurance, decrease feelings of fatigue, support mental focus, and improve overall energy and performance. (1)(2)

An effective dose of caffeine is roughly two to three milligrams per kilogram of body weight, or around 165 to 245 milligrams for a 180-pound (82-kilogram) person. (1) Caffeine hits peak concentration in most peoples’ systems within 45 minutes, but could be as long as two hours depending on their overall constitution. The typical half-life of caffeine is three to seven hours, depending on factors such as general activity level, body fat mass, and (interestingly) cigarette or alcohol use. (3)(4)

With a potentially long half-life — meaning caffeine is active in your system for a relatively long time — lifters who train in the late afternoon or evening would be better off choosing a non-stimulant pre-workout to get a workout boost without affecting your sleep and post-workout recovery.

Creatine

While some sports supplements are backed by little, if any, credible research, creatine monohydrate is one of the most thoroughly researched supplements on the market. Decades of in-depth data support the benefits of creatine, ranging from increased muscle growth and strength to improved short-term recovery, even improved brain health and cognitive function. (5)(6)

Creatine dosing and timing is somewhat unique, in that it’s not known for delivering immediate effects. Instead, common recommended practice is to saturate your body’s creatine stores for one to several weeks — either by using a short-term “loading phase” (taking five grams four times per day) for one week or by taking a standard “maintenance dose” (five grams per day) for up to 30 days. (7)

Taking a single dose of creatine has not been shown to be beneficial. (8) A standalone dose of creatine is very likely not harmful. However, if you’re not consistently taking creatine, a lone serving will offer no significant benefit.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a popular and relatively common ingredient in pre-workout formulas because it’s been shown to improve short-term endurance, increase strength and power output, and decrease fatigue. (9)(10)

Beta-alanine is similar to creatine, in that consistent use (four to six grams per day in divided doses) has shown to deliver significant results. However, unlike creatine, taking beta-alanine sporadically in lower doses (one and a half to two grams) does appear to be beneficial, so regular intake may be useful but not necessary. (11)

With all that it offers by way of improved performance, beta-alanine does have a relatively short half-life. After roughly one hour, benefits significantly drop. Take this into consideration if your pre-workout contains beta-alanine — waiting too long to hit the hard sets may leave you missing out on its key benefits.

Arginine

Arginine is typically categorized as a “non-essential amino acid,” meaning you can get all the arginine your body needs for health and basic function through diet alone without specific supplementation. However, to use arginine as a strategic sports supplement, taking a dedicated supplement can be much more beneficial.

Doses of one and a half to three grams have been shown to improve athletic performance and decrease levels of fatigue. (12) Arginine’s primary method of action is by working as a nitric oxide (NO) booster. NO is associated with increased blood flow and stronger muscle contractions, making it a popular choice for the weight room as well as the bedroom. (13)

Arginine is relatively fast-acting and can reach peak effectiveness in as little as 20 minutes, with a half-life of up to two hours. (13) The combination of improved performance, relatively quick-hitting impact, and relatively long duration make it a tried and true pre-workout staple.

Citrulline

In some ways, citrulline is to arginine what the Power Glove was to the Wii Fit. Citrulline is a precursor to arginine, meaning citrulline essentially helps your body process arginine while delivering its various effects. On its own, citrulline yields similar, and potentially greater, effects on NO production compared to arginine. (14)(15) This can lead to an even more significant boost to circulation, muscle contractions, and endurance.

Citrulline is shown to be effective when three to six grams are taken per serving, and it yields a half-life of roughly one hour. Interestingly, higher doses of citrulline may slightly increase the effective duration of benefits, although they’re not necessarily associated with greater performance benefits. (16)

Benefits of Pre-Workout

The benefits of a pre-workout formula will largely depend on its specific ingredients. While you can generally expect to feel “more energy” from a pre-workout, the specific blend of components will affect the impact on your workout. By checking the labels and knowing what to look for, you can tailor your supplement plan to your training and goals.

Enhanced Mental Alertness and Energy

Likely the most common reason a lifter would use a pre-workout supplement, these formulations are designed to kickstart your engines when you’re dragging. A straightforward physical and mental energy boost is one of the most common benefits of any pre-workout. While caffeine is one reliable component, it’s not the only way to perk up before a hard workout and many efficacious pre-workouts are designed without caffeine.

Improved Strength and Power

Many pre-workouts may help you slap a few more pounds on the bar, either by eliciting stronger muscle contractions, stimulating your central nervous system, or other mechanisms. Moving more weight during a workout can trigger a greater strength stimulus, leading to a more productive workout.

Similarly, explosive short-term power (whether lifting weights or moving your body while sprinting or jumping) can be improved by many pre-workout ingredients via the same processes.

Increased Endurance

By delaying the onset of fatigue, reducing the sensation of fatigue (so you simply don’t “feel” as tired), or increasing your body’s ability to sustain long-term activity, a pre-workout can give you a boost toward the tail-end of a training session.

Being able to train longer than usual — whether it’s additional sets for more lifting volume or spending a few more minutes in a cardio session — can lead to greater long-term progress.

Faster Recovery Between Sets

Recovering between workouts is relatively easy. You’ve got hours and hours to eat, sleep, and relax. Recovering between sets is a different beast entirely. 60 or 90 seconds never seem to go so fast when you’re outside of the gym.

Many pre-workout ingredients improve your body’s ability to recover in short-term periods, including between sets. For example, creatine and beta-alanine can both increase your body’s ability to produce ATP. ATP is basically “fuel” for your muscle cells, so you’re recharging them more quickly and they’re ready to work in the next set sooner.

Side Effects of Pre-Workout

For all of the potential benefits they can offer, pre-workouts also offer some potential side effects. Here’s what to watch out for when adding a pre-workout to your training regimen. Note that some side effects can be mitigated by monitoring the doses of individual ingredients found in your pre-workout.

Digestive Upset

Unfortunately, certain supplement manufacturers have a “more is always better” approach to pre-workouts. This is particularly noticeable when companies treat milligrams of caffeine like a 21st century arms race.

While triple-digit caffeine levels are common and can definitely be effective, excessive caffeine intake can be a surefire way to sidetrack your workout with an upset stomach. Creatine is another popular ingredient which, depending on your individual response, may potentially lead to GI distress in some people.

Overstimulation

Taking a pre-workout and being fully amped up before you hit a deadlift PR is a great thing. Being fully amped up on the car ride home from the gym while sitting in traffic is definitely not a great thing.

When you choose to use a pre-workout, take steps to make sure you leave it all in the gym. Know your personal tolerance, read labels and check dosages, and time your pre-workout properly. Again, if you’re training later in the day and want to ensure a good night’s rest by avoiding stimulants, look for a pre-workout that’s specifically non-stimulating.

Skin Tingles

One side effect uniquely common to pre-workouts which contain beta-alanine is a “tingle” or itch. It’s typically caused by an overly high dose and is relatively short-lived, often lasting less than an hour. It’s considered to be caused by a type of sensory overload, rather than an actual allergic, histamine-based reaction. (17)

Interestingly, not all people consider this a “side effect” and some eagerly anticipate the sensation. It’s an individual preference, but the key is to remember that an effective dose is typically less than the tingle-producing dose. So if you’re lacking the itch, it doesn’t necessarily mean your supplement’s not working.

Level-up Your Pre-Workout

The overriding purpose for a pre-workout formula is to increase mental alertness and physical energy, improve endurance and/or power output, and enable a high-intensity training session. By paying a little extra attention to when you take your pre-workout, you might be able to conquer the final boss (last set) of your toughest workout.

References

1. Guest, N. S., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Nelson, M. T., Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Jenkins, N. D. M., Arent, S. M., Antonio, J., Stout, J. R., Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Goldstein, E. R., Kalman, D. S., & Campbell, B. I. (2021). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
2. Grgic J, Grgic I, Pickering C, et alWake up and smell the coffee: caffeine supplementation and exercise performance—an umbrella review of 21 published meta-analysesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2020;54:681-688.
3. Skinner, T. L., Jenkins, D. G., Leveritt, M. D., McGorm, A., Bolam, K. A., Coombes, J. S., & Taaffe, D. R. (2014). Factors influencing serum caffeine concentrations following caffeine ingestion. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 17(5), 516–520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.07.006
4. Temple, J. L., Bernard, C., Lipshultz, S. E., Czachor, J. D., Westphal, J. A., & Mestre, M. A. (2017). The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 8, 80. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
5. Chilibeck, P. D., Kaviani, M., Candow, D. G., & Zello, G. A. (2017). Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open access journal of sports medicine, 8, 213–226. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S123529
6. Rawson, E.S., Venezia, A.C. Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino Acids 40, 1349–1362 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0855-9
7. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D. G., Kleiner, S. M., Almada, A. L., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
8. Negro M, Cerullo G, Perna S, Beretta-Piccoli M, Rondanelli M, Liguori G, Cena H, Phillips SM, Cescon C and D’Antona G (2022) Effects of a Single Dose of a Creatine-Based Multi-Ingredient Pre-workout Supplement Compared to Creatine Alone on Performance Fatigability After Resistance Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Design Study. Front. Nutr. 9:887523. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.887523
9. Maté-Muñoz, J.L., Lougedo, J.H., Garnacho-Castaño, M.V. et al. Effects of β-alanine supplementation during a 5-week strength training program: a randomized, controlled study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 19 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0224-0
10. Berti Zanella, P., Donner Alves, F., & Guerini de Souza, C. (2017). Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on performance and muscle fatigue in athletes and non-athletes of different sports: a systematic review. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 57(9), 1132–1141. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06582-8
11. Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Stout, J. R., Hoffman, J. R., Wilborn, C. D., Sale, C., Kreider, R. B., Jäger, R., Earnest, C. P., Bannock, L., Campbell, B., Kalman, D., Ziegenfuss, T. N., & Antonio, J. (2015). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12, 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
12. Viribay, A., Burgos, J., Fernández-Landa, J., Seco-Calvo, J., & Mielgo-Ayuso, J. (2020). Effects of Arginine Supplementation on Athletic Performance Based on Energy Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 12(5), 1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051300
13. Koolwal A, Manohar J. S, Rao TSS, Koolwal GD. l-arginine and Erectile Dysfunction. Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(1):37-43. doi:10.1177/2631831818822018
14. Agarwal, U., Didelija, I. C., Yuan, Y., Wang, X., & Marini, J. C. (2017). Supplemental Citrulline Is More Efficient Than Arginine in Increasing Systemic Arginine Availability in Mice. The Journal of nutrition, 147(4), 596–602. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.240382
15. Gonzalez, A. M., & Trexler, E. T. (2020). Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 34(5), 1480–1495. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003426
16. Moinard, C., Nicolis, I., Neveux, N., Darquy, S., Bénazeth, S., & Cynober, L. (2008). Dose-ranging effects of citrulline administration on plasma amino acids and hormonal patterns in healthy subjects: the Citrudose pharmacokinetic study. The British journal of nutrition, 99(4), 855–862. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114507841110
17. Liu, Q., Sikand, P., Ma, C., Tang, Z., Han, L., Li, Z., Sun, S., LaMotte, R. H., & Dong, X. (2012). Mechanisms of itch evoked by β-alanine. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 32(42), 14532–14537. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3509-12.2012

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This information typically includes macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats; micronutrients like vitamins and minerals; and total calories. While the intention might’ve been good, it ended up potentially raising more questions than answers. One of the biggest questions being, why 2,000 calories?

The bad news is that the number was pulled from a survey of Americans more than 30 years ago and has managed to remain the default reference point. The good news is that, just a few years ago, labels in the US changed the phrasing to clarify, “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.” It’s a better step, but it still doesn’t address the 2,000-dollar question.

Here’s a more useful guide to figuring out an individualized, effective calorie intake whether you’re a college rugby player looking to build some muscular armor, a hopeful vacationer who wants to hit the beach with six-pack abs, or a mother of three aiming to increase her deadlift. 

How Many Calories

• Nutrients vs. Calories
• For More Muscle
• For Fat Loss
• For Strength Gains

Nutrients vs. Calories

Every food can be a combination of three basic macronutrients — protein (which contains amino acids), carbohydrates (which covers complex carbs, fiber, and sugar), and fats (saturated and unsaturated). These nutrients are the composite building blocks of a food’s caloric payload.

On a per-gram basis, one gram of protein delivers four calories, one gram of carbohydrates also delivers four calories whether it’s complex, fiber, or sugar, and one gram of fat brings in a dense nine calories.

In terms of their effects on the body, protein is the only nutrient responsible for repairing and creating new muscle tissue. Carbohydrates and fats are, generally speaking, considered “energy providers” and can be burned by your body to fuel activity whether it’s walking, sprinting, lifting weights, or playing tennis.

While total daily/weekly calorie intake will determine any loss or gain in general body weight, the ratio of macronutrients will more specifically determine the change in lean muscle tissue and body fat.

In broad terms, nutrition plans that are relatively lower in protein will compromise muscle development, strength gains, and overall energy levels. (1) Meanwhile, eating plans that are relatively lower in carbohydrates and/or fats may or may not affect energy levels significantly, as long as you’re eating enough of the “other” energy source — low-carb diets can provide energy via a relatively high fat intake, while low-fat plans meet energy needs with ample carbs.

By manipulating these three macronutrients, you can not only adjust your overall calorie intake but, with strategic planning, you can maintain a given calorie level while fine-tuning the macronutrients to achieve particular goals.

For example, a 2,500-calorie diet which provides 250 grams of protein, 190 grams of carbohydrates, and 80 grams of fat will yield drastically different physique and performance results compared to the same person following a 2,500-calorie diet consisting of 50 grams of protein, 375 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of fat.

Adjusting your macros is an overlooked “diet hack” that can be used as an alternative to simply increasing or decreasing total calories. Matching both your calorie intake and your macronutrient profile to your specific goals will be the most effective approach.

Muscle-Building Calorie Goals

When it’s time to build muscle, many people focus on designing the most effective workout plan, but that’s only half the story. The right training stimulus will politely ask your body to build more muscle, but nutrition is what determines whether or not your body actually grants the request. Here’s how to literally and figuratively tip the scales in your favor. 

Nutrient Targets

Your number one priority for adding muscle is getting enough of the only nutrient responsible for creating muscle tissue — protein. Aim to get a minimum of .74 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.62 grams per kilogram). (2)

Because .74 is a seemingly random and mathematically tricky number to work with, rounding up to a long-touted “one gram per pound of body weight” is equally effective. Notably, higher protein intake is not directly associated with increased muscle growth. (2) Fortunately, excess calories from protein are less likely to be stored as body fat, so more protein may not necessarily help, but it certainly won’t hurt. (3)

After your target protein intake is determined, fill the caloric gap with a balance of carbohydrates depending largely on your activity level. Aim for two to three grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight (4.5 to 6.5 grams per kilogram), with relatively high volume and/or high frequency training calling for an appropriately higher carb intake to fuel performance and recovery. (4)

Fat intake can complete the remaining calorie balance. For optimal health, immune system function, and overall recovery, fats should ideally provide at least 25% of the total daily calories. (5) This intake can be nudged higher toward 30 to 35% of daily calories as long as you accommodate by reducing either carbohydrates or protein.

Because fats are much more calorically dense than protein and carbs, a little goes a long way, so make adjustments on a small scale.

Calorie Guidelines

Setting your macronutrients in place will naturally end up providing a caloric total, but you need to ensure it’s still enough calories to support muscle growth. Just be sure to find the line between “enough” and “too much.” When it’s time to eat for size, it’s all too easy to cross into full-blown gorging territory.

When it comes to increasing your calories, there’s a point where more isn’t better because your body can slide right past muscle gains and end up creating only body fat. If you’re currently tracking your calorie intake, you can promote muscle gain by adding 350 to 500 calories per day. (6)

That relatively small increase could be as simple as adding a basic afternoon snack, like a small turkey and cheese sandwich with a piece of fruit or a single serving of a high-quality mass gainer shake, to your current daily diet.

If you’re not currently tracking your calories, give yourself a starting calorie intake equal to your current body weight x 20. So, if you currently weigh 180 pounds, aim for 3,600 calories per day. Of that, you’ll apply the macronutrient targets previously listed: 180 grams of protein, 270 grams of carbs, and 80 grams of fat.

Here’s the tricky part: the macro targets in this example only tally up to 2,520 calories, so you’d actually fall short of your intended calories. Fill in the difference primarily from protein sources to potentially reduce fat gain, but include a combination of carbohydrates and fats to make the plan simpler and more practical to implement.

Be sure to hit the target every day, not just on training days. You’re still recovering and growing on rest days, so don’t reduce your meals just because you’re not working out.

How to Adjust

For maximum results, you need to fine-tune your nutrition plan as you go along depending on the results you see. You can’t simply follow one rigid plan for weeks or months on end without adjustment and expect great results.

It’d be like trying to drive down a highway without ever changing lanes — you’re going to be miserable the entire time and you still probably won’t end up where you want to be. Instead, track your muscle gain results by monitoring your strength in the gym. You should be steadily progressing in performance (more weight and/or more repetitions each week). Having better workouts is a clue that you’re recovering well and feeding your body enough nutrients.

Most notably, monitor your body weight each week and expect gains of roughly two to four pounds per month. Yes, per month. (7) That’s about as much muscle tissue as the body can build in that timeframe. Gaining significant body weight faster is an indicator that you’re likely creating more body fat than lean muscle tissue.

However, variables such as your age and overall training experience can be factors that determine your individual rate of muscle gains. Lifters relatively new to the gym typically gain more muscle, more quickly, while veteran lifters take more time to respond to the muscle-building stimulus with new muscle mass.

If the scale doesn’t increase in two to three weeks, add roughly 250 calories per day and continue monitoring. Repeat as needed, being aware that cooking and chewing are as important as lifting when it comes to adding size.

Calorie Deficit for Fat Loss

The words “fat loss diet” have sent countless shivers down countless spines over the years. Fad diets based on extreme and unsustainable behaviors are largely to blame. These unrealistic, niche plans have become so commonplace that they’re often considered the standard way of reshaping your physique.

Fortunately, you can skip over the fads and rely on time-tested nutrition principles to support your fat loss goals. No gimmicks necessary. While diet plans to build muscle are all generally similar (eat plenty of calories and don’t skimp on the protein), fat loss diet plans can vary in nutrient breakdown without significantly compromising results.

Nutrient Targets

Fat loss diet plans typically come in two primary flavors, no pun intended. Diets can either be relatively low carb or relatively low fat. Both have been shown to be equally effective, so it’s essentially a matter of which can best suit your individual preferences, while also supporting your overall training plan. (8)

In a relatively low carb diet, carbohydrates typically provide no more than 25% of your daily calories. This includes carbs from all sources — complex carbs, sugars, and fiber. Contrary to some carb-focused nutrition influencers, “net carbs” (the carbohydrate number after fiber is subtracted) isn’t really a thing. It’s a term that has more to do with food-product marketing than actually nutrition.

Some low-carb dieters take this approach to an extreme by adopting a ketogenic diet, or extremely low-carb dieting (typically less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day). While keto diets can spur quick weight loss initially, it’s been shown to not deliver significantly better results than other alternatives, while also being notably difficult to adhere to. (9)

In a relatively low fat diet, fats deliver less than 25% of your total calories each day. Because each gram of fat carries nine calories, reducing fat sources in your diet is a quick and efficient way to reduce your total calories.

However, fats are essential for your body’s natural function and they play a role in everything from supporting a strong immune system to general hormone function. (10) Keeping your fat intake too low for too long can potentially lead to health issues, so be aware of possible issues if following this approach.

In either plan, protein intake should remain a priority. Maintaining high protein levels has been shown to support fat loss, encourage muscle preservation, and improve overall body composition. (11)

Calorie Guidelines

Significant fat loss can’t happen without a caloric deficit. If you’re not burning more calories than you take in, you won’t see any major progress. While some misguided dieters take this advice to the extreme by severely restricting calories, drastically increasing their calorie expenditure through excessive exercise, or doing both, a more moderate approach will yield better overall results.

Follow a well-designed training plan, incorporating both resistance training for muscle preservation and cardiovascular exercise for overall health, improved recovery, and moderately increased calorie expenditure. Pair that training with a nutrition plan that provides slightly restricted calories.

If you’re currently tracking your calories, decrease each day’s intake by 500 to 750 calories. (12) Focus on primarily reducing either your carbohydrate or fat sources, while keeping your protein levels relatively high.

If you’re not currently tracking calories, aim to take in your current body weight x 12 in total calories. For example, if you currently weigh 195 pounds, set your daily calorie goal at roughly 2,300 calories.

One popular, however inefficient, approach is to “eat for the body you want,” or set calorie intake using your “goal weight.” Not only does this technique rely on guesstimating your future self’s body weight, which may or may not end up accurate, but it provides your current self with insufficient calories to fuel training and recovery. Instead, stay in the present and feed the body you’re working with.

Whether you choose to follow a lower carb or lower fat plan can come down to individual preference and overall training style — if you have a high volume of training, lifting five days per week with several additional cardio sessions, you may perform and recover better with a lower fat plan which allows relatively higher carb intake to fuel intense workouts.

How to Adjust

It’s important to differentiate between fat loss (reduced body fat) and weight loss (reduced body weight). Anyone who’s endured an outdoor adventure and ended up drenched in sweat has experienced “weight loss.” It’s transient, almost always from water loss, and it’s regained almost immediately. More drastically, bed-ridden patients under long-term medical care also experience “weight loss” as muscle tissue wastes away.

When most people set a goal of losing weight, they (hopefully) mean to specify fat loss — reducing stored body fat to create a healthier and more aesthetic physique. For that reason, it’s important not to overfocus on just reducing your body weight (making the scale read a progressively lower number) during a fat loss plan.

The scale should, typically, trend down over the course of weeks or months, but body recomposition (the addition of lean muscle while reducing body fat) can make progress on the scale unreliable, at best. 

Consider also relying on more tangible criteria such as your performance in the gym (weight lifted, reps performed, and general energy during training), as well as objective measures like the fit of your clothes or tape measurements of key body parts like your thighs, upper arms, or waist.

Losing two pounds of body weight per week while also improving other metrics would be considered excellent progress. Dropping one pound per week while improving the other benchmarks is also an effective and sustainable rate of progress. Variables that can sometimes lead to faster short-term results would include having a relatively larger starting point or following a very low carb diet plan.

If you’re not seeing weekly results with objective measures (gym performance and clothes/measurements) and scale weight, you can either reduce your calories by 150 to 200 per day or manipulate your macronutrient intake while keeping overall calories the same, such as decreasing carbs while increasing protein or fat.

Even though restricting calories is necessary for fat loss, it’s important to not reduce your intake too low. (13) To avoid “stalling out” and sending your body into panic mode (where fat loss ceases regardless of calorie reduction), avoid reducing calories below your current body weight x 10. To continue safely and effectively performing regular training while supporting general health, consider this limit the “do not cross”-zone. 

Eat for Strength and Recovery

Physique-based goals aren’t the only time you should pay attention to nutrition. For optimal performance and long-term results, even lifters who prioritize their PRs over their arm size or ab development can benefit from targeted nutrition practices. The right diet plan will fuel strength-focused workouts while also delivering much needed nutrients for recovery between sessions. (14)

For the most part, a nutrition plan that supports strength gains and one that supports muscle gains will appear fairly similar because the two goals are closely related. One of the most counterproductive approaches, however, is to “train for strength while eating for fat loss.” Restricting your energy intake while asking your body for high-performance output will only lead to poor progress on both fronts.

Nutrient Targets

Protein is essential for muscle growth as well as repair, so keeping the one-gram-per-pound target in sight is (still) the best approach. Even if you’re not interested in building wide lats or massive quads, you’ll appreciate the muscle-sparing benefits of a high protein intake once you notice reduced post-workout muscle soreness.

Carbohydrate intake can be up to three grams per pound of body weight per day. (15) This will allow optimal performance during high volume and/or high frequency training. While it’s technically possible to train with high intensity on a relatively lower carb intake, it’s fitting a square peg in a round nutritional hole.

The body’s innate physiological preference is to fuel intense activity, like hard training, with carbs. Investing time and energy into “retraining” your body to burn dietary fats for energy will compromise short-term progress for minimal, if any, long-term benefit.

Aim for 30% of your daily calories from fats. This range should support overall health, hormonal function, metabolism, immune system benefit, and general recovery. (16) A relatively higher percentage of dietary fats will also help to avoid a calorie deficit, which would significantly impact training results.

Calorie Guidelines

When your goal isn’t to specifically add muscle or reduce body fat, your overall calorie intake doesn’t need to be excessive as long as it provides the target nutrients. Set a daily calorie target of your current body weight x 15. So, if you weigh 210 pounds, aim for roughly 3,100 to 3,200 calories per day with enough protein, carbs, and fats. If you’re 130 pounds, you’re looking at around 1,900 calories each day.

As with the muscle-building nutrition plan, keep your daily calories the same whether it’s a training day or a rest day. This will allow you to recover from your most recent workout while also preparing to fuel your upcoming training session.

Some lifters may instinctively eat less on days they don’t train, either due to a reduced appetite or the thought that they’re not “putting the calories to use.” However, the body is still repairing and recovering from previous training, so restricting calories is inefficient.

What you could do, however, to adjust your diet plan without compromising results is to steal a page from the fat loss playbook and manipulate your macronutrients on rest days. Consider decreasing carb intake while increasing protein and fats, to maintain the same total calorie intake. This can support recovery while potentially minimizing fat gain, if you’re into that sort of thing.

How to Adjust

When your goal is to hit PRs, performance in the gym is the number one priority. Your nutrition plan should allow you to step into the gym feeling ready to attack each session with full energy and minimal residual soreness from the previous workout.

Weights and repetitions should move steadily upward in each workout throughout the week. While strength plateaus are a natural occurrence in any training plan, they should be relatively few and far between when a well-designed training routine is supported by strategic nutrition.

Your body weight may hold steady or increase slightly over time, roughly one pound per week, which is an indicator that your calorie intake is sufficient. If you’re losing body weight consistently, increase your daily plan by 250 calories.

Some lifters consider changing their nutrition around the most challenging session of their training week (typically a brutal leg day) by going above and beyond their calorie target prior to the workout. The usual thinking is that they can supercompensate or “overfuel” themselves into having an incredibly productive workout.

However, if your consistent nutrition provides ample macronutrients and calories, there’s little physical benefit to having an epic gorge the day before (or morning of) an extra-intense workout.

You might find some psychological benefit from believing those extra pancakes will add reps to your squat, but unless you’ve been inadvertently restricting your nutrition or not hitting your daily target, it’s not going to help.

Kitchen Beats Gym

You hopefully wouldn’t show up at work every day, put in your eight or nine hours, and then forget to cash your paycheck at the end of the week. If you did, then all that hard work was for nothing and you never actually reap the benefits. That’s exactly what so many lifters do when they overemphasize their training program while giving bare-minimum attention to their nutrition. Instead, set yourself up for success by following the kind of eating plan that lets you cash in on all that in-gym effort.

References

1. Nunes, E. A., Colenso-Semple, L., McKellar, S. R., Yau, T., Ali, M. U., Fitzpatrick-Lewis, D., Sherifali, D., Gaudichon, C., Tomé, D., Atherton, P. J., Robles, M. C., Naranjo-Modad, S., Braun, M., Landi, F., and Phillips, S. M. (2022) Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 13, 795–810, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12922
2. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). 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. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
3. Leaf, A., & Antonio, J. (2017). The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition – A Narrative Review. International journal of exercise science, 10(8), 1275–1296.
4. Richard B Kreider, Colin D Wilborn, Lem Taylor, Bill Campbell, Anthony L Almada, Rick Collins, Mathew Cooke, Conrad P Earnest, Mike Greenwood, Douglas S Kalman, Chad M Kerksick, Susan M Kleiner, Brian Leutholtz, Hector Lopez, Lonnie M Lowery, Ron Mendel, Abbie Smith, Marie Spano, Robert Wildman, Darryn S Willoughby, Tim N Ziegenfuss & Jose Antonio (2010) ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7:1, DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-7-7
5. Economos, C.D., Bortz, S.S. & Nelson, M.E. Nutritional Practices of Elite Athletes. Sports Medicine 16, 381–399 (1993). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199316060-00004
6. Slater, G. J., Dieter, B. P., Marsh, D. J., Helms, E. R., Shaw, G., & Iraki, J. (2019). Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 131. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131
7. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). 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. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
8. Gardner, C. D., Trepanowski, J. F., Del Gobbo, L. C., Hauser, M. E., Rigdon, J., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Desai, M., & King, A. C. (2018). Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 319(7), 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0245
9. Kirkpatrick, C. F., Bolick, J. P., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Sikand, G., Aspry, K. E., Soffer, D. E., Willard, K. E., & Maki, K. C. (2019). Review of current evidence and clinical recommendations on the effects of low-carbohydrate and very-low-carbohydrate (including ketogenic) diets for the management of body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: A scientific statement from the National Lipid Association Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force. Journal of clinical lipidology, 13(5), 689–711.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2019.08.003
10. Venkatraman JT, Leddy J, Pendergast D. Dietary fats and immune status in athletes: clinical implications. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2000 Jul;32(7 Suppl):S389-95. DOI: 10.1097/00005768-200007001-00003. PMID: 10910295.
11. Moon, J., & Koh, G. (2020). Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome, 29(3), 166–173. https://doi.org/10.7570/jomes20028
12. Kim J. Y. (2021). Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome, 30(1), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.7570/jomes20065
13. Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International journal of obesity (2005), 34 Suppl 1(0 1), S47–S55. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.184
14. Gary Slater & Stuart M. Phillips (2011) Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: Sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding, Journal of Sports Sciences, 29:sup1, S67-S77, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.574722
15. Kanter M. (2018). High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance: Expert Panel Report. Nutrition today, 53(1), 35–39. https://doi.org/10.1097/NT.0000000000000238
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Creatine is so popular among gym-goers because it’s one of the few supplements with seemingly endless science behind it. It’s arguably the most proven and data-supported supplement out there, especially when it comes to supporting strength and hypertrophy gains. So it can help you lift heavier and pack on muscle. Who could ask for more? Here’s a closer look at how to use creatine to maximize those tantalizing results.

Creatine Monohydrate

• Creatine Benefits
• How to Take Creatine
• Potential Side Effects

What is Creatine and How Does It Help?

In recent decades, creatine has gained considerable popularity as a dietary supplement among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. (1)(2)(3)

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in the body, and it’s also found, in relatively small amounts, in everyday foods like beef, chicken, and eggs. The benefits of creatine supplementation have been extensively studied over the years. Caution: There’s some scientific discussion ahead, but it’ll all make sense by the end.

Creatine is synthesized from the amino acids glycine and arginine in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. Once synthesized or consumed, creatine is primarily stored in your muscles as phosphocreatine (PCr).

One of the fundamental ways creatine functions in your body is by aiding in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the primary source of energy for cellular processes. During high-intensity exercise, such as weight lifting or sprinting, the demand for ATP increases. However, ATP stores are limited and they deplete rapidly. This is why intense exercise can only be sustained for so long.

That’s where creatine comes into play. It “donates” its high-energy phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), converting it back into ATP through a process called phosphorylation. This replenishes the ATP stores, allowing muscles to continue contracting forcefully and perform at a higher intensity for longer periods. (4)(5)(6)(7)(8) In a nutshell, this powerhouse supplement gives you the edge needed to push harder in the gym.

Muscle Growth and Volume

Creatine also plays a vital role in promoting muscle growth and increasing muscle volume. When creatine is ingested, it leads to an increase in creatine stores within your muscles. This increased creatine availability enhances cellular hydration by drawing water into the muscle cells. Consequently, muscles appear fuller and larger, contributing to a more pronounced muscular appearance. (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)

This is why you’ll likely see the scale go up a little bit within your first few weeks of taking creatine. You are “retaining water,” but in a good way. The water is enlarging your muscle cells, not your love handles like after a salty Chinese buffet.

Furthermore, creatine supplementation has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis — the process by which new muscle tissue is built. It also reduces muscle protein breakdown, aiding in the preservation of existing muscle mass. This dual action of promoting muscle protein synthesis and inhibiting protein breakdown creates an anabolic environment that supports muscle growth and development.

Improved Exercise Performance

Creatine has consistently demonstrated its ability to enhance exercise performance across a wide range of activities. By increasing the availability of ATP, creatine supplementation allows for improved strength, power, and endurance during high-intensity, short-duration activities.

Athletes engaged in activities such as lifting weights, running, and jumping may benefit from creatine supplementation due to its potential to increase performance in explosive movements.

Additionally, creatine has shown positive effects on repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise with short recovery periods, like interval workouts or circuit training. Creatine helps to replenish ATP stores more rapidly, reducing fatigue and enabling athletes to maintain their performance during successive bouts of intense exercise.

Neuroprotective Effects

Beyond its benefits for physical performance, this “meathead” supplement is also good for your brain. Creatine is actively transported into the brain, where it acts as an energy buffer, providing neurons with a readily available source of ATP. (14) This energy support may help protect brain cells against damage and improve overall brain function. (15)(16)

Furthermore, studies have indicated that creatine supplementation might have potential therapeutic applications for neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. (17) While more research is needed in this area, the neuroprotective properties of creatine are promising and warrant further exploration.

Some research has also indicated that low creatine levels may correlate with higher rates of depression and anxiety, especially in vegetarian/vegan populations which are typically lacking in creatine from food sources. (18)

How to Take Creatine

When it comes to selecting a creatine supplement, there are several options available. The most common and well-researched form is creatine monohydrate. It’s the most cost-efficient, highly effective, widely used, and most thoroughly researched form of creatine.

In fact, creatine monohydrate has the ability to fully saturate your muscles. More expensive forms of creatine — creatine hcl, creatine ethyl ester, etc. — can range from being “as good as monohydrate” to simply worse, despite promising to saturate your muscles more than monohydrate. This claim is just not possible. Creatine monohydrate already fully saturates your muscles efficiently. There’s not a “more efficient” form available.

While creatine monohydrate is still a relatively inexpensive supplement, its price has increased in recent years due to popularity. Your best bet is to buy it in bulk when possible and avoid proprietary blends — pure micronized creatine monohydrate is all you need. That’s the form that is most commonly studied in research.

Loading Phase vs. Maintenance Phase

To quickly saturate your muscles with creatine, a “loading phase” is often recommended. During this five to seven-day period, take 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day, divided into four equal doses of five grams each. This loading phase allows your muscles to reach maximum creatine levels and deliver optimal results more rapidly.

After the loading phase, switch to a maintenance dosage of three to five grams per day. It’s essential to note that creatine has been shown to be safe for long-term use, so there is no need to “cycle” on and off by stopping use of the supplement for several weeks (or months) at a time. (19)

Keep in mind that you can simply start with a maintenance phase to get your muscles fully saturated within three to four weeks and still end up with the same net benefits. This option is better for those who might potentially experience GI distress from the relatively high daily dosing involved with creatine loading.

Hydration and Timing

Creatine works best when the body is adequately hydrated. Therefore, it’s crucial to drink plenty of water throughout the day, every day, when supplementing with creatine. Aim to consume at least 8-10 glasses of water daily — at least 64 ounces per day — and always take it with water. No “dry scooping” like your favorite fitfluencer slamming a pre-workout.

Timing is also an important consideration. While creatine can be taken at any time during the day, consuming it post-workout may provide additional benefits. Most research finds this to be the optimal time because your muscles are highly sensitive to insulin, allowing them to absorb more nutrients and water. This is why it’s ideal to take creatine with your post workout meal. (20)

If you prefer to take it at another point in the day for convenience, that is fine too. Consistency to keep your muscles fully saturated is most important, which leads to the next point: If you exercise regularly, be sure to take creatine daily even on your rest days. There are still non-exercise related benefits to taking creatine, including brain health and cognitive function as explained earlier.

Potential Side Effects

As with any supplement, it’s essential to monitor your progress and be aware of any potential side effects. The most common side effect of creatine supplementation may include mild gastrointestinal distress. However, this side effect is typically minimal and temporary. Reducing the daily dose often resolves the issue.

If you do notice GI distress: don’t do a loading phase, be sure you’re taking micronized creatine (which dissolves more thoroughly and may digest easier), and take creatine with a meal. Overall though, GI distress is relatively rare.

Some people claim water retention as another side effect, but this is actually a good thing. It shows that creatine is working and being absorbed into your muscle stores. The scale going up when initially taking creatine is affirming, especially if you’re already carrying a degree of muscle mass.

The more muscled you are, the more water your body should absorb. If you are not gaining any weight after beginning creatine use, it’s likely not as detectable or you simply don’t yet have significant muscle mass to benefit from the muscle-related benefits.

Lastly, hair loss is another commonly touted side effect, but this is more fear-mongering than reality. In the decades of creatine research, there has only been one study on this — rugby players taking creatine experienced higher levels of DHT, an androgen that potentially increases hair loss. (21)

However, it’s understandable that this androgen is higher to explain the benefits of creatine. Intense exercise, itself, can increase DHT levels. Not to mention, the high-level rugby players in the study could have potentially been taking additional supplements, or performance enhancing substances, which could provide a more significant underlying cause.

There has never been research showing creatine directly impacting hair loss. Anecdotally, I’ve never encountered this either even after working with hundreds of male clients taking creatine.

Research generally finds creatine has a great safety profile. (22) If you have any underlying medical conditions, it’s crucial to consult with your healthcare provider before starting creatine supplementation (or any supplementation, for that matter). They can provide personalized advice based on your potential individual circumstances.

That being said, creatine supplementation will raise creatinine levels in your bloodwork, which might worry your doctor a bit if they don’t lift and aren’t aware that elevated creatinine levels are not, on their own, an indicator worth ringing any alarm bells. (22) All your other metrics should be relatively unchanged though.

Creatine – Simply the Best for Body and Mind

Creatine is a remarkable compound with myriad benefits. By enhancing ATP production, promoting muscle growth, and improving exercise performance, creatine has become one of the most widely-used supplement in the sports and fitness communities. Its potential neuroprotective properties further contribute to its growing significance in scientific research. However, it is crucial to approach creatine supplementation responsibly, adhering to recommended dosages and seeking professional guidance when necessary. But outside of rare exceptions, most people can and should plan on taking it until they join the big gym in the sky, so put a permanent spot for creatine monohydrate in your budget.

References

1. Baker, J. S., McCormick, M. C., & Robergs, R. A. (2010). Interaction among Skeletal Muscle Metabolic Energy Systems during Intense Exercise. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2010, 905612. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/905612
2. Cholewa, J., Trexler, E., Lima-Soares, F., de Araújo Pessôa, K., Sousa-Silva, R., Santos, A. M., Zhi, X., Nicastro, H., Cabido, C. E. T., de Freitas, M. C., Rossi, F., & Zanchi, N. E. (2019). Effects of dietary sports supplements on metabolite accumulation, vasodilation and cellular swelling in relation to muscle hypertrophy: A focus on “secondary” physiological determinants. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 60, 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2018.10.011
3. Kaviani M, Shaw K, Chilibeck PD. Benefits of Creatine Supplementation for Vegetarians Compared to Omnivorous Athletes: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(9):3041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093041
4. Branch J. D. (2003). Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 13(2), 198–226. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.13.2.198
5. Chilibeck, P. D., Kaviani, M., Candow, D. G., & Zello, G. A. (2017). Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open access journal of sports medicine, 8, 213–226. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S123529
6. Engelhardt, M., Neumann, G., Berbalk, A., & Reuter, I. (1998). Creatine supplementation in endurance sports. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 30(7), 1123–1129. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199807000-00016
7. Cooper, R., Naclerio, F., Allgrove, J. et al. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 9, 33 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-9-33
8. Stares, A., & Bains, M. (2020). The Additive Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Exercise Training in an Aging Population: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001), 43(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1519/JPT.0000000000000222
9. Chilibeck, P. D., Kaviani, M., Candow, D. G., & Zello, G. A. (2017). Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open access journal of sports medicine, 8, 213–226. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S123529
10. Farshidfar, F., Pinder, M. A., & Myrie, S. B. (2017). Creatine Supplementation and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism for Building Muscle Mass- Review of the Potential Mechanisms of Action. Current protein & peptide science, 18(12), 1273–1287. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389203718666170606105108
11. Burke, D. G., Candow, D. G., Chilibeck, P. D., MacNeil, L. G., Roy, B. D., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Ziegenfuss, T. (2008). Effect of creatine supplementation and resistance-exercise training on muscle insulin-like growth factor in young adults. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 18(4), 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.18.4.389
12. Willoughby, D. S., & Rosene, J. M. (2003). Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on myogenic regulatory factor expression. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 35(6), 923–929. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000069746.05241.F0
13. Saremi, A., Gharakhanloo, R., Sharghi, S., Gharaati, M. R., Larijani, B., & Omidfar, K. (2010). Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1. Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 317(1-2), 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2009.12.019
14. Avgerinos, K. I., Spyrou, N., Bougioukas, K. I., & Kapogiannis, D. (2018). Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental gerontology, 108, 166–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013
15. Dolan, E., Gualano, B., & Rawson, E. S. (2019). Beyond muscle: the effects of creatine supplementation on brain creatine, cognitive processing, and traumatic brain injury. European journal of sport science, 19(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1500644
16. RAWSON, ERIC S.1; VOLEK, JEFF S.2. Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Weightlifting Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17(4):p 822-831, November 2003.
17. Bakian, A.V., Huber, R.S., Scholl, L. et al. Dietary creatine intake and depression risk among U.S. adults. Transl Psychiatry 10, 52 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0741-x
18. Bender, A., Klopstock, T. Creatine for neuroprotection in neurodegenerative disease: end of story?. Amino Acids 48, 1929–1940 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-2165-0
19. Kreider, R. B., Melton, C., Rasmussen, C. J., Greenwood, M., Lancaster, S., Cantler, E. C., Milnor, P., & Almada, A. L. (2003). Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 244(1-2), 95–104.
20. Antonio, J., & Ciccone, V. (2013). The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-36
21. van der Merwe, J., Brooks, N. E., & Myburgh, K. H. (2009). Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, 19(5), 399–404. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f
22. Kim HJ, Kim CK, Carpentier A, Poortmans JR. Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1409-18. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-0878-2. Epub 2011 Mar 12. PMID: 21399917.

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Many lifters know that protein is a critical nutrient for building muscle. Some lifters also know that protein is composed of amino acids. But one specific type of aminos — branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)— could play a particularly significant role in supporting your training program. Here’s a closer look at this often discussed, rarely understood, power-packed trio.

BCAA Benefits

• What Are BCAAs
• 4 BCAA Benefits
• How to Use BCAAs
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are BCAAs

Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. We need 20 different amino acids for a properly functioning, well-performing body. Of these amino acids, nine are considered essential because our bodies cannot form them on their own. We must consume them from protein-rich foods such as meat, dairy, and eggs, or from specific nutritional supplementation.

• Phenylalanine
• Valine
• Tryptophan
• Threonine
• Isoleucine
• Methionine
• Histidine
• Leucine
• Lysine

Three of these essential amino acids — leucine, isoleucine, and valine –  are considered “branched-chain amino acids” (BCAAs) because of their unique structure and roles in the body. BCAA supplementation, in particular, may be extremely useful for lifters looking to train harder, recover faster, and push themselves toward better overall results.

4 BCAA Benefits

Because nutrition information spreads quickly and frequently on the Internet, sometimes without regard to factual accuracy, it’s useful to refer to academic literature for the benefits of consuming specific nutrients or supplements.

It’s important to acquire a well-rounded understanding of the available data if you want to make the most well-informed decision before investing your time, money, and health. Here’s a look at some of the research-based benefits of BCAAs.

Reduced Muscle Soreness

BCAAs have been shown to lessen muscle soreness by mitigating muscular damage after exercise. In one study, subjects had reported significantly less muscle soreness and showed less decrease in muscular force two and three days after a squat session. (1) Other research has shown that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), range of motion, and indicators of muscle damage were all significantly improved in subjects who consumed BCAAs before or after training, compared with those who ingested a placebo.

Interestingly, stronger benefits were shown in those who consumed them before exercise. (2) With that in mind, it could make sense to choose a pre-workout (if you use one) which includes BCAAs.

Improved Muscle Growth and Maintenance 

Another benefit provided by BCAAs is increased muscle protein synthesis — the process in which muscle is built or maintained. Jackman et al. (2017) had young resistance-trained men complete two trials in which they performed a leg workout consisting of leg extensions and leg presses, ingesting either BCAAs or a placebo immediately after training. (3)

Muscle biopsies taken one and four hours after each session showed that BCAAs ingested after exercising resulted in a significant increase in stimulation of myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis. In other words, having BCAAs after training may lead to more muscle growth.

Increased Endurance 

BCAAs have also been shown to increase endurance. Research showed that subjects who consumed BCAAs before an incremental treadmill workout had “times to exhaustion” significantly lengthier than those who received a placebo. (4)

Runners taking BCAAs were able to stay on the treadmill for longer periods, while running at higher intensities, compared to running without BCAAs. Cumulatively, performing cardio at a higher intensity and longer duration can contribute to improved conditioning, increased endurance, and a stronger training stimulus (for example, more calories burned per training session).

Reduced Mental Fatigue During Exercise

Ingestion of BCAAs have been shown to offer a psychological benefit during exercise, which can possibly aid in exercise compliance or “persistence” in competitive performance. One study had subjects complete a 60-minute stationary bike workout in the morning, after performing an exercise session the previous night in an attempt to lower glycogen stores — making the morning session that much more challenging. (5)

Subjects consumed BCAAs or a placebo before morning exercise sessions. Every ten minutes during the workout, they provided their rates of perceived exertion and mental fatigue — self-reported methods of gauging effort, fatigue, and overall difficulty of a workout.

Although both the placebo group and the BCAA group completed the same amount of work, those who consumed BCAAs reported significantly lower levels of perceived exertion and mental fatigue. In a previous study, researchers had subjects in long distance runners consume BCAAs or a placebo.

Results showed that mental well-being was improved for runners who consumed BCAAs. The data also showed that relatively slower runners had faster completion times than slower runners who had consumed a placebo. (6)

How to Use BCAAs

With any supplement, including BCAAs, dosing and timing can be make-or-break factors that determine whether or not they actually deliver the intended benefits. In the literature reviewed, anywhere from six to 20 grams of BCAAs were used per serving. BCAAs were typically consumed one hour before, during, or immediately after exercise.

From this, we can conclude that it would be effective to follow these guidelines for the benefits discussed. You can experiment with doses in the aforesaid range to see what works for your particular situation based on your training plan, overall nutrition, workout timing, and other individual variables.

For example, you could spend several weeks using six grams before training, while monitoring your rate of progress, general feeling during workouts, and recovery between sessions, before changing to supplementation during workouts. You might also experiment with higher doses, 10 to 15 grams, around workouts that involve higher training volume (more exercises or more sets/reps) or higher training intensities.

During a fat loss phase, higher doses of BCAAs may also be beneficial to support muscle growth and recovery during periods of calorie restriction. (7)

FAQs

As with other nutritional supplements and dietary approaches, there are some misunderstandings that can, and have, arisen regarding BCAAs. Here are some of the most common points of confusion.

The ABCs of BCAAs

There’s significant evidence that BCAAs have been shown to provide several key benefits for gym-goers looking to increase muscle, strength, and/or endurance. Although BCAAs shouldn’t used as a “crutch” for a poorly planned diet, they can deliver an extra edge for situations when your nutrition plan falls short on some nutrients or when your training volume/intensity is high. For reinforced muscle recovery, or even to help fight off any diet or training-related brain fog, consider adding BCAAs to your sports supplement arsenal.

References

1. Shimomura, Y., Inaguma, A., Watanabe, S., Yamamoto, Y., Muramatsu, Y., Bajotto, G., Sato, J., Shimomura, N., Kobayashi, H., & Mawatari, K. (2010). Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Before Squat Exercise and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 20(3), 236-244. Retrieved Jun 5, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.20.3.236
2. Ra, S. G., Miyazaki, T., Kojima, R., Komine, S., Ishikura, K., Kawanaka, K., Honda, A., Matsuzaki, Y., & Ohmori, H. (2018). Effect of BCAA supplement timing on exercise-induced muscle soreness and damage: a pilot placebo-controlled double-blind study. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 58(11), 1582–1591. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07638-1
3. Jackman, S. R., Witard, O. C., Philp, A., Wallis, G. A., Baar, K., & Tipton, K. D. (2017). Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 390. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00390
4. AbuMoh’d, M. F., Matalqah, L., & Al-Abdulla, Z. (2020). Effects of Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Intake on Muscular and Central Fatigue During an Incremental Exercise. Journal of human kinetics, 72, 69–78. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2019-0099
5. BLOMSTRAND, E., HASSMÉN, P., EK, S., EKBLOM, B. and NEWSHOLME, E.A. (1997), Influence of ingesting a solution of branched-chain amino acids on perceived exertion during exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 159: 41-49. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201X.1997.547327000.x
6. Blomstrand, E., Hassmén, P., Ekblom, B., & Newsholme, E. A. (1991). Administration of branched-chain amino acids during sustained exercise–effects on performance and on plasma concentration of some amino acids. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 63(2), 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235174
7. Wesley David Dudgeon, Elizabeth Page Kelley & Timothy Paul Scheett (2016) In a single-blind, matched group design: branched-chain amino acid supplementation and resistance training maintains lean body mass during a caloric restricted diet, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13:1, DOI: 10.1186/s12970-015-0112-9

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The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) concluded creatine is the most effective performance supplement available for supporting high intensity exercise and muscle mass. (1)(2) The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published a similar stance. (3)

Despite favorable position stances in the scientific community, decades of research, and more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, creatine supplementation is still misunderstood. (4) This misunderstanding is largely limited to the uninitiated public, which is a shame because a wide variety of people (even non-lifters) might benefit from creatine supplementation. (5)

If you are unfamiliar with creatine, or if you could use a science-based refresher, it’s best to start with the basics. No, creatine is not a steroid. And, no, it won’t melt your kidneys. In fact, creatine monohydrate, the most common form of supplemental creatine, is generally recognized as safe (G.R.A.S) — an official designation which can only be applied to foods and products which have undergone stringent examination and critical review. (1)(6)(7)

Creatine’s potential benefits extend beyond athletic competition and the gym. Check out the benefits, potential side effects, and common dosing protocols below. 

Editor’s Note: The content on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen, diet plan, and/or supplement protocol, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for individualized consulting with a qualified medical professional.

Creatine Benefits 

• 7 Benefits of Creatine
• Potential Side Effects
• How to Use Creatine
• Frequently Asked Questions

7 Benefits of Creatine

Creatine supplementation has been studied among individuals young and old, athletes and non-athletes, healthy and injured. Creatine exerts effects on the musculoskeletal system, nervous system (e.g. brain), and endocrine system (e.g. hormones).

Some of these effects are immediate — better lifts, higher work capacity, and cognitive benefits. Others take a bit longer to register — increased muscularity, better recovery between workouts, and potentially increased performance during injury rehabilitation. Find a summary of some of the most exciting benefits of creatine below.

Supercharged Strength

In training studies, creatine supplementation is consistently shown to improve strength. (1) For example, in just six weeks, lifters taking creatine showed greater improvements in chest press and leg press strength compared to those taking a placebo. (8) Strength improvements have been documented with creatine supplementation across the lifespan — from young to very old. (5)(9)

Without getting too deep into biochemistry, creatine supports energy production via the phosphagen system — this is the system that supplies energy for brief high-intensity efforts such as short sprints, jumps, and heavy, low repetition lifts. Creatine is found in foods like meat and seafood, and our bodies are able to synthesize it from other amino acids. However, supplemental creatine appears to be necessary to “top off” or saturate our muscles with creatine. 

Recharged Repeated Efforts

Anyone who has ever sprinted 50-meter repeats or hit high-effort cluster sets knows the phosphagen system takes time to replenish before you’re ready to go again. Creatine supplementation may reduce the time needed to restore energy for the next high intensity set.

The mass action from having extra creatine available drives more rapid re-synthesis of phosphocreatine, the active form of creatine used for quick energy. In addition to benefiting training performance, this potential effect of creatine supplementation may have performance implications in sports like basketball, hockey, football, and volleyball. (1)

More Muscle Mass

Because creatine promotes the ability to move more weight and higher performance across repeated efforts, it should come as no surprise that it ultimately supports gains in muscle mass and improvement in body composition.

Once again, this effect is seen among individuals ranging from young to very old. (1)(9) Bodybuilders, athletes, folks who want to look better at the beach, aging adults wishing to remain independent, and more may benefit from the muscle-building effects of creatine. 

Increased Training Tolerance

Creatine supplementation is known to help improve recovery from a single session of hard exercise. (10)(11) Perhaps surprisingly, some studies show increases in exercise-induced muscle damage following consistent use of creatine. (10)

Researchers attribute this to the other beneficial effects of creatine supplementation — More strength, more muscle, and more high-intensity sets and reps following consistent supplementation intuitively lead to the potential for more muscle damage during workouts. (10)

Altogether, creatine appears to be a great tool for recovery from isolated bouts of exercise, particularly the sort of workouts that involve high-load eccentric (“lengthening”) muscle contractions or novel exercises.

Are you a lifter training for a local 5k, half marathon, or triathlon? Or, maybe you’re a trail runner or cyclist dedicated to building some extra strength? Athletes who train for aerobic- and strength performance in the same workouts may struggle to maintain their strength as aerobic training ramps up. Creatine might help. A study on creatine supplements for men looked at strength-trained men taking either creatine monohydrate or placebo who were put through running workouts prior to leg resistance training.

Only individuals taking creatine were able to maintain their leg press strength-endurance (i.e. repetitions to failure at 80%), while the men taking the placebo showed reduced leg press performance. (12) Concurrent training for aerobic and strength- or physique goals is never going to be easy, but supplemental creatine might play a supporting role. 

Ramped Up Recovery Following Injury

Injured individuals tend to drop or dial back their supplement regimes, often planning to resume once healthy again. But there’s a strong case for creatine supplementation during times of injury. (13) Due to the aforementioned antioxidant-like effect of creatine, its well-established benefits to muscle mass and strength, and other potential effects, supplemental creatine may have promise for those rehabilitating injuries.

Immediately following injury, affected body parts may be rested or even immobilized. Studies assessing the effects of creatine supplementation among individuals experiencing immobilization show protective effects on muscle protein composition and accelerated recovery of strength and size during their return to exercise. (14)(15)

It should be noted, current evidence for creatine during post-surgical rehabilitation is currently not as strong as the evidence for use during true immobilization. (16) While creatine may not be a panacea, banged up athletes, wrecked weekend warriors, and the clinicians who manage their care should consider the potential role of creatine supplementation post-injury.

Free Radicals Scavenged and Scrubbed Out

Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals related to cell damage, aging, and number of disease processes. For better or worse, free radicals are produced during normal metabolism. Fortunately, creatine acts to scavenge and scrub out a type of free radical called reactive oxygen species (ROS). (1)

While more research is needed to substantiate the potential role of creatine in systemic health, cellular aging, and disease, the antioxidant-like role of creatine points to applications for general health and wellness.

Boosted Brain Power

Just as creatine supplementation increases creatine concentrations in muscle, it also increases levels in brain tissue. (5) Just as muscle runs on creatine-based substrate, so to does the brain. Research is mounting in support of a creatine’s potential role as a nootropic, or brain-booster.

Vegetarians on a six-week “maintenance dose” of creatine monohydrate (five grams per day) performed better on tests of working memory and intelligence than they did on a placebo supplement. (17)

Now, one could argue that since a common source of dietary creatine is meat, the vegetarian subjects were simply correcting a deficiency, but the demonstrated link between creatine and brain power remains relevant. 

In two separate studies on sleep-deprived youngsters and rested elderly individuals, McMorris and colleagues reported positive effects of creatine supplementation on working memory and long-term recall. (18)(19) In both studies, “loading doses” of creatine monohydrate were used — 20 grams per day for seven and 14 days, respectively.

Since update of creatine in brain tissue may be less efficient than skeletal muscle, more research needed to establish dosing parameters that best elicit creatine’s cognitive effects. 

Potential Side Effects

Numerous studies have failed to show clinically-relevant side effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation across a wide variety of populations (athletes, children, adults, older adults) and using a wide range of doses (three to 30 grams per day). (1)(20)

Aside from the benefits discussed above, one potentially relevant side effect is increased body mass, which can occur early due to increased water content in the body. 

Early Water Retention

The most commonly reported side effect of creatine is water retention. Studies have reported early increases in body mass during the initial days of creatine supplementation too rapid to be attributed to muscle gain. (4) Instead, these increases appear to be primarily driven by increases in intracellular water, or water found within the cells which plays a key role in cellular health and performance. (21)

In the first three days or so of creatine supplementation (loading dose), it is common to see gains of two to four pounds of water weight. (21) Fortunately, there is probably no reason to worry about medium- or long-term bloating when supplementing with creatine. Intracellular water levels are shown to normalize after weeks to months of use. (4)

How to Use Creatine 

Creatine monohydrate mixes reasonably well with liquid, particularly if you purchase “micronized” powder, which is milled or sifted to smaller particles. Creatine supplementation need not be complicated — standard practices and considerations are provided below.

Steady Supplementation

The most common supplementation protocols involve three to five grams creatine monohydrate per day, or 0.1 gram per kilogram bodyweight. (4)(22) Gradually, creatine levels in muscle cells will increase above baseline and individuals will likely begin to realize the benefits discussed above.

This dosing protocol is referred to as a “maintenance dose,” because once muscle tissues reach creatine saturation, ongoing supplementation at this dose is likely to maintain high or maximum levels. Although about one-third of studies on creatine supplementation involve only a maintenance dose, just as many incorporate a loading dose to “jumpstart” the benefits. 

Consider a Loading Dose

With typical creatine doses (i.e. three to five grams per day), it may take weeks before muscles are saturated. Therefore, a “loading dose” is often recommended to accelerate this process. (1)(22) The most common creatine monohydrate loading protocol involves 20 grams per day for five to seven days. (1)(22)

The daily 20-gram loading dose is typically divided into four equal servings throughout the day (five grams each). The loading dose is typically followed by a maintenance dose of three to five grams per day (or 0.1 gram per kilogram bodyweight). 

Take with Food

Although creatine taken without other foods has been shown to effectively increase total muscle creatine levels, taking either with carbohydrates or with carbohydrates and protein appear to improve retention. (23)(24) Shoot for about 95 grams of carbohydrate or 45 to 48 grams each carbohydrate and protein. (25)

Common carbohydrate sources used in creatine studies are dextrose and glucose. Although studies commonly use powdered dextrose or glucose, these carbs are found in starchy foods and non-fruit sugars (i.e. corn flour, pastas, rice). A convenient protein source may be a post-workout protein powder.

Consistent Use vs. Cycling

Little scholarly evidence currently informs whether creatine should be cycled (e.g. eight to 12 weeks “on,” followed by four to six weeks “off”) or taken consistently at a maintenance dose. Mechanistically, there does not seem to be a strong rationale behind cycling creatine — Again, creatine is not a steroid, so there is not a risk of “resistance” as a result of prolonged use. 

Long-term studies illustrate the safety of consistent creatine supplementation for as long as five years of consistent use. (1) Moreover, since excess creatine is ultimately excreted in the urine (similar to vitamin C), the risk of “overdose” appears low. (25) 

Should one decide to “cycle off” creatine, they are still likely to experience benefits for weeks, even months following your last dose.

FAQs

G.R.A.S. for Mass (with a Disclaimer)

Few, if any, supplements are as well-studied as creatine monohydrate. The scientific research is virtually overwhelming, but if you’re still searching for an anecdote, I’ve taken a creatine monohydrate maintenance dose for over 10 years with minimal interruptions. My wife, my mother, and, occasionally, even my dog supplement with creatine monohydrate — it’s unlikely many lifters would be comfortable giving other sports supplements to any one of those three case studies, let alone all three.

But this article should not be considered an endorsement or nutritional advice — it is simply a brief review of relevant literature. Consult your physician, sports dietician, or veterinarian for individualized advice.

References

1. Kreider, R. B., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18.
2. Kerksick, C. M., et al. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 38.
3. Thomas, D. T., et al. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 501-528.
4. Antonio, J., et al. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 13.
5. Rawson, E. S., & Venezia, A. C. (2011). Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino Acids, 40, 1349-1362.
6. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. GRAS Notices. Available online: https://www.fda.gov/media/143525/download (Accessed April 17, 2023).
7. Kreider, R. B.,et al. (2022). Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: A critical review. Nutrients, 14(5), 1035.
8. Mills, S., et al. (2020). Effects of creatine supplementation during resistance training sessions in physically active young adults. Nutrients, 12(6), 1880.
9. Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2014). Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults—a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46(6), 1194-1203.
10. Doma, K., et al. (2022). The paradoxical effect of creatine monohydrate on muscle damage markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 52(7), 1623-1645.
11. Cooke, M. B., et al. (2009). Creatine supplementation enhances muscle force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 6(1), 13.
12. de Salles Painelli, V., et al. (2014). Creatine supplementation prevents acute strength loss induced by concurrent exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 114(8), 1749-1755.
13. Tack, C. (2016). Dietary supplementation during musculoskeletal injury: Protein and creatine. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 22-26.
14. Elosegui, S., et al. (2022). Interaction between caffeine and creatine when used as concurrent ergogenic supplements: a systematic review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(4), 285-295.
15. Hespel, P., et al. (2001). Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 536(2), 625-633.
16. Mistry, D., Lee, P., & Gee, T. (2022). Systematic review for protein and creatine supplements in peri-operative period in elective musculoskeletal surgery-knee and hip replacement. Journal of Arthritis, 11(1), 6-10.
17. Rae, C., et al. (2003). Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double–blind, placebo–controlled, cross–over trial. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270(1529), 2147-2150.
18. McMorris, T., et al. (2007). Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior. Physiology & Behavior, 90(1), 21-28.
19. McMorris, T., et al. (2007). Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 14(5), 517-528.
20. Kim, H. J., et al. (2011). Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. Amino acids, 40, 1409-1418.
21. Ziegenfuss, T. N., et al. (1998). Acute fluid volume changes in men during three days of creatine supplementation. Journal of Exercise Physiology, 1(3), 1-9.
22. de Guingand, D. L., et al. (2020). Risk of adverse outcomes in females taking oral creatine monohydrate: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(6), 1780.
23. Greenwood, M., et al. (2003). Differences in creatine retention among three nutritional formulations of oral creatine supplements. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 6(2), 37-43.
24. Preen, D., et al. (2003). Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 13(1), 97-111.
25. Naderi, A., et al. (2016). Timing, optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, 20(4), 1.
26. Van der Merwe, J., et al. (2009). Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(5), 399-404.
27. Elosegui, S., et al. (2022). Interaction between caffeine and creatine when used as concurrent ergogenic supplements: a systematic review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(4), 285-295.
28. Trexler, E. T., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2015). Creatine and caffeine: considerations for concurrent supplementation. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 25(6), 607-623.
29. Stout, J. R. (2006). Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 20(4), 928-931.
30. Preen, D., et al. (2003). Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13(1), 97-111.

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Due to their prevalence within gym culture and notable performance-boosting effects, everybody has their go to pre-workout supplements whether it’s a simple cup of coffee (aka “caffeine”) or a scoop of the latest tropical punch-flavored, ultra-secret-ingredient formula.

The world of pre-workouts can be intimidating, sometimes rightfully so. You don’t want to spend more money than you have to. You don’t want to choose an ineffective formula. And you definitely don’t want to take something that makes you so jittery, you end up doing push-ups on the floor of the emergency room.

Here’s what to know about some of the most popular pre-workouts available, so you can approach your pre-training supplementation with a better idea of what should and shouldn’t be in there.

What Does a Pre-Workout Do?

• Potential Benefits
• Potential Drawbacks
• 10 Most Common Pre-Workout Ingredients
• How to Use a Pre-Workout 

Potential Benefits of Using a Pre-Workout 

Pre-workout supplements can be a game changer for many people. It’s a staple supplement category for many lifters, whether it’s something used before every workout or only when the planned session calls for it. It’s not necessary, but for lifters who want a high-performance edge, having a go to pre-workout is ideal.

Increased Motivation and Focus

A good pre-workout can help to get you in the right mindset on days when you’re paying more attention to the playlist in your headphones than the barbell in your hands. Even the most dedicated lifter has days when they’re just not feeling it, and a good pre-workout may be able to fill the gap.

Certain pre-workout ingredients have been shown to improve focus, concentration, even your mood. (1)(2) This can carry over to greater general energy levels, allowing you to attack the training session with higher intensity, as well as potentially better attention to technique.

You might also notice a better mind-muscle connection during certain exercises, which can help to recruit more muscle fibers and trigger greater muscle growth. (3)

Improved Strength, Power, and Endurance

Physiologically, a pre-workout can directly boost your performance in the gym by improving strength, increasing power output, or increasing endurance and delaying fatigue — all of which can translate to better training adaptations and improved results. (4)(5)(6)

Whether it’s a stimulant to create a stronger muscle fiber contraction or an ingredient to decrease your required rest periods, pre-workouts can have some significant and impactful influence on your training session. (7)

Cumulatively, these performance benefits can yield greater results from training. However, that doesn’t mean you should, or need to, rely on pre-workouts consistently to perform at a high level.

Even when used sporadically, these benefits can trigger responses that yield better results than you might otherwise find without strategic supplement usage.

Potential Drawbacks of Using a Pre-Workout

Here are the major concerns you should be on the look out for when purchasing a pre-workout supplement.

Proprietary Blends 

The term “proprietary blend” describes a mixture of ingredients that is unique to a particular supplement brand. Unlike more transparent labeling practices which list the specific amounts of each ingredient, proprietary blends only list the total amount of the blend without specifying how much of a given ingredient is included in the formula.

This means that you’re not being told exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting. Imagine being served a hamburger: Would you rather be told it’s made of “meat mixture,” 20% ground beef and 80% ground hot dogs, or 100% ground beef? That’s basically the situation with proprietary blends.

With proprietary blends, you don’t know if you’re getting the ingredients you desire in a safe or effective dose. Supplement company take advantage of this gray area and often fill proprietary blends with cheap fillers and less effective ingredients, compared to relatively more expensive and more useful ingredients, to improve their profit margins while compromising on efficacy.

Many supplements also require some degree of troubleshooting, so it might take you one or two (or more) different pre-workout purchases to find a formula your body responds well to. If you are not responding well to a pre-workout, it can be hard to pinpoint an exact reason when you’re dealing with a vague proprietary blend. Learning which ingredients help and hurt you is crucial to finalizing your pre-workout choice.

Stimulant Overload

Stimulants, such as caffeine or yohimbine (and ephedrine before it was banned), are commonly found in pre-workout supplements. These substances work by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolic rate. While this can provide a temporary boost of energy, it can also put a strain on the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of potentially adverse health effects.

The very ingredients that make pre-workouts useful can also be abused by some individuals, especially if you’re prone to the side effects of stimulants. If you already have a high-level of caffeine intake, are anxiety prone, have high blood pressure, struggle with sleep, you should exercise care when it comes to stimulant-laden pre-workouts.

If you’re not careful with your pre-workout blend or the doses you use, you might not have the most pleasant experience. Palpations in the gym can land you on viral tik tok video or in the hospital. Nobody wants either of those. Always start with a half serving of any pre-workout and increase if appropriate.

10 Most Common Pre-Workout Ingredients

Whether you’re searching for a useful pre-workout formula or are looking to create your own by hand-picking specific compounds, here are some of the most reliable, science-based, effective pre-workout ingredients.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that is commonly found in coffee, tea, and other beverages. It is also added to many pre-workout supplements because of its ability to increase alertness and reduce fatigue. (8) Caffeine works by blocking the action of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleepiness and relaxation. By blocking adenosine, caffeine makes you more alert. (9)

Without caffeine, many pre-workouts might not even feel like they are working. It’s the primary stimulant that leaves you feeling, “Whoa, I’m not as tired anymore. Time to hit the squat rack.”

Some pre-workout supplements may contain as little as 50 milligrams of caffeine per serving, while others may contain as much as 400 milligrams or more. For context, an “average” cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine.

Generally, you want to err on the lower end when using caffeine as a pre-workout, especially if you’re caffeine-sensitive or prefer a stimulant-free pre-workout (when training later in the day, for example, to avoid interrupting your sleep).

Don’t overlook the compounding effect caffeine can have over the course of a day. Because caffeine has a half-life of roughly five hours, if you have, for example, a large cold brew coffee with an extra shot at 9 a.m., you’re taking in roughly 325 milligrams of caffeine.

By 2 p.m., you’ve still got around 160 milligrams circulating in your system, so re-consider throwing back a pre-workout loaded with another 200+ milligrams of caffeine before your lunch break workout.

Synephrine 

From the depths of Southeast Asia, synephrine is a compound derived from bitter orange. It’s been used to treat digestion and congestion issues, but can also be a stimulant in pre-workout.

Synephrine is a stimulant that is similar in structure and function to ephedrine — another stimulant that was commonly used in dietary supplements before being banned by the FDA in 2004. Like ephedrine, synephrine is thought to increase energy expenditure, reduce appetite, and enhance athletic performance. (10) However, synephrine is considered to be safer than ephedrine because it has a weaker effect on the central nervous system and is less likely to cause adverse side effects.

In pre-workout supplements, synephrine is often combined with caffeine and other ingredients that are intended to increase energy and focus during exercise. These supplements are marketed as a way to improve athletic performance, increase muscle strength, and reduce fatigue. (11)

Research has shown high doses up to 100 to 200 milligrams per day are tolerable depending on body weight, but more common effective doses are closer to 50 milligrams per day.

While synephrine may provide some benefits for exercise performance, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and side effects associated with its use. Some studies have suggested that synephrine can increase blood pressure and heart rate, which can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions, such as hypertension or heart disease.

Yohimbine

Yohimbine is a potent stimulant that works by blocking alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in the body. This action can increase blood flow which is why many tout it as being helpful with treating erectile dysfunction.

But nonetheless, some people swear by the muscle pumps from yohimbine. Mechanistically, yohimbine has also been shown to increase the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that can stimulate fat metabolism and promote weight loss. Although, actual fat loss recorded in studies seems minimal. (12)

Doses from 10 to 20 milligrams are generally effective, but, similar to other stimulants, yohimbine can pose blood pressure and cardiovascular risks when combined with other stimulants.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is naturally produced by the body. Beta-alanine has gained popularity among athletes and bodybuilders, due to its potential to enhance athletic performance and increase muscle endurance. (13)

Beta-alanine works by increasing the concentration of carnosine in the muscles. Carnosine is a dipeptide found in high concentrations in fast-twitch muscle fibers — the fibers responsible for explosive power and strength. Carnosine acts as a buffer, helping to prevent the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles during exercise.

In layman’s terms, it allows you to push longer and endure higher intensities because it delays muscle-burning. (14) This can lead to improvements in athletic performance, especially in activities that require extended bouts like endurance work or high-rep sets with minimal rest periods. It’s also known for producing a “tingly” feeling which can be hit or miss for people. Two to five grams per day have been shown to be effective.

Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin

Highly branched cyclic dextrin is essentially pure carbohydrates for performance. Unlike many other types of carbohydrates, cyclic dextrin is “highly branched” which simply means it is rapidly absorbed by the body.

It provides your body fast-acting carbs to replenish muscle and liver glycogen while maintaining blood glucose levels. The ergogenic effects of carbohydrates are well-established, especially for high intensity interval training or endurance training. (15)

For some of your more intense workouts, this is a useful ingredient, especially when you don’t want to stomach carbohydrate-dense foods like potatoes or rice near your training session. As a carb source, as little as 15 grams per workout have been shown to be beneficial.

Citrulline 

Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid found in watermelon and certain other fruits. If you’ve ever overheard locker room advice about drinking watermelon or pomegranate juice before a workout, there is actually some truth to that.

Citrulline is known to stimulate nitric oxide, which improves blood flow, increases aerobic performance, and gives you those tremendous pumps everybody talks about. (16)

Citrulline has ergogenic properties making it a seemingly perfect pre-workout ingredient. To increase nitric oxide production, six grams is the minimum recommended dose. Depending on your body weight and individual metabolism, you might need doses as high as eight or 12 grams to get noticeably bigger pumps.

BCAAS or Amino Acids 

Many pre-workout supplements will have amino acids or branched chain amino acids. While these amino acids can be useful, most people already get plenty in a protein-sufficient diet.

Having incomplete amino acids will always be inferior to a complete protein like whey. These standalone amino acid formulas in pre-workouts often significantly spike the price of your pre-workout while providing little benefit.

If you want extra calories in your pre-workout, you’re better off opting for carbs like highly branched cyclic dextrin instead, which will bring along improved performance.

L-Tyrosine 

L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that is found in many protein-rich foods, including meat, fish, and dairy products. It has gained popularity as an ingredient in pre-workout supplements due to its potential to enhance mental and physical performance. (17)

L-tyrosine works by increasing the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are important for mood, motivation, and focus, and they play a key role in regulating the body’s stress response. By increasing the production of these neurotransmitters, L-tyrosine can help to improve mental focus during exercise.

However, L-tyrosine seems to primarily have a noticeable effect in stressful, anxious, or sleep-deprived scenarios. It could be considered the “sleep-deprived saver” — it might not make a big difference in your usual routine on days when you have sufficient sleep, but if your night’s sleep pattern is disrupted, it may be more beneficial. The effective dose seems to be between 500 to 2,000 milligrams depending on your body weight.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid commonly found in certain tea leaves. L-theanine works by increasing the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). (18) GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that helps to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.

It has many cognitive benefits as well. It doesn’t sedate or make you tired, but it could be seen as more of a “downer,” compared to over-the-top stimulants working as “uppers” as they ramp up your nervous system. Theanine generally provides a more mellow energy and is often added to pre-workouts to serve as a way to add more performance clarity while reducing the jittery side effects of stimulants like caffeine.

L-theanine also has a relatively positive safety profile at any dose, but around 300 milligrams is recommended as a minimum effective dosage.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is an extremely popular ingredient, considered one of the most thoroughly researched sports supplements in the field, known for its ability to enhance physical performance and muscle growth. (19)(20) It is a naturally occurring compound that is found in several animal products such as red meat and fish.

Creatine works by increasing the body’s levels of phosphocreatine, which is used to produce energy during high-intensity exercise. By increasing the body’s stores of phosphocreatine, creatine can help to improve athletic performance, increase strength, and reduce fatigue. It’s even been shown to boost cognitive function and general brain health. (21)

It also draws water into your muscles cells, signaling for anabolic processes. It’s almost like the strength and hypertrophy version of beta-alanine. Despite its common everyday use and scientific reliability, creatine only works once your muscles are fully saturated. This process takes a couple weeks of consistent use.

If you don’t take your pre-workout daily, you will have a hard time leveraging creatine’s benefits. Many brands also add creatine to spike up the price of their pre-workout, due to the “name recognition” of the ingredient, even though creatine on its own is relatively inexpensive.

While it might be more convenient to have it in your pre-workout, a better approach is to supplement with creatine separately, using a standalone creatine monohydrate powder. This is a way to save money while maximizing creatine stores within the muscles, since you can take creatine daily without any additional pre-workout ingredients.

How to Use Pre-Workouts

One of the most overlooked aspects to pre-workouts is taste. Make sure it tastes good, so you’ll actually want to take it, and make sure you feel energized without your blood pressure exploding or your sleep-quality tanking.

Be on the lookout for a pre-workout that has the ingredients you want in the doses you need, and be careful about the number of stimulants in them. Whenever possible, avoid proprietary blends.

For most ingredients to work well and be properly digested and absorbed, take your pre-workout 30 to 60 minutes before your workout. Most people just take it before they leave for the gym, regardless of timeframe. Worse, they might quickly down a pre-workout in the gym’s parking lot while they’re loading up their favorite playlist.

The only other thing you have to consider is how often you take a pre-workout. For some lifters, taking a pre-workout boost before every workout has become a part of gym life — just another ritual like packing your gym bag or filling your water bottle.

Others prefer to take a pre-workout only on days they’re dragging and need a good pump or an extra boost to hit a new PR. This latter approach should help to make sure you don’t desensitize yourself to any of the ingredients, especially stimulants like caffeine, which can quickly lose it’s effects if taken too often in high doses. (22)

Pre-workouts can also be useful if you train fasted, and they may be less needed if you train well-fed. The carbohydrate, sodium, and nutrient component of your pre-workout meal can improve your performance, mental alertness, and muscle pumps even without the stimulating jitters.

Like anything else in fitness, you have to experiment with what works best for you when it comes to taking a pre-workout. As you find with most things in the gym, a bit of patience, combined with well-informed periods of trial and error, should gradually steer you in the right direction of safe and effective goal-focused results.

References

1. Jung, Y. P., Earnest, C. P., Koozehchian, M., Galvan, E., Dalton, R., Walker, D., Rasmussen, C., Murano, P. S., Greenwood, M., & Kreider, R. B. (2017). Effects of acute ingestion of a pre-workout dietary supplement with and without p-synephrine on resting energy expenditure, cognitive function and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0159-2
2. Curtis, J., Evans, C., Mekhail, V., Czartoryski, P., Santana, J. C., & Antonio, J. (2022). The Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Measures of Alertness, Mood, and Lower-Extremity Power. Cureus, 14(5), e24877. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.24877
3. Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Brandt, M., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., & Andersen, L. L. (2016). Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 116(3), 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7
4. Martinez, N., Campbell, B., Franek, M., Buchanan, L., & Colquhoun, R. (2016). The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13, 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7
5. Schwarz, N. A., , PhD, & McKinley-Barnard, S. K., , PhD (2020). Acute Oral Ingestion of a Multi-ingredient Preworkout Supplement Increases Exercise Performance and Alters Postexercise Hormone Responses: A Randomized Crossover, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of dietary supplements, 17(2), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2018.1498963
6. Beck, T. W., Housh, T. J., Schmidt, R. J., Johnson, G. O., Housh, D. J., Coburn, J. W., & Malek, M. H. (2006). The acute effects of a caffeine-containing supplement on strength, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capabilities. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 20(3), 506–510. https://doi.org/10.1519/18285.1
7. Martinez, N., Campbell, B., Franek, M. et al. The effect of acute pre-workout supplementation on power and strength performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 13, 29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0138-7
8. Ruxton, C.H.S. (2008), The impact of caffeine on mood, cognitive function, performance and hydration: a review of benefits and risks. Nutrition Bulletin, 33: 15-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x
9. Delleli, S., Ouergui, I., Messaoudi, H., Trabelsi, K., Ammar, A., Glenn, J. M., & Chtourou, H. (2022). Acute Effects of Caffeine Supplementation on Physical Performance, Physiological Responses, Perceived Exertion, and Technical-Tactical Skills in Combat Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 14(14), 2996. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142996
10. Stohs, S. J., Preuss, H. G., & Shara, M. (2012). A review of the human clinical studies involving Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) extract and its primary protoalkaloid p-synephrine. International journal of medical sciences, 9(7), 527–538. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.4446
11. Ruiz-Moreno, C., Del Coso, J., Giráldez-Costas, V., González-García, J., & Gutiérrez-Hellín, J. (2021). Effects of p-Synephrine during Exercise: A Brief Narrative Review. Nutrients, 13(1), 233. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13010233
12. Ostojic S. M. (2006). Yohimbine: the effects on body composition and exercise performance in soccer players. Research in sports medicine (Print), 14(4), 289–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438620600987106
13. Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Stout, J. R., Hoffman, J. R., Wilborn, C. D., Sale, C., . . . Antonio, J. (2015). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(1), 30. doi: 10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
14. Derave, W., Everaert, I., Beeckman, S., & Baguet, A. (2010). Muscle carnosine metabolism and beta-alanine supplementation in relation to exercise and training. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 40(3), 247–263. https://doi.org/10.2165/11530310-000000000-00000
15. Furuyashiki, T., Tanimoto, H., Yokoyama, Y., Kitaura, Y., Kuriki, T., & Shimomura, Y. (2014). Effects of ingesting highly branched cyclic dextrin during endurance exercise on rating of perceived exertion and blood components associated with energy metabolism. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 78(12), 2117–2119. https://doi.org/10.1080/09168451.2014.943654
16. Pérez-Guisado, J., & Jakeman, P. M. (2016). Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(10), 2937-2942. doi: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000001591
17. Stecker, R. A., Harty, P. S., Cottet, M. L., & Jagim, A. R. (2019). The effects of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands – a review. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 16(1), 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s12970-019-0318-5.
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