Can You Take Protein Powder With Creatine?

Quick answer

Studies have paired them. In 12 men, about 50 g of protein with 47 g of carbohydrate alongside four 5 g creatine doses raised creatine retention by about 25%, and older men training for 10 weeks gained lean tissue on creatine plus protein. No source we read sets a required gap between them.^1,2

Key facts

Creatine trials used 3 to 5 g a day after an optional loading week, and the ISSN advises 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day for people who train.^3,4
In 12 men, adding about 50 g of protein with 47 g of carbohydrate to four 5 g doses of creatine raised whole-body creatine retention by about 25%, and 96 g of carbohydrate alone did the same.¹
In 35 older men, creatine plus protein on training days raised lean tissue mass by 5.6%, against 2.2% for creatine alone and 1.0% for placebo, in groups of 10 to 13.²
A 2025 network analysis of 35 trials in athletes ranked protein highest for strength and creatine well for jump and sprint results, and no supplement significantly raised lean mass.⁵
A pooled analysis found total daily protein predicted muscle gain better than the time protein was taken.⁶

Why the pair is so common

Protein and creatine are both among the most common sports supplements. In a national survey of about 21,000 US college athletes, 41.7% reported taking protein products and 14.0% reported taking creatine. It is natural to ask whether they belong in the same shake.⁷

They do different jobs. Creatine fills a quick energy reserve in muscle that is used in the first seconds of hard effort. Protein supplies the amino acids that muscle uses to repair and build its own proteins. Neither replaces the other, and the research on the pair is small.^3,7

The studies that gave them together

The first study measured creatine retention in 12 men who took four 5 g doses of creatine on four occasions, each with a different drink. Adding about 50 g of protein plus 47 g of carbohydrate raised whole-body retention by about 25% compared with only 5 g of carbohydrate. The same rise came from 96 g of carbohydrate alone, so protein was not required for it.¹

The second followed 35 men aged 59 to 77 through 10 weeks of resistance training. One group took creatine at 0.1 g per kg plus protein at 0.3 g per kg on training days, one took creatine alone and one took placebo. The combined group gained 5.6% in lean tissue mass, against 2.2% and 1.0%, and a larger relative gain in bench press. The groups held only 10, 13 and 12 men.²

Both are small. Neither tells you what a 5 g scoop of creatine mixed into a 20 g serving of protein powder does, and the abstracts we read do not say which kind of protein was used.^3,4

The graded evidence for each

Supports gains in lean body mass when combined with resistance training*^3,8,9

Moderate evidence

A meta-analysis of 35 randomized trials (1,192 people) found that creatine added about 1.1 kg of lean body mass when combined with resistance training, and nothing measurable without exercise. Men gained about 1.5 kg; the gain in women (about 0.3 kg) was not statistically significant, and part of the early gain is water held in muscle, so the grade is moderate.

Amount studied: 3 to 5 g a day with resistance training, often after a loading phase

Extra protein supports small added gains in strength and lean mass from resistance training when your usual intake is below about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day*¹⁰

Moderate evidence

A meta-analysis of 49 randomized trials (1,863 people) found protein supplements added about 2.5 kg to one-rep-max strength and 0.3 kg of fat-free mass over training alone, with no further gain above about 1.6 g of protein per kg a day in total. The trials averaged 36 g of supplement a day (range 4 to 106 g) and mostly used whey or milk protein, so 20 or 21 g of a fava and yeast blend is only a partial match; hence moderate, not strong.

Amount studied: 4 to 106 g of supplemental protein a day (36 g on average) during 6 to 52 weeks of resistance training

Both graded claims describe small gains during training, and they rest on different steps. Creatine adds to the work possible in repeated hard sets. Protein supplies material when usual intake is low. The sources do not say that one needs the other, and a 2025 network analysis found no supplement, creatine and protein included, significantly raised lean mass in athletes.^3,5

Timing and amounts

What the sources give for each^3,4,6,11
	Creatine	Protein powder
Daily amount	3 to 5 g after an optional loading week of about 20 g a day	1.4 to 2.0 g per kg of body weight a day in total for people who train
Per serving	A single daily amount of 3 to 5 g	20 to 40 g, or about 0.25 g per kg
Time frame	Stores fill in about a week with loading, about 28 days at 3 g a day	Total daily protein matters more than timing around exercise

A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that protein taken within an hour before or after exercise did not significantly add strength or muscle size; total daily protein was the strongest predictor of muscle gain.^6,7

So there is no best time for the pair in the sources. The one place timing shows up is the retention study, where the creatine doses were taken with a large protein and carbohydrate meal rather than a lone scoop.¹

Whey, plant or other protein

Several readers ask about whey and plant protein separately. The combined studies above do not say which protein they used, so nothing we read answers the question for the pair. For protein alone, one trial of 161 men found pea protein and whey gave similar gains in muscle thickness and strength, with three authors working for a pea protein maker.¹²

In the one trial found, about 23 g of fava bean protein (0.33 g per kg) after exercise did not raise muscle protein building above a control drink in 16 young adults. The protein was low in methionine.¹³

Older adults

One of the two combined trials was in older men, which fits protein advice for that age: an expert group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day for adults over 65, and more for those who exercise. Creatine's strength gains in a 2025 analysis were clearest in younger adults, men and people who already train, so older adults are less well covered by that evidence.^2,14,15

Cautions and who should ask first

A small rise in blood creatinine on lab tests, without a change in estimated kidney filtration¹⁶

High-protein diets of two to three times the RDA do not appear to harm kidney function, bone health or hydration in healthy people, and trained adults eating up to about 3.3 g per kg a day for up to a year showed no change in kidney or liver markers. People with severely reduced kidney function may need to limit protein.^4,7,14

No tolerable upper intake level has been set for protein, because the risk of harm from protein in food is very low. NIH still advises caution with high intakes from foods and supplements combined, since data are limited, and reports no safety concerns up to about 2.0 g per kg a day.⁷

Ask first if you have kidney disease or reduced kidney function, take medicines that affect the kidneys, have been told to limit protein, or have a kidney blood test coming up.^3,7
Ask first if you are pregnant or nursing, or under 18.^3,7
Ask first if you take levodopa or an MAO inhibitor, or are allergic to milk, soy, peanuts, peas or other legumes.^17,18,19

What is in our products

What’s in ours

Creatine: Creatine Monohydrate, 5,000 mg per serving, from the label
Creatine + Electrolytes: Creatine Monohydrate, 5,000 mg per serving, from the label

What’s in ours

Collagen Peptides: Protein, 18 g per serving, from the label
Collagen Peptides: Protein, 18 g per serving, from the label
Plant Protein: Protein, 20 g per serving, from the label
Plant Protein: Protein, 21 g per serving, from the label

Questions people ask

Should I put creatine in my protein shake?

The only trial that tested creatine with protein gave four 5 g creatine doses, each with a large protein and carbohydrate drink, and creatine retention rose about 25%. The same rise came from 96 g of carbohydrate alone. No source compares mixing with taking them separately at ordinary amounts.¹

Does the type of protein powder matter with creatine?

The two combined studies we read do not say which protein they used, so no source answers that for the pair. For protein alone, one trial of 161 men found pea and whey gave similar gains.^2,12

Is it better to take them before or after a workout?

No source ranks a time for the pair. For protein, pooled trials found no significant added strength or muscle size from taking it within an hour before or after exercise, and total daily protein predicted gains best. Creatine stores fill over about a week with loading.^6,11

Do creatine and protein affect kidney tests?

Creatine raises blood creatinine slightly on lab tests, without changing estimated kidney filtration in a 2026 analysis of 20 trials. NIH says high-protein diets of two to three times the RDA do not appear to harm kidney function in healthy people. People with reduced kidney function should ask first.^7,16

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Sources

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.