Here at Kaged, we sell world-class supplements. We believe that, while supplements aren’t strictly necessary, for everybody who wants that 5% edge in performance and results, they’re indispensable.
That holds true for this discussion about protein powder and creatine supplements.
You can get both protein and creatine from your diet, but supplementing will make it convenient and ensure your get the optimal amount of both.
While they’re both very popular, we sometimes get asked, “Should I take protein powder OR creatine?” Today let’s put to rest this question.
Protein Powder vs Creatine: A False Dichotomy
False dichotomies show up everywhere it today’s world, so it’s a concept worth understanding. It’s when a situation is presented as an "either/or" choice, ignoring the possibility that both options could be valid or even complementary.
The debate over whether to take protein powder or creatine often falls into this trap.
The reality is that these supplements serve different functions and can (and perhaps should) be used together for optimal results.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in certain foods like red meat and fish, as well as produced by the body.
It's stored in the muscles and used during high-intensity, short-duration exercises like weightlifting and sprinting. Supplementing with creatine increases the stores of phosphocreatine in the muscles, allowing for improved performance, increased strength, and enhanced muscle growth.*
Here are just a few benefits creatine has been shown to provide:
- Increased strength and power*
- Increased muscle mass*
- Improved between set recovery*
- Improved sports performance*
What is Protein Powder?
Protein powder is a dietary supplement that provides a concentrated source of protein, typically derived from milk (whey and casein) sources.
Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, and athletes typically have higher protein demands.
A protein powder is a great way to help you get an adequate amount of protein.
Key Benefits of Protein Powder:
- Supports muscle repair and growth*
- Helps increase strength.*
- Helps meet daily protein requirements.
- Versatile and convenient. You can use it in shakes, smoothies, and recipes.
They help with similar goals, but through different means.
If you want to build muscle, increase strength, and support performance, the answer is both.
While creatine and protein can be obtained through dietary sources, supplementation can be beneficial for ensuring optimal intake levels. Creatine is naturally found in small amounts in foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry. However, these dietary sources typically provide only about 1-2 grams of creatine per day (The gold standard dose is 3-5g per day.)
On the other hand, protein is present in a variety of animal and plant-based foods, including meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and grains. Nevertheless, meeting daily protein requirements through diet alone can be challenging, particularly for active individuals with higher protein needs. If you train hard, that’s you. By supplementing with creatine and protein powder, you can conveniently increase you intake of these essential nutrients to support muscle growth and recovery.
Stack Protein Powder with Creatine
To get both at the same time, the easiest way to do this is to add some creatine to your daily protein shake. In fact, some research has shown the insulin spike from protein and/or carbohydrates may aid in absorption (Steenage et al., 2000). This strengthens the case to take creatine along with protein.
All of our forms of creatine, including the classic Creatine Monohydrate comes in an unflavored powder that you won’t even notice when added to a scoop of protein.
We also built our original post-workout protein, Re-Kaged, with 1.5g of easy-mixing Creatine HCl in the formula. When stacked with our original pre-workout, Pre-Kaged, you get a total of 3g of creatine, a science-backed dose.
When to Take Protein Powder and Creatine
The whole idea of nutrient timing is ripe with scientific gray area and unclear answers. A few years ago, the status quo was that you should take your protein shake immediately post-workout. However, it’s not clear how much of a difference this makes.
The same goes for creatine. We touch on the idea of creatine timing in this article on creatine and pre-workout. In sum, what’s important about creatine isn’t when you take, it’s that you take it.
The Best Time is Whenever is Best For You
This could be post-workout, in a morning smoothie, or as macro-friendly afternoon snack. Take your creatine and protein powder whenever works best for you.
Quality Matters; Choose Kaged
At the end of the day, supplementing with both creatine and a high-quality protein powder is a powerful one-two punch for anyone looking to improve their training and physique.
Kaged has you covered with science-backed supplements that make stacking these two muscle-building powerhouses convenient and effective.
All of our proteins are 100% isolate, ultrafiltered, and banned-substance free. You can read about why the former matters in this article on whey isolate vs concentrate.
SHOP KAGED PROTEIN
When it comes to creatine, we focus and making sure they all absorb well and mix-easily.
SHOP KAGED CREATINE
FAQ
What’s The Best Form of Creatine?
We cover this in this article on creatine monohydrate vs HCl.
Should Beginners Take Creatine or Protein Powder?
For beginners, these are probably two of the only supplements worth considering. Getting extra protein is important for beginners because your body may not be used to the training load. Creatine can be a bit more nuanced, and we cover it in this article on creatine for beginners.
