Creatine for Performance: Worth the Hype?

Dr. Gregory Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCS
Jan 15
3 min read

Let’s talk about one of the trendiest supplements on the market right now: creatine.

Before we get into it, we definitely want to acknowledge that we are not registered dieticians or nutritionists and this is by no means a supplement for personalized medical advice!

While it suddenly seems to be emerging all over social media, this supplement is not new.

In fact, creatine is actually one of the most researched performance enhancing substances out there!

We’ve always thought of creatine as some sort of pre-workout supplement that was exclusive to heavy weight-lifters before gym sessions.

And honestly, as runners, we didn’t want anything to do with creatine because of this…

So what’s the deal with creatine anyways??

Creatine is technically an organic compound that is naturally synthesized in the body, mainly in the liver, and stored within the muscles and brain.

Some of it occurs naturally in the body, but can also be obtained through dietary sources like meat and fish.

Creatine’s purpose is to boost ATP production in the cells– ATP is the main energy source in our body’s cells.

So higher levels of creatine in cells regenerate more ATP, which allows for more energy, strength, and power during workouts.

Creatine also enhances mental focus and clarity, improves muscle recovery, and allows for steadier energy throughout the day.

Essentially, regularly supplementing with 5+mg per day of creatine can be summarized into these noticeable benefits:

⚡ Reduces muscle fatigue in shorter high-intensity exercise bursts

⚡ Improves the ability to sustain high intensity exercise

⚡ Helps with sprint finishes, hills, or speed intervals

💪 Improves strength training by reducing muscle fatigue and enhancing post-workout recovery

💪 Provides faster recovery between hard workouts

💪 Increases lean muscle mass

🧠 Supports brain function by improving mental clarity and focus

🧠 Provides steady energy throughout the day

Personally, we’ve started supplementing with creatine the past few weeks and have been starting to notice that our legs have felt peppier and sharper on runs…while there could be many factors in that, creatine may certainly be a piece to the puzzle!

Creatine may not directly help your running from a cardiovascular endurance system stand point; but, it can certainly lead to improved strength gains in the gym (and strength training has been shown to improve running performance) and enhanced post-workout recovery.

It also improves focus and cognition (which could help indirectly improve your running– think about sustaining long runs or trying to hold a pace for a tempo workout).

It may even help with an explosive kick at the end of a race because it increases ATP availability!

As always, we are not recommending creatine or taking any sort of supplements before consulting with your medical provider or a registered dietician– we are just providing information that you may find useful.

In any case, working with a registered dietician (we recommend Natalie Robertello from BeFueled Sports Nutrition) to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients from food FIRST is always essential.

There are, however, times when supplementing may be helpful and/or necessary for your personal goals!

If you’ve tried supplementing with creatine, let us know how it’s worked for you!

And if you're looking for other ways to improve performance, or if you have a nagging pain or injury getting in the way of it, WE CAN HELP!

It's our mission at AWAKEN to provide the highest level of care through our process of determining the ROOT CAUSE of your issue, then establishing an individualized plan to help you prevent recurrence and come back stronger than before!