Do vegans need to take a creatine supplement?

With a growing number of health conscious people either making the switch to being vegan or eating a more plant based diet, the question of nutrient deficiencies from not eating animal produces often pops up. There is one thing making a switch to improve health but what about your performance as an athlete?

When you want to stay at the top of your game any reduction in your training output or recovery capabilities is important. Creatine is one of the more obvious things that needs addressing as it’s only found in meat and fish or synthesised in the body. The average person needs between 1-3g of creatine per day and according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) athletes "may need to consume between 5-10g per day”.

So what is creatine and what are the benefits? 

Creatine is a molecule that is stored as high-energy phosphates in the form of phosphocreatine which help produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is a primary energy used by the body during periods of high energy demands such as intense physical or mental activity. The primary benefits are improvements in strength and power output which can help with increases in lean mass and to aid recover (certainly when training having come back from injury). About 1/2 of your bodies creatine supply comes from your diet (meat and fish) so if you have had a prolonged period following a plant based diet there is certainly a good argument to use a supplement. However, supplements do not make your stronger and more powerful without the effort. They can help, but we’re talking small percentages here. Training, sleep and overall nutrition are key and then layering in supplements can help take you to the next level. A couple of classes a week isn’t going to drastically increase your needs to high levels of creatine.