Certain pairings just makes sense. Peanut butter and jelly. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Creatine and electrolytes. And with the latter, you no longer have to mix them together yourself!
That’s right, supplements that pair creatine with other important nutrients are hitting the shelves hard. So if you’re sick of turning your shaker cup into a science experiment with multiple powders and liquids, allow us to help you simplify your routine with these creatine combos.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Sheri Gaw, R.D.N., C.D.C.E.S., is a registered dietitian and the owner of The Plant Strong Dietitian. Chris Oswald, D.C., C.N.S., is a functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor, nutrition specialist, and head of medical affairs at Pure Encapsulations.
Creatine and Electrolytes
If you’re serious about fitness, chances are both creatine and electrolytes already have a place in your regular rotation. Why not reap the benefits from a single supplement?
“The combination of creatine with electrolytes is beneficial for individuals who regularly work out,” says registered dietitian Sheri Gaw, R.D.N., C.D.C.E.S., owner of The Plant Strong Dietitian. “Creatine and electrolytes work hand in hand to support hydration, muscle strength, and recovery.”
This creatine combo is an especially smart move if you work out for longer durations (hello, endurance athletes) or sweat a lot during your gym sessions, Gaw suggests. “It’s also a great option for strength and power athletes, sports requiring high intensity efforts think football, basketball, soccer, sprinting), and anyone with lower baseline creatine levels (like vegans, some women, and older adults),” shares functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor, and nutrition specialist Chris Oswald, D.C., C.N.S., head of medical affairs at Pure Encapsulations.
Read More: 8 Expert Tips For Nailing Your Hydration Game
Check out Trace Creatine + Electrolytes, which combines five grams of creatine monohydrate with 250 milligrams of sodium, 375 milligrams of chloride, 100 milligrams of potassium, and 50 milligrams of magnesium, as well as the brand’s signature blend of trace minerals. Formulated to power performance and promote optimal hydration and brain function, the electrolytes in this supplement help to transport creatine into muscle cells to support muscle growth, endurance, and recovery.
Or, opt for BodyTech Creatine HCl + Electrolytes, which offers 750 milligrams of creatine hydrochloride and a blend of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in every Rocket Pop-flavored scoop.
Creatine and HMB
Next up, creatine and HMB. What is HMB, you ask? HMB (a.k.a. β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate) decreases muscle breakdown while supporting increased lean muscle mass, strength, power, endurance, and recovery.
Combine that with creatine, and you’ve got a formula that helps you train harder, bounce back quicker, and make meaningful gains. One 2019 review published in Nutrients confirms that this combo is a win for improving strength, anaerobic performance, and body composition—and in six weeks or less.
“This combination works best for someone who specifically wants to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle,” shares Gaw. It’s also great for anyone engaged in high-volume or high-intensity training, individuals in calorie-restricted phases who want to maintain lean mass, and older adults who want to stave off muscle loss, Oswald adds.
BodyTech Creatine + HMB contains five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate and three grams of a patented form of HMB per serving. It also includes four milligrams of MAX Catalyst®, an ingredient that supports optimal absorption. Talk about a win, win, win!
Other popular options: Transparent Labs Creatine HMB and Force Factor Creatine + HMB.
Creatine and Collagen
One of the newer creatine combos you’ll find in the pantries of lifters and maturing women alike: creatine and collagen. “Creatine and collagen work together to support the skeletal and muscular system by promoting performance and repair,” notes Gaw.
While creatine works on your muscles, collagen maintains your joints and connective tissues, adds Dr. Chad Larson, C.C.N., C.S.C.S., founder of The Adapt Lab.
“This combination is especially appealing for active individuals who want to support both muscle performance and joint resilience, people recovering from injuries, and aging adults seeking comprehensive structural and muscular support,” says Osawald. Short-term performance plus healthy aging support? Talk about a win-win.
Two popular options to consider here: Ancient Nutrition Creatine + Collagen Powder, which contains 5.5 grams of clinically validated eggshell membrane collagen and creatine monohydrate. If you prefer something flavored, try Codeage Creatine Collagen Peptides+, which contains 3.5 grams of creatine monohydrate and eight grams of hydrolyzed wild-caught fish collagen peptides. Neocell Creatine+ Multi Collagen combines four sources of collagen protein with five grams of creatine monohydrate.
Creatine and Glutamine
On deck, we have creatine with glutamine, which promises to help gym-goers streamline their supplement cabinets.
“Combining creatine and glutamine may support muscle growth and recovery while reducing muscle fatigue,” shares Gaw. The amino acid glutamine supports recovery and resilience (especially during periods of intense training or stress), Oswald adds.
Serious fitness fanatics, this one is for you. “The creatine-glutamine combination is best for the athlete who does it all—sprinting, heavy lifting, and anything high in intensity,” says Gaw. Since it levels up your recovery by attenuating muscle damage and stress, “it’s most relevant for hard‑training athletes rather than casual exercisers,” Oswald notes. (Think high‑intensity interval trainers, CrossFit athletes, competitive sprinters, and endurance athletes tackling hills or sprint finishes.)
Ready for a power-up? Reach for BodyTech’s Creatine + Glutamine with Beta-Alanine. Each scoop delivers five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate, three grams of glutamine, and 1.6 grams of beta-alanine. Bucked Up Buck Build 2.5 grams of both creatine and glutamine, each from a blend of different forms of the nutrients.
Creatine and Citrulline
Two Cs that can be your fitness best friends? Creatine and citrulline. “Creatine plus citrulline is a plausible, but under-studied stack,” Oswald says. “Creatine reliably boosts strength, power, and recovery, while citrulline offers small, context-dependent benefits for endurance, repetitions, and soreness.”
FYI: “Citrulline works by increasing blood nitric oxide production, which allows arteries to relax, widen, and increase blood flow and nutrient delivery to muscles,” explains Gaw. That’s major for fending off fatigue and performing at your best, whether you’re repping it out or logging long miles.
Is this creatine combo for you? “Creatine and citrulline combination is great for avid athletes who are looking to train hard for improved muscle strength and endurance,” Gaw suggests.
A great way to try this mashup is BodyTech’s Creatine + Citrulline, which contains five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate and six grams of fermented l-citrulline.
Creatine and Peptides
On the cutting edge of creatine supplements (and sports nutrition, in general) is a pairing of creatine with peptides.
“Creatine and peptides act on different but complementary aspects of muscle function, so combining them can plausibly support both high‑intensity performance and tissue repair and recovery, although direct creatine–peptide combo trials are scarce,” reports Oswald. “Creatine–peptide stacks are best framed as combining creatine’s ergogenic and recovery effects with peptides’ emerging benefits for muscle and connective‑tissue recovery, especially for hard‑training or older athletes.”
Read More: Peptides: The Next Big Thing In Sports Performance
In addition to hard‑training or older athletes creatine–peptide stacks may be good for active lifestyle and fitness enthusiasts (people who train regularly but aren’t elite athletes); injury-prone or rehab-focused individuals (people returning from injury, surgery or dealing with chronic joint/tendon issues); and high-volume trainers and endurance athletes (including runners, cyclists, triathletes, or soccer, basketball or hockey players), shares Oswald.
Take, for instance, MuscleTech’s Creatine Peptide 447. This creatine combo is designed to improve the absorption, solubility, and bioavailability of creatine, making muscle building more effective. AN Performance Creatine + Peptide packs in five grams of micronized creatine monohydrate with 2.5 grams of PeptiStrong™.
Creatine 3X
If you want to try your creatine with a little bit of everything, try BodyTech Elite Ultimate Creatine 3X.
“Creatine 3x is a supplement that is packed with power for intense muscle growth from three types of creatine, patented forms of betaine and glycerol, and an ingredient called PEAK ATP®,” shares Gaw. This supplement supports muscle building, volume, and strength, and contains a variety of ingredients known for pump, energy, and power.
“Betaine and glycerol, for example, may support hydration, which is very important during exercise,” explains Val Warner, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., C.P.T., founder of Wellness by Val and host of the Strong & Nourished Momma podcast. “Betaine maintains osmotic pressure within the cell, supporting cellular hydration, while glycerol attracts and holds water in the cell.”
On the other hand, “ATP is the body’s ‘energy currency,’” notes Warner. “The body generates ATP via a variety of biochemical processes. There’s some research indicating that supplemental ATP may help support strength and power or reduce fatigue during intense training, though the evidence is still limited.”
Who is this supplement ideal for? “Devoted athletes who want to capitalize on their workout,” recommends Gaw.
Final Thoughts
Dedicated fitness fanatics probably have a tub (or two) of creatine in their gym bags already, but if you’re looking to simplify your sports stack, these creatine combos can streamline your routine. By combining creatine with other performance and recovery supplements—like electrolytes, glutamine, or citrulline—these products help you check multiple boxes as you grind towards your goals in and out of the gym.