Do Elite Runners Use Creatine? Separating Myth from Fact

December 30, 2025 •

4 min read

While creatine is most commonly associated with strength-based sports like bodybuilding, studies show many elite and recreational runners also supplement with it for performance and recovery benefits. Its utility depends significantly on the type of running and the athlete's specific goals.

Quick Summary

Elite runners may use creatine to improve high-intensity performance, enhance recovery, and increase glycogen storage. The benefits are more pronounced for sprinters and middle-distance runners, but endurance athletes also see advantages. Potential side effects include water retention and gastrointestinal distress, though proper dosing can minimize these.

Key Points

Creatine's Primary Role: Creatine is a fuel source for rapid, intense bursts of energy, beneficial for sprinters and high-intensity interval training.
Endurance Benefits: For distance runners, creatine primarily aids in muscle recovery and increases glycogen storage, indirectly improving performance and training consistency.
Strategic Use is Key: Timing and dosing are crucial, with some endurance athletes opting to use it during heavy training cycles and adjusting intake around races.
Manage Water Retention: Creatine causes temporary water weight gain, which can be managed by adjusting doses and ensuring proper hydration.
Safety and Legality: Creatine is not a banned substance by WADA and is generally safe for healthy individuals when taken within recommended guidelines.
Boosts Recovery and Brain Function: Beyond physical performance, creatine is proven to speed up muscle repair and reduce mental fatigue, benefiting overall training and focus.

Understanding Creatine's Role in Running

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound synthesized from amino acids (arginine, glycine, and methionine) that plays a critical role in the rapid regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's primary energy currency. In simple terms, it helps provide quick, explosive energy during short, intense bursts of activity, like a powerful finish sprint or a fast hill climb. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, making it a valuable resource for athletes.

For many years, the belief that creatine was only for powerlifters caused many endurance athletes, including elite runners, to dismiss it. However, modern sports nutrition science and anecdotal reports reveal a more nuanced picture. Creatine's potential benefits extend beyond raw power, impacting crucial aspects of a runner's performance and recovery.

Creatine's Effect on Different Running Disciplines

The effectiveness of creatine depends on the specific demands of the running event. Its greatest impact is in activities involving the anaerobic system.

Sprinters and Middle-Distance Runners: For athletes competing in events from 100m to 5K, creatine can be highly beneficial. It enhances performance in repeated high-intensity efforts, meaning faster sprint finishes, more productive interval training sessions, and sharper mid-race surges. Some research suggests creatine supplementation can lead to a 7.5% improvement in performance during repeated sprints.

Long-Distance Runners: While less reliant on explosive power, long-distance runners can still reap significant, albeit more subtle, benefits. Creatine's ability to improve glycogen storage can help delay fatigue during long efforts. It also aids in muscle recovery, allowing for more consistent and intense training sessions with less post-exercise soreness. The potential for a powerful finish kick also provides a tactical advantage in the final stages of a race.

Benefits of Creatine for Elite Runners

Beyond direct race-day performance, elite runners can experience several key advantages from consistent creatine supplementation:

Enhanced High-Intensity Training: Creatine allows runners to push harder during speed work, hill repeats, and intervals by supporting rapid ATP regeneration. This enables greater training adaptations over time.
Improved Recovery: By reducing muscle cell damage and inflammation, creatine can accelerate recovery between hard sessions. This translates to better training consistency and potentially fewer injuries over a rigorous season.
Increased Glycogen Storage: Creatine has been shown to enhance muscle glycogen synthesis and storage, providing a more robust fuel source for endurance activities. This is particularly useful during peak training phases or carbohydrate-loading protocols.
Support for Strength Training: Many elite runners incorporate resistance training to improve running economy and injury resilience. Creatine supports these strength gains, which can translate to more powerful strides.
Brain Health and Cognition: Creatine is also involved in brain energy metabolism and has been shown to improve cognitive function, focus, and mitigate mental fatigue—a major factor during long, taxing races.

Potential Drawbacks and Management for Runners

While largely safe for healthy individuals, elite athletes must consider potential side effects:

Weight Gain: Creatine draws water into muscle cells, which can cause an initial 1-2 kg of water weight gain. For weight-sensitive endurance athletes, this can be a concern for performance, though it's not fat mass.
Gastrointestinal Distress: High doses, especially during a loading phase, can cause bloating, nausea, or cramping in some individuals. Splitting doses or forgoing the loading phase can mitigate this.
Managing Hydration: The shift of water into muscle cells necessitates a concerted effort to stay properly hydrated, particularly when training in hot conditions. Despite old myths, creatine does not cause dehydration or cramps when fluid intake is adequate.

Creatine Usage in Different Running Contexts


Feature	Elite Sprinter (100m-400m)	Elite Long-Distance Runner (Marathon/Ultra)
Primary Goal	Maximize explosive power and repeated sprint ability.	Enhance recovery, increase glycogen storage, and improve final sprint capacity.
Usage Strategy	Consistent daily use, potentially with a loading phase for faster saturation.	Use strategically during high-volume training cycles or with resistance training. May stop before a race to lose water weight.
Timing	Can be taken before or after speed workouts.	Often taken after long runs to maximize glycogen and aid recovery.
Dosage	Standard protocol: 3-5g daily maintenance, possibly after a 20g/day loading phase.	Often uses lower maintenance doses (e.g., 3g per day).
Key Performance Effect	Enhanced anaerobic capacity for maximal effort bursts.	Indirect performance improvement through better recovery and fuel utilization.
Hydration Concern	Important to monitor, but adequate fluid intake prevents issues.	Crucial to manage fluid balance, especially in hot or long-duration events.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict

Yes, elite runners do use creatine, but not in the same way as powerlifters. For sprinters, the benefits are more direct for maximizing speed and power. For long-distance runners, the advantages are primarily indirect, focusing on faster recovery, better training capacity, and enhanced glycogen storage. The key for all elite runners is a strategic approach to supplementation, adhering to standard protocols and monitoring their individual response. With overwhelming scientific support for its safety and effectiveness, creatine has cemented its place as a legitimate performance aid in the toolkits of many elite athletes across a range of running disciplines. As with any supplement, consulting with a sports dietitian is recommended to tailor usage to individual goals and physiology.

For more information on supplements and running performance, consider visiting the official website of the International Society of Sports Nutrition for their position stands on creatine.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, creatine is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) or any major athletic commissions. It is a legal and widely used dietary supplement.

While it won't directly improve steady-state endurance, creatine can assist marathon runners by enhancing muscle recovery after long runs, increasing muscle glycogen stores, and boosting performance during the final finishing kick of a race.

This is a common myth. While creatine pulls water into muscle cells, it doesn't cause dehydration, provided the athlete maintains adequate fluid intake. In fact, some studies show it may improve hydration and heat tolerance.

A loading phase (e.g., 20g/day for 5-7 days) saturates muscle stores faster, leading to quicker results. However, a lower, consistent daily dose of 3-5g is equally effective over time and may reduce the risk of bloating and digestive issues.

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched, cost-effective, and proven form of creatine. While other forms exist, they lack the extensive scientific backing of monohydrate and offer no significant performance advantages.

For consistent saturation, the timing doesn't matter much. However, many runners take it post-workout with carbohydrates and protein to maximize absorption and aid in glycogen replenishment.

Creatine causes a temporary weight gain of 1-2 kg due to water retention in the muscles, not fat gain. For elite endurance runners, this can be managed by strategic timing of supplementation to avoid race day, if body weight is a critical factor.