What is creatine actually made of? And is creatine vegan?

Are you an enthusiastic athlete and spend hours in the gym each week? Then chances are you're familiar with the popular supplement creatine. This "white gold" is essential for many athletes' routines because it helps improve performance during explosive strength exercises. But what is creatine made from? And is it vegan? In this blog, we’ll dive deeper into your questions!

In short: What is creatine?

Creatine is one of the most popular dietary supplements among (strength) athletes, and for good reason; there are numerous studies that scientifically prove the effectiveness of creatine. But what exactly is creatine? Creatine is a naturally occurring substance that our body produces in the kidneys and liver, after which it is stored in our muscles. It plays an important role in providing energy to our muscle and nerve cells. In addition to being produced by our body, creatine is also found in foods such as meat and fish. However, the amount of creatine we get from our normal diet is usually not enough to make a significant impact on our sports performance. That’s why many athletes choose to take extra creatine in the form of supplements.

How is creatine made in your body?

Creatine is produced in our body through a complex process that takes place in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Amino acids such as arginine, glycine, and methionine are used in this process. Your liver, kidneys, and pancreas work together to convert these substances into creatine. Creatine is then transported through your blood to your muscles, where it is stored for when your body needs extra energy. For example, when you're breaking your personal record on the squat or during an intense tempo run!

Every day, our liver and kidneys produce about 1 gram of creatine. However, this can vary from person to person and also depends on the availability of the previously mentioned amino acids.

How is the creatine supplement made?

As you've probably read, many athletes use creatine as a supplement to their diet. If you have a jar of creatine in your kitchen cabinet or are considering purchasing the supplement and wondering what's actually in it, we’ll explain it to you:

Synthetic creatine, such as creatine monohydrate, is made from cyanamide and sarcosine. These substances may be new to you, so here's a brief chemistry lesson:

Cyanamide is a colorless, crystalline solid with a high hygroscopic capacity, meaning it easily absorbs water.

Sarcosine is a sodium salt, also known as N-methylglycine. It can be produced in laboratories through a synthetic process using chloroacetic acid and methylamine as raw materials.

The first step in this complex process involves combining sarcosine and cyanamide in a steel reactor. In this reactor, the chemicals are heated under pressure, leading to the formation of creatine in crystal form.

The formed creatine crystals are then processed through centrifugation to remove any unwanted residues. To improve solubility and absorption rate, the crystals undergo a milling process, resulting in fine creatine monohydrate powder.

Is creatine vegan?

You've read that creatine is a naturally occurring substance, found in food, and also synthetically produced. But is creatine actually vegan? If, as a vegan, you'd like to buy a creatine supplement like Creapure or creatine caps, we have good news: since the product contains no animal ingredients, creatine monohydrate can be labeled as 100% vegan. This way, creatine can safely be part of your diet and training regimen!

Creatine needs in a vegetarian or vegan diet

Creatine naturally occurs in foods such as red meat and fish, especially salmon, tuna, and herring. It is also sometimes found in small amounts in dairy products and eggs. If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you're usually not consuming these foods. A vegetarian or vegan diet, therefore, often leads to lower creatine levels in the body. A creatine supplement can help replenish these deficiencies, regardless of your diet, providing more strength for explosive power efforts.

Want to know more about creatine?

Do you want to learn more about creatine? Then check out our other blogs on this topic:

• Losing weight with creatine
• What does creatine do?
• How to use creatine?
• Disadvantages and side effects of creatine