Do Any Energy Drinks Have Creatine?

December 3, 2025 •

4 min read

Despite the common assumption, the vast majority of mainstream energy drinks do not contain creatine. However, a few specific brands and specialized recovery blends on the market do, often using a stabilized version of the compound. This means athletes and gym-goers seeking the dual benefits of creatine and caffeine must look beyond typical brands like Monster or Red Bull.

Quick Summary

A small number of energy and recovery drinks contain creatine, notably Bang Energy with its proprietary “Super Creatine” and LIFEAID FITAID RX. Most popular brands omit creatine due to its instability in liquid.

Key Points

Creatine Instability: Standard creatine monohydrate is unstable in liquid, causing it to degrade over time, which is why it is rarely found in traditional energy drinks.
Select Brands Only: A small number of specific products, including LIFEAID FITAID RX and some Bang and Rockstar varieties, explicitly include creatine.
Powders are Superior: For a consistent and stable dose, a powdered creatine supplement is a more reliable option than relying on ready-to-drink beverages.
Combining Creatine and Caffeine: It is generally considered safe to mix creatine and caffeine, but high caffeine intake can cause digestive upset when combined with creatine, and may potentially hinder its performance benefits.
Controversial Creatine Forms: Bang Energy's patented "Super Creatine" faced legal challenges for false advertising claims, highlighting the risks of proprietary creatine forms in beverages.
Most Brands Avoid Creatine: Major energy drink companies like Monster, Red Bull, and Ghost Energy omit creatine from their beverages, focusing instead on other stimulants like caffeine, taurine, and B-vitamins.

Creatine is one of the most widely researched and effective supplements for improving athletic performance and increasing muscle mass. For this reason, many consumers wonder if they can find it in a convenient ready-to-drink (RTD) format, such as an energy drink. The answer is not straightforward, as the long-term stability of standard creatine monohydrate in a liquid solution is a major technical challenge for beverage manufacturers. The majority of major brands stick to ingredients like caffeine, taurine, and B-vitamins for their stimulating effects, bypassing the complexities of adding creatine.

Brands with Creatine-Containing Drinks

While it is rare, a few beverages and drink mixes do contain creatine. The most prominent and controversial example comes from Bang Energy, a brand known for its high caffeine content.

Bang Energy: Bang is famous for including what it called "Super Creatine," a dipeptide of creatine and L-leucine. This ingredient was developed to be more stable in liquid than standard creatine monohydrate. However, the product's marketing faced legal scrutiny, and Monster Energy won a false advertising claim against Bang for making unsubstantiated claims about its efficacy. Despite the controversy, some retailers may still list products containing this formulation.
LIFEAID FITAID RX: Marketed as a recovery blend rather than a traditional energy drink, LIFEAID FITAID RX explicitly lists creatine as a key ingredient, alongside BCAAs, glucosamine, and turmeric. This product is designed for post-workout recovery rather than pre-workout energy.
CNERGY (India): This is a functional drink brand in India that promotes itself as India's "1st Functional Drink with Creatine". It provides a dose of creatine along with BCAAs and lower caffeine levels compared to typical energy drinks.
Rockstar Sugar Free Smashed Blue Super Energy Drink: A specific product variant from the Rockstar brand has been noted to contain creatine, along with carnitine and a high dose of caffeine. This is not a universal ingredient across the Rockstar line.

Major Brands Without Creatine

When searching for an energy drink with creatine, you will find that a significant portion of the market does not include it. This includes many of the most popular brands:

Ghost Energy: While the company Ghost Lifestyle sells a high-quality creatine supplement called GHOST Basics Creatine, their canned Ghost Energy drinks do not contain it. Instead, the RTD beverages focus on natural caffeine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, and B-vitamins for energy and focus.
Monster Energy: This industry giant, which was instrumental in the lawsuit against Bang's creatine claims, does not formulate its dozens of energy drink variants with creatine.
Red Bull: Red Bull and its many spin-offs do not contain creatine. They rely on caffeine, taurine, and B-group vitamins to deliver their energy-boosting effects.
Celsius: As a functional essential energy drink brand, Celsius focuses on a thermogenic blend, green tea extract, and B vitamins, without the addition of creatine.

Why is Creatine Not Common in Energy Drinks?

There are several reasons why energy drink manufacturers generally avoid adding creatine to their formulations. The primary issue is creatine's stability in water. Standard creatine monohydrate degrades into creatinine over time when dissolved in liquid, rendering it ineffective. This makes a shelf-stable, RTD creatine drink difficult to produce reliably. Other factors include the potential for bloating, taste issues, and the fact that most energy drink customers are looking for a quick energy boost, not the long-term benefits of creatine, which requires consistent daily supplementation to saturate muscles.

The Safety of Combining Creatine and Caffeine

For those considering mixing their own creatine powder with a caffeinated beverage, it is generally considered safe for healthy adults. However, some research suggests that combining the two may reduce creatine's performance-enhancing effects. Additionally, the high caffeine content found in many energy drinks (often over 200mg per can) can cause gastrointestinal discomfort when combined with creatine, especially when taking higher doses. It is always best to consult a healthcare provider before combining supplements.

Creatine in Powders vs. Ready-to-Drink Formulas

For individuals serious about their creatine intake, dedicated powder supplements offer several advantages over the few available RTD options. Powdered creatine, such as Ghost Basics Creatine, allows for precise dosing and remains stable until mixed. This ensures that you receive a full and consistent clinical dose, which is often difficult to achieve in a mass-produced canned beverage. Furthermore, unflavored powder can be added to any drink, giving you control over flavor and composition. The optimal daily dose for maintenance is typically 3–5 grams, which can be easily measured and consumed.

Energy Drinks: Creatine Content at a Glance


Brand	Contains Creatine?	Type of Creatine	Key Energy Ingredients
Bang Energy	Historically Yes (check labels)	"Super Creatine" (Creatyl-L-Leucine)	Caffeine, CoQ10, EAAs
LIFEAID FITAID RX	Yes	Creatine	BCAAs, Glucosamine, Turmeric
CNERGY (India)	Yes	Creatine Energy Blend	Caffeine, BCAAs
Rockstar (Smashed Blue)	Yes	Creatine	Caffeine, Carnitine
Ghost Energy	No	N/A	Natural Caffeine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Monster Energy	No	N/A	Caffeine, Taurine, L-Carnitine
Red Bull	No	N/A	Caffeine, Taurine, B-vitamins
Reign Total Body Fuel	No	N/A	Natural Caffeine, BCAAs, CoQ10

Conclusion

While a few specialized products like LIFEAID FITAID RX and some versions of Bang and Rockstar contain creatine, it is not a common ingredient in mainstream energy drinks. This is primarily due to the instability of creatine in liquid, which makes it challenging to manufacture a reliable RTD product. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts seeking the proven benefits of creatine, a dedicated powdered supplement remains the most effective and reliable option. This approach guarantees an accurate, stable dose and allows for greater control over your supplement regimen, preventing potential issues with excessive caffeine consumption or the use of potentially less-effective creatine analogues. You can find more information about creatine on reliable health websites like the Cleveland Clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Very few energy drinks contain creatine. Notable examples include LIFEAID FITAID RX, certain flavors of Bang Energy (such as those containing "Super Creatine"), and Rockstar's Sugar Free Smashed Blue Super Energy Drink.

Super Creatine is a patented dipeptide of creatine and L-leucine developed for liquid stability. However, its effectiveness compared to standard creatine monohydrate and the marketing claims surrounding it were the subject of a false advertising lawsuit.

The main reason is that standard creatine monohydrate is unstable in liquid and degrades into creatinine over time. This makes it difficult to maintain a consistent, effective dose in a shelf-stable, ready-to-drink beverage.

For healthy adults, it is generally considered safe to consume creatine and caffeine together. However, some people may experience gastrointestinal discomfort, and high caffeine intake might potentially interfere with creatine's performance-enhancing effects.

The most effective way is to take a dedicated powdered creatine supplement, like creatine monohydrate, separate from your energy drink consumption. This allows for a stable and accurate dose of creatine while also giving you control over your caffeine intake.

No, major energy drink brands like Monster, Red Bull, Celsius, and Ghost Energy do not include creatine in their standard formulations. They focus on other stimulants and vitamins for their energy effects.

While creatine is generally safe, high doses can cause minor side effects like water retention and digestive issues. These effects are more likely to occur if the overall consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks and creatine is excessive. Always consume in moderation and consult a healthcare provider if you have pre-existing health conditions.