While creatine is known to athletes who work out with weights or bodybuilding, there is an increase in the number of runners who are considering whether or not it is useful to use creatine when running. Since creatine's main effect is to provide short spurts of high-intensity activity, the importance of creatine in a sport dominated by aerobic activity such as distance running is not always clear. Let's have an honest look at whether creatine monohydrate for runners is a viable option or not, discuss specific creatine benefits for runners that studies have shown, talk about the correct amount of creatine to take, and let's discuss if you should consider taking creatine if you are a runner.
How Creatine Works and Why That Matters for Runners
Most of the benefit of creatine comes from its role in the phosphocreatine energy system, which is used for brief, powerful actions (typically lasting up to 10-15 seconds) like sprinting, jumping, and heavy lifting. This is quite distinct from the aerobic system which is the main source of energy in most of a normal training run (or endurance race). It's important to understand this distinction before looking at the likelyhood of creatine for running being a part of a runner's supplement before deciding if it is or isn't.
Does Creatine Improve Running Performance?
However, for pure long distance steady state running, the direct performance benefit of creatine is actually quite minimal, as aerobic endurance depends more on oxygen supply and utilisation than the short burst energy system which creatine mainly supports. Studies that have looked at creatine supplementation in athletes specifically for running performance in an endurance setting have provided little to no evidence of a direct effect on running performance parameters such as marathon times or steady-state pace.
The situation is different, however, for runners who require a high anaerobic or power component to their training or competition such as sprint, middle-distance or those who use interval training, hill sprinting or finishing kicks. If you're one of these types of runners, the proven advantages of creatine for power output and high-intensity work start to make sense.
Benefits of Creatine for Runners
It's important to distinguish between the benefits that are well-studied and those that are more speculative when it comes to creatine for runners.
1. Improved Sprint and Interval Performance
The strongest supporting evidence for the benefits of creatine supplementation for runners comes with short-term, high-intensity running. The elements of interval training, hill repeats and finishing kicks all depend on some degree of the phosphocreatine pathway that creatine helps maintain, making these aspects of training particularly likely to benefit.
2. Enhanced Recovery Between Hard Sessions
Creatine is thought to help people recover from tough training sessions quicker, meaning that runners can improve the number of quality training sessions they can complete, such as intervals or tempo runs, without building up fatigue.
3. Increased Muscle Mass and Strength
Creatine indirectly aids in muscle building and strength gains of the resistance training components of the running program, which most competitive runners do, and this benefits running economy and protection from injury.
4. Potential Cognitive Benefits During Fatigue
It is suggested that creatine may also benefit mental fatigue resistance during long duration exercise, and the research into creatine's effect on brain energy metabolism is still in early stages in comparison to the well-established muscular effects of creatine.
5. Support for Bone Density
Creatine, in particular when used in combination with resistance training, has demonstrated a number of benefits in the areas of bone mineral density, which may be important for runners due to the repetitive nature of running and the need to prevent stress fractures.
Creatine Monohydrate for Runners: Addressing the Weight Gain Concern
The most significant concerns runners have with creatine monohydrate for runners are its ability to cause water retention and weight gain in the body, which typically hinders running performance and efficiency.
Creatine does cause water retention in the muscles, which is probably what people are referring to when they say it makes them gain weight, and that usually only makes the person one to two kg heavier in the first few weeks. This is a valid consideration that should be taken into account for runners, especially those who run mainly for distance and not necessarily power.
However, after getting used to the water retention effect of creatine for runners, this side effect may be minimized and the muscle mass built from a runner's strength training combined with creatine monohydrate might balance out worries about pure water weight, as increased muscle strength and endurance can help minimize the risk of injuries and improve running technique long-term.
Best Creatine for Running: What to Look For
There are a number of simple factors to consider, and if creatine is a good fit for your training style, finding the best creatine supplement for running is actually pretty simple.
Creatine monohydrate specifically:
This is still the most studied and value for money form and there's no other form of creatine, such as creatine with HCL or buffered creatine, that has clearly superior results in controlled studies.
Micronized formulas:
Most of these are more soluble in water, and some runners prefer to drink them on a regular basis.
Third-party tested products:
Seek out products that are independently tested for purity and/or accurate labelling
Unflavored or simple formulations:
Stay away from unnecessary additives, because the benefits of creatine don't take proprietary blends.
There's no need for a special, costly running supplement to provide the best creatine for running — a plain old third-party tested creatine monohydrate powder will do the job the vast majority of runners actually require.
Recommended Dosage for Runners
The same basic creatine dosage recommendations are used by runners as they are for other athletes:
- Loading phase (optional): 20 grams a day, divided into four 5 gram doses, for 5-7 days
- May take 3–5 grams per day on a regular basis, including on training days
- Timing is less of a factor than consistency, but if you eat your dose with a post-run recovery meal, it is also a good habit to develop.
If you are a runner and not really worried about the initial wet muscle phase, you can jump straight into the 3-5 gram per day maintenance phase, as you will end up with the same final level of muscle saturation, but over a longer period of time – 3 to 4 weeks rather than approximately 1 week.
Who Should Consider Creatine for Running?
However, based on the latest research, creatine supplements are most appropriate for runners:
Sprinters and middle-distance runners:
Which of the following events are fueled more by the anaerobic system of creatine?
Runners incorporating regular strength training:
Creatine enhances the gains from resistance training
Those doing significant interval or hill training:
For short duration, high intensity work, which forms a regular component of training program.
Runners recovering from injury:
In situations where loss or regrowth of muscle mass is desirable at lowered training volumes, creatine's muscle promoting properties could prove useful.
The case for creatine is much weaker for pure long distance runners, who train only for the steady-state aerobic mode and don't do much strength or interval training, and the miniscule performance gains may not compensate for the slight water-holding effect in such specific circumstances.
Conclusion
So, whether creatine for running is a good fit for you, depends on what kind of running you do and your overall training strategy. The true advantages of creatine for runners are most applicable to runners who use sprint training, interval training, hill training or strength training in addition to their running program, and not to runners who are only doing long slow steady runs. If you choose to give it a go, creatine monohydrate for runners is still the most studied and affordable form of creatine and when determining the best creatine for running, just look for a plain, third-party tested creatine monohydrate and commit to using it for a few weeks to assess its effects on your running.
FAQs
Does creatine for running actually improve marathon or long-distance performance?
Creatine for running does not have a clear and direct effect on aerobic (long, low-intensity) running capacity, but rather it promotes short, high-intensity sprints.
What are the specific benefits of creatine for runners who do interval training?
Creatine for runners who work on intervals or hill sprints would definitely help them perform better on the high-intensity bouts and may help them recover between the workouts.
Is creatine monohydrate for runners likely to cause unwanted weight gain?
For runners, creatine monohydrate can lead to an initial 1-2 Kg gain from water retention, which is a real concern for weight sensitive endurance athletes.
What is considered the best creatine for running specifically?
The only type of creatine that has been definitively proven to work better in research is a plain, third party tested creatine monohydrate powder as there are no “special” creatine formulations that have been shown to work better.
Should sprinters use creatine for running differently than distance runners?
Creatine supplementation is more likely to be beneficial in events that require the anaerobic energy system, which creatine directly supports, including sprinting and middle distance running.
