Quick answer
Studies have mixed creatine monohydrate with water, with carbohydrate such as 93 g of sugar, and with about 50 g of protein plus 47 g of carbohydrate; the larger mixes raised creatine retention in short trials. A 2025 review found creatine works with or without other nutrients and limited evidence that a mix changes performance or body composition.1,2,3
Key facts
- Short trials found more creatine retained when it was taken with sugar or protein: 60 percent more muscle creatine with about 93 g of sugar in 24 men, and about 25% more whole-body retention with about 50 g of protein plus 47 g of carbohydrate in 12 men.1,2
- A 2025 expert review says creatine is effective whether or not it is taken with other nutrients, and found limited evidence that carbohydrate changes body composition or performance.3
- No trial we found measured taste, so no source can rank flavors.2,3
- Creatine in an acidic liquid loses more over days: after 3 days at 25 °C, 12% at pH 4.5 and 21% at pH 3.5, against 4% at pH 5.5.4
- Four servings a day of the 93 g sugar mix come to 372 g of sugar a day, our arithmetic from the trial design.1
What did the creatine trials mix it with?
The studies that tested mixtures were mostly about one question: does something stirred in alongside creatine change how much muscle keeps? The table sets out what they measured. None of them was designed to compare flavors.2,3
| Mix | What the study did | What it found | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain liquid | Baseline arm in the carbohydrate and protein trials | The comparison point; a 2025 review says creatine is effective with or without other nutrients | 2025 ISSN questions review |
| Carbohydrate | Each 5 g creatine loading dose taken with about 93 g of sugar, 24 men | Muscle creatine rose 60 percent more than with creatine alone | Green 1996 |
| Protein plus carbohydrate | Four 5 g doses of creatine, each with about 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate (or with 96 g of carbohydrate), 12 men | Whole-body retention rose about 25% compared with the placebo condition | Steenge 2000 |
| Caffeine or coffee | 5 days of loading with 300 mg of caffeine as a pill or in coffee, 54 men | No group differed from placebo; see the creatine and coffee guide | Trexler 2016 |
The reading across them: sugar and protein raised retention in short loading trials, while the 2025 review adds that the extra retention has not been shown to produce bigger changes in strength or body composition.3
Does mixing creatine with sugar make a difference?
In 24 men, taking each 5 g loading dose with about 93 g of sugar raised muscle creatine 60 percent more than creatine alone. The ISSN notes that adding carbohydrate, or carbohydrate and protein, raises uptake but may not add to performance.1,6
The design is demanding. Four servings a day of the 93 g sugar mix come to 372 g of sugar a day (4 times 93 g), and the retention gain is a laboratory result from a loading week, not a finding about everyday use.1,6
Does the acidity of the drink matter when mixing creatine?
The point is time in the glass, not the drink itself. Dissolved creatine converts to creatinine faster as acidity rises: after 3 days at 25 °C the loss was 4% at pH 5.5, 12% at pH 4.5 and 21% at pH 3.5. A more acidic drink sits lower on that scale and loses more. A mix drunk straight away spends minutes in the liquid, while a batch made in the evening for the next day spends many hours.4,6
Those figures come from creatine in water held at set pH values. No source we read measured creatine in juice, a sports drink or a protein shake.4
What to mix with creatine to make it taste better
We found no trial or official source that tested taste, so there is nothing to rank here. What the evidence does say is practical: creatine works with or without other nutrients, so flavor can follow preference, and the stability figures above favor mixing near drinking time. The mixing guide explains why powder stays gritty in cold water.3,4
What to mix creatine with: protein powder and shakes
The protein and carbohydrate trial is the closest match to a shake: about 50 g of protein with 47 g of carbohydrate in each dose worked about as well for retention as 96 g of carbohydrate. The 2025 review adds that trials of creatine with whey protein had mixed results, with some finding no extra benefit. For the shake itself, our pages on creatine and protein and on mixing protein powder cover compatibility and clumping.2,3
What to take with creatine for best results
The sources do not back a required companion. The reviews describe consistent daily use as the main variable, and NIH's summary lists the amounts studied without any added ingredient.3,7
Other supplements have their own trials. The 2025 review also covers other combinations, including sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine, and reports mixed results across studies.3
What should you check before adding creatine to a shake or drink?
A drink that contains a lot of sugar or protein changes what a serving contributes to your day, so read both labels. Ask a doctor or pharmacist first if you have kidney disease, take medicines, are pregnant or nursing, or are under 18.7,8
Weight gain of about 1 to 2 kg in the first month, largely water held in muscle; it comes on faster with loading7
Questions people ask
What to mix with creatine powder?
Water is the baseline, and creatine works with or without other nutrients. Trials also mixed it with sugar or with protein and carbohydrate.1,3
What to mix with creatine to make it taste better?
No trial or official source we found tested taste. Dissolved creatine loses more over days in acidic liquid, so a flavored mix is best made close to drinking time.4
What to mix with creatine monohydrate?
Monohydrate has been mixed with carbohydrate, with protein plus carbohydrate, and with caffeine or coffee in trials, while a 2025 review found it effective with or without additions.2,3,5
What to mix creatine with coffee?
Trials stirred creatine into coffee or paired it with caffeine pills and found no difference between the two; our creatine in coffee guide has the details.5
What to mix creatine with protein powder?
A trial of 12 men taking each 5 g dose with about 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate raised whole-body creatine retention about 25% over the placebo condition.2
What to take with creatine for best results?
The sources point to consistent daily use rather than a required companion, and say added nutrients did not clearly change strength or body composition.3
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Sources
- Green AL, Hultman E, Macdonald IA, Sewell DA, Greenhaff PL. Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans. Am J Physiol. 1996;271(5 Pt 1):E821-E826. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Steenge GR, Simpson EJ, Greenhaff PL. Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2000;89(3):1165-1171. 12 men. Opened 2026-10-11.
- Antonio J, Brown AF, Candow DG, et al. Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(1):2441760. Narrative review. Opened 2026-10-11.
- Jager R, Purpura M, Shao A, Inoue T, Kreider RB. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino Acids. 2011;40(5):1369-1383. Review. Opened 2026-10-11.
- Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Roelofs EJ, Hirsch KR, Persky AM, Mock MG. Effects of Coffee and Caffeine Anhydrous Intake During Creatine Loading. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(5):1438-1446. Randomized trial, 54 men. Opened 2026-10-11.
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. Opened 2026-10-01.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 1, 2024. Opened 2026-10-06.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition Labeling. April 2005. Opened 2026-10-11.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.