Why Creatine Should Be a Staple in Your Supplement Stack
Creatine might not be the newest or flashiest supplement on the market, but it remains one of the most proven and effective tools available for anyone looking to improve performance, build lean muscle, and even support brain health.
At FitSquad, we often see people skip over creatine in favour of whatever's trending, but this is one supplement that stands the test of time—and the science continues to back it up.
What Is Creatine, and Why Should You Care?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in foods like red meat and fish. Once it’s absorbed into your muscle cells, it draws water in with it, hydrating the cells and helping improve strength, endurance, and recovery.
Here’s the catch: the amount of creatine you'd get from food alone is tiny. To get the benefits seen in research, you’d need to eat an enormous amount of meat every day—which isn’t ideal for your digestion, calorie goals, or budget. That’s why supplementing with creatine monohydrate is the smart, effective approach.
The Proven Benefits of Creatine
Creatine is up there with whey protein and caffeine as one of the most heavily researched supplements in sports science. It’s backed by decades of studies and real-world results, including benefits like:
✅ Increased strength and power
✅ Greater muscle growth by helping you train harder for longer
✅ Improved recovery between sessions
✅ Better endurance and lactate buffering for runners, cyclists, and HIIT workouts
✅ Enhanced muscle glycogen storage—your muscles' fuel tank
In short, creatine helps your body do more, perform better, and recover faster.
Creatine and Brain Health: A New Era of Benefits
In recent years, research has also revealed that creatine doesn’t just help muscles—it supports your brain too.
Regular creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance working memory, focus, and cognitive performance. It may also help people function better when they’re sleep-deprived, making it a valuable addition for busy professionals, parents, students, and anyone burning the candle at both ends.
For those following a plant-based diet, these brain-boosting effects may be even more noticeable, since vegetarians and vegans typically have lower creatine stores to begin with.
Why Vegetarians and Vegans Need Creatine Even More
Since creatine is only found in animal products, people who avoid meat and fish don’t get any from their diet. That makes supplementation even more important.
Studies show that vegans and vegetarians who supplement with creatine experience noticeable improvements in lean muscle gain, strength, and total training output, compared to those taking a placebo.
If you're plant-based and want to perform at your best, creatine should be one of the first supplements you consider.
Common Myths and Misconceptions (Debunked)
Let’s set the record straight:
❌ Creatine does not cause kidney damage, muscle cramps, dehydration, or cancer.
❌ You don’t need a loading phase. Just take 5g daily and you’ll reach full saturation in a few weeks.
❌ You don’t need to time it perfectly. Just get it in—morning, evening, pre- or post-workout all work fine.
The myth about creatine causing cancer came from a misinterpreted study in France where charcoaled meat (containing creatine) was found to contain carcinogens. Unless you're charring your supplement in the oven (which we strongly advise against), you're good to go.
Our Recommendation
If you want a supplement that is:
✅ Effective
✅ Safe
✅ Affordable
✅ Backed by real science
Then creatine monohydrate should absolutely be in your routine. We recommend trusted brands like Optimum Nutritionor Universal Nutrition—no need to pay more for fancy-sounding versions like Kre-Alkalyn or Creatine Ethyl Ester. They’re more expensive and haven’t proven to be more effective.
Whether your goal is building muscle, losing fat, improving endurance, or staying sharp mentally—creatine can help.
Want to Know if Creatine is Right for You?
Chat with one of our FitSquad coaches or nutritionists. We'll help you build a supplement stack that’s actually effective, tailored to your body and your goals—not just what’s trending online.
Author
Paul Boyes
References
Cramer, J.T. et al. (2007).
Rawson, E.S. et al. (2003).
Bemben, M.G. et al. (2005).
Cottrell, G.T. et al. (2002).
Olsen, S. et al. (2006).
Rae, C. et al. (2007). Creatine supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.
McMorris, T. et al. (2006). Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in sleep-deprived individuals.
Burke, D.G. et al. (2003). Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle mass in vegetarians.