Your body can make creatine on its own, but most of the time, we need to eat foods that contain creatine to meet the daily requirements. Have you been looking for foods that are high in creatine? This article has seven foods that are naturally high in creatine. Read on to learn about creatine, dietary creatine, and creatine synthesis.
The body makes creatine naturally because it is a derivative of amino acids, but it is not an essential nutrient [3]. In the body, the kidneys and liver make it from three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine [1, 2]. There is also creatine in animal foods like meat and dairy, which can be eaten as a source of dietary creatine [2].
Creatine aids the human body in several processes. It can regulate cell and organ function and metabolic regulation [3]. Creatine also provides energy to the brain, myocardium, and skeletal muscle [3]. Studies show that creatine can increase muscle strength and mass and reduce muscle fatigue [3, 4]. Creatine also promotes muscle gain through the process of drawing water into muscles [5]. This process also improves performance and promotes recovery [5].
Approximately 95% of creatine stored in the body is stored in skeletal muscle. The remaining 5% of creatine in the body is stored in the brain [4]. Every day, 1. 5 to 2% of the stored creatine is converted for use by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas [4].
Creatine is a popular fitness supplement, but did you know you can also get it from natural food sources? In particular, fish like salmon contain significant amounts of creatine. This article will explore how much creatine is in salmon and other fish compared to other dietary sources of creatine.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a molecule that is made naturally in the human body, primarily in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. It plays an important role in providing energy to all cells, but particularly muscle cells.
Inside our muscle cells, creatine binds with phosphate to form phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine acts as a rapid energy reserve, donating its phosphate molecule to convert ADP to ATP ATP is the primary energy molecule that powers muscle contractions
By increasing phosphocreatine levels creatine supplementation can improve strength power, muscle mass, and exercise performance. This is why creatine supplements are popular with athletes and bodybuilders.
Why Get Creatine from Food?
While the body makes creatine naturally, we also obtain some from food. Including creatine in your diet may help you keep your creatine levels at a healthy level, especially if you’re very active.
Vegetarians and vegans may especially benefit from dietary creatine as plant foods do not contain creatine. Their creatine levels depend entirely on internal synthesis.
Foods highest in creatine include meat and fish. Dairy and eggs also provide small amounts.
How Much Creatine is in Salmon?
Salmon is one of the richest sources of dietary creatine. A 3 ounce serving of wild salmon contains about 500-800 mg of creatine.
The creatine content does depend on whether it is wild or farmed salmon. Wild salmon contains higher levels, with about 1.4-2.3 grams of creatine per pound. Farmed salmon has approximately 1 gram per pound.
Other oily fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines, and herring also provide creatine. A serving of canned tuna can have 300-500 mg.
Creatine Content of Other Foods
While fish contains the highest creatine concentrations, other animal foods provide moderate amounts:
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Beef: Approximately 4-5 grams per pound
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Pork: Around 5 grams per pound
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Chicken: Up to 2 grams per pound
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Turkey: Up to 2 grams per pound
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Eggs: Trace amounts
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Milk: Only 0.1 grams per pound
So while milk and eggs contain creatine, levels are quite low compared to meat and fish.
Cheese may also contain small amounts of creatine depending on the type. Parmesan, Swiss, and cheddar cheeses have approximately 2-3 grams per pound.
Creatine Benefits for Active Individuals
Consuming salmon and other creatine-rich foods may offer unique benefits for active individuals.
Studies show creatine supplementation can:
- Increase strength and power output
- Improve high-intensity exercise capacity
- Stimulate muscle growth when combined with strength training
- Enhance anaerobic running capacity
- Reduce fatigue during repeated sprints
For these reasons, creatine supplements are widely used by power athletes such as sprinters, team sports, and weightlifters.
While exercise performance is enhanced with creatine supplements, eating salmon and other dietary sources may provide more modest benefits. However, for vegetarian and vegan athletes, creatine foods can help maintain muscle creatine levels.
Optimal Creatine Intake
Through endogenous synthesis and diet, most people maintain total creatine levels of 120-140 grams. But athletes may benefit from higher intakes between 200-300 grams.
To optimize creatine stores, it’s recommended to consume 3-5 grams per day. This can maintain maximal creatine concentrations in your muscles.
While salmon is one of the best food sources, it’s difficult to obtain optimal amounts from diet alone. An athlete would need to eat almost 2 pounds of salmon daily to get 5 grams of creatine!
Therefore, supplements are recommended for those wanting maximum creatine levels for exercise performance and muscle growth benefits.
Takeaway
Salmon contains some of the highest amounts of creatine among fish and other protein foods. A 3-5 ounce serving can provide 500-800 mg. Other fatty fish, beef, pork, and poultry also supply creatine in smaller amounts.
While dietary creatine is helpful, supplements are suggested for optimal intake. Consuming 3-5 grams per day from powders or capsules can maximize creatine levels in your body.
So enjoy salmon and other natural sources of creatine, but consider pairing your diet with creatine supplements if you are highly active. Together they can help boost your exercise performance, strength, and muscle mass gains.
7 Foods High in Creatine
Beef, referred to as red meat, is the meat of cattle.
Beef is one of the best foods for building muscle and getting better at exercise because it is full of protein, amino acids, and creatine [12]. Since beef is a rich source of heme iron, beef can also prevent the development of anemia. Anemia is an iron deficiency that causes you to feel tired and weak [12].
Beef nutrition facts: 3.5oz serving of broiled ground beef (10% fat) [12]
- Calories: 217
- Protein: 26.1g
- Fat: 11.8g
Beef contains the highest quality of protein and amino acids that you can consume. Bioactive substances like taurine and glutathione are also found in large amounts [12]. These include vitamin B6, vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, iron, niacin, phosphorus, and many more.
Beef contains the highest amount of dietary creatine compared to other foods. Beef cuts contain an average of 4. 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [8]. The amount of creatine in beef varies by muscle or organ.
- There are 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of steak [7].
- Top Loin – contains 2. 93 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Round Tip – contains 2. 95 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Ground Beef – contains 2. 53 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
When birds are raised for their meat and eggs, they are called poultry. Examples of poultry are chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks [13]. Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat in the United States [13].
Chicken nutrition facts: 4oz serving of boneless, skinless, chicken breast [15]
- Calories: 136
- Protein: 25.4g
- Fat: 2.96g
Poultry is high in protein and contains all nine essential amino acids [13]. It also contains notable amounts of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin [13].
Creatine content in poultry varies by bird and portion of meat.
- Chicken Breast – contains 2. 21 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Chicken Thigh – contains 2. 51 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
Turkey and Cornish hens are also mentioned to be excellent sources of creatine. However, the exact amount of creatine from those sources is unknown.
Pork is meat from pigs. Pork meat is the most consumed meat in the world [14].
Like other meats, pork is also an excellent source of protein and all nine essential amino acids [13]. The high quality of the protein also makes it easier to build muscle and do better in sports [14].
Pork nutrition facts: 3.5oz serving of ground pork [14]
- Calories: 297
- Protein: 25.7g
- Fat: 20.8g
It also has a lot of iron, phosphorus, thiamine, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and niacin [14].
Pork contains an average of about 5. 0 grams per kilogram of pork meat [8]. The exact content of creatine in pork varies by the cut of meat.
- Top Loin – contains 1. 88 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Ground Pork – contains 1. 79 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Bacon – contains 1. 23 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
Dry-cured ham, pork heart, and pork liver are also mentioned as excellent sources of creatine. However, the exact value of creatine in those meat selections is unknown.
Sheep meat is also considered red meat, which like beef, is rich in heme iron [16].
Sheep meats are classified into two types, lamb and mutton. Mutton meat comes from sheep that were killed after 24 months [16]. Lamb meat comes from sheep that were killed before 12 months [16]. Lamb is generally much more tender meat than mutton.
Lamb nutrition facts: 3.5oz serving of roasted lamb meat [17]
- Calories: 258
- Protein: 25.6g
- Fat: 16.5g
Lamb and mutton are high in protein and contain all nine essential amino acids [17]. Minerals and vitamins like iron, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin B12, selenium, and zinc are also found in large amounts. Bioactive nutrients like creatine, taurine, and glutathione are also in high amounts [17].
The exact amount of creatine in lamb and mutton is unknown. But, as it is red meat like beef, the content of creatine is expected to be approximately 4. 5 to 5 grams per kilogram of uncooked meat.
Some fish varieties are excellent sources of creatine. Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, selenium, vitamin D, and creatine [19].
Salmon nutrition facts: 3.5oz serving of cooked wild salmon [18]
- Calories: 182
- Protein: 25g
- Fat: 8g
Tilapia nutrition facts: 3.5oz serving of cooked tilapia [20]
- Calories: 182
- Protein: 26g
- Fat: 3g
Catfish nutrition facts: 3oz serving of cooked catfish [29]
- Calories: 89.2
- Protein: 15.7g
- Fat: 2.4g
Cod nutrition facts: 3oz serving of cooked cod [30]
- Calories: 71.4
- Protein: 17.3g
- Fat: 0.2g
Creatine content in fish varies by the variety of fish.
- Salmon – contains 2. 66 to 4. 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat…but only if it comes from wild salmon [6, 8].
- Herring – contains 6. Between 5 and 10 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [8].
- Cod—each kilogram of meat has 3 grams of creatine [8].
- Catfish – contains 2. 81 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Tilapia – contains 1. 80 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [6].
- Tuna – contains 4. 0 grams of creatine per kilogram of meat [8].
Wild game meat is classified as any meat that is undomesticated and wild instead of farm raised. Venison (elk or deer), bison, and rabbit are the most commonly consumed game meats.
Both venison and bison are rich in protein, iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins [22].
Venison nutrition facts: 3 oz serving of cooked venison [21]
- Calories: 159
- Protein: 22.5g
- Fat: 7g
Bison nutrition facts: 4 oz serving of cooked bison [22]
- Calories: 124
- Protein: 17g
- Fat: 6g
The exact amount of creatine in wild game meats has not been found, but since they are red meats, it is safe to assume that they have a good amount compared to beef.
Milk itself is a poor supply of creatine, only containing 0. 1 grams per kilogram of milk [8]. However, various cheeses are excellent sources of creatine. In case you are a vegetarian and don’t eat meat, cheese is a great food to get creatine from.
The exact amount of creatine in cheese has not been measured in a lab, but it is thought that cheeses like Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere, Swiss, Edam, and Gouda have around 2 to 3 grams of creatine per 100 grams.
It’s important to remember that most meats’ creatine levels are measured when they are still raw (2). Meat can lose up to 30% of its creatine content when it’s cooked, mostly because it loses liquid during the cooking process. Overcooking can also completely destroy creatine in meats, especially in steak (8).
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the amount of creatine in meat is measured in grams of creatine per kilogram of meat. One kilogram of meat equals 35. 274 ounces of meat. This is well over the weekly serving guidelines for protein consumption. They say that you should get 26 ounces of protein a week from meat and poultry and 8 ounces of protein a week from fish (22).
How is Creatine Used?
Without getting deep into the science of how creatine works, here is a basic overview. Muscles need energy to function. ATP is the body’s energy source that muscles use to contract. When a muscle uses the energy from ATP, the ATP molecule is broken down into ADP [8]. High-intensity exercise, such as resistance training, causes ATP to be used very quickly, which onsets muscle fatigue [8]. Creatine is then used to resynthesize ADP back into ATP for re-use [8]. Thus, reducing muscle fatigue.
When the body uses creatine, it needs to replace the creatine it has stored, either through synthesis or diet. About half of creatine replenishment is from synthesized creatine [8]. To fully replenish the amount of created used by the body, creatine must be consumed [2].
It doesn’t matter if an adult gets their creatine from food or from synthesizing it; their body needs between 1 and 3 grams of it to work [5]. Athletes require larger amounts. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends that athletes eat 5 to 10 grams of creatine every day to keep their creatine stores full [5]. You can calculate how much creatine you need to consume by using this calculator.
5 Best Natural Foods With Creatine & How It Can Benefit Your Muscles
FAQ
What foods are high in creatine?
How much creatine is in a salmon fillet?
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Source
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Amount of Creatine (milligrams)
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Salmon (4 oz)
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511 mg
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Beef/Steak (4 oz)
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511 mg
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Venison (4 oz)
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505 mg
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Bison (4 oz)
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456 mg
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Do eggs have creatine in them?
What food has 5g of creatine?
How much Creatine is in salmon?
The creatine content in salmon is about 4.5g/kg. A 3.5 ounce serving of salmon at least twice a week will supply the body with adequate creatine to boost the energy level in your body. It helps to maintain muscle mass when trying to lose weight. It can supply energy to the parts of the body where it is needed.
What is the best food for people with high creatinine?
Creatinine levels can be lowered by making certain dietary changes. Choose fruits like cranberries, kiwi, apples and blueberries, vegetables like bitter gourd, red bell pepper, cucumber and onions, nettle leaf, spices like cinnamon.
Is fish a good source of creatine?
Fish and seafood Fish, especially herring, salmon, and tuna, are rich in natural creatine. A six-ounce serving of herring can provide as much as 1.7 grams of creatine, making it one of the best food sources of this performance-boosting compound.
Does seafood have creatine?
RELATED: How To Take Creatine The incredible thing about seafood is, not only does it tend to have a higher creatine content than other animal products, but some of these foods also contain omega-3 fatty acids. Most people are familiar with the heart and brain health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.