Does animal protein have creatine?

November 6, 2025 •

3 min read

The human body naturally synthesizes about one to two grams of creatine daily, but a significant portion also comes from our diet. This brings many to ask: does animal protein have creatine? The answer is yes, and understanding these dietary sources is key to optimizing your nutritional strategy.

Quick Summary

Creatine is naturally found in animal protein sources such as meat, fish, and poultry. While dietary intake provides a good baseline, supplements offer a much more concentrated dose, which is often preferred by athletes for maximizing muscle saturation and performance benefits.

Key Points

Creatine is Found in Animal Protein: Meat, fish, and poultry are the best natural dietary sources of creatine.
Content Varies by Source: Red meats and fatty fish like herring and salmon typically contain higher concentrations than leaner meats like chicken.
Cooking Reduces Creatine: High-temperature cooking can cause a significant loss of creatine, so gentle cooking methods are better for preservation.
Supplements are More Concentrated: For athletic performance, a creatine supplement provides a much more potent and consistent dose than is feasible from food alone.
Vegetarians and Vegans Can Benefit Most: Those on a plant-based diet have lower baseline creatine levels and often see more pronounced results from supplementation.
Body Also Synthesizes Creatine: The human body produces about half of its daily creatine needs, with the other half coming from diet.
Not all Supplements are Equal: While most creatine monohydrate is vegan-friendly, it is important to choose a high-purity, third-party tested product to ensure quality.

The Role of Creatine in the Body

Creatine is a compound produced naturally by the body, primarily in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, from the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine stores are located in skeletal muscles. Its main function is to help regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source for muscle cells, especially during short, high-intensity activities like sprinting and weightlifting. The body's natural synthesis provides about half of the daily creatine requirement, with the rest coming from dietary sources.

Creatine Content in Animal Protein Sources

Animal protein is the most reliable and concentrated dietary source of creatine, as the substance is stored in the muscle tissue of vertebrates. The amount of creatine can vary significantly depending on the type of meat or fish, and how it is prepared.

Creatine-Rich Animal Foods

Herring: This fish is one of the highest natural sources, with up to 6.5–10 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw fish.
Pork: Pork is a strong source, containing approximately 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw meat.
Beef: Red meat like beef is well-known for its creatine content, providing around 4.5 grams per kilogram of raw product.
Salmon: A fatty fish like salmon offers about 4.5 grams of creatine per kilogram.
Chicken and Turkey: While leaner, poultry still provides a notable amount, with approximately 3.8 to 4 grams per kilogram of raw meat.
Dairy and Eggs: These contain trace amounts of creatine, with concentrations far lower than those found in meat and fish.

The Impact of Cooking on Creatine

It is important to note that the creatine values for food sources are typically given for raw products. High-temperature cooking methods, such as frying or grilling, can degrade a portion of the creatine content. Gentle cooking techniques, like poaching or steaming, are recommended to preserve more of the creatine. However, even with the best cooking methods, dietary intake alone is often not sufficient to reach the levels needed for optimal athletic performance.

Natural Food Creatine vs. Supplement Creatine

For the average person, a balanced diet including animal protein can easily meet the body's daily maintenance needs. However, the sheer concentration and quantity of creatine found in supplements are far beyond what is practical or healthy to consume from food alone.

Food vs. Supplement Comparison Table


Feature	Natural Food Sources	Creatine Supplements
Concentration	Relatively low concentration; requires large quantities of meat or fish to reach higher doses.	Highly concentrated dose in a small serving (e.g., 5 grams per scoop).
Purity	Varies based on the animal's diet, cut of meat, and preparation.	Can be produced to pharmaceutical-grade purity (e.g., Creapure®) and is typically third-party tested.
Daily Intake	The average omnivore consumes 1-2 grams per day.	Easily provides the recommended 3-5 grams per day for athletes.
Availability	Requires consistent consumption of high-creatine animal products; not suitable for vegans/vegetarians.	Accessible to everyone, including those on a vegan or vegetarian diet, as it is synthetically produced.
Form	Comes as part of whole food, along with fats, cholesterol, and other nutrients.	Typically a simple, unflavored powder; allows for targeted, isolated creatine intake.

The Vegan and Vegetarian Dilemma

Because creatine is found primarily in animal tissue, individuals following a vegetarian or vegan diet have a significantly lower dietary intake. Studies have shown that vegetarians and vegans often have naturally lower muscle creatine stores compared to omnivores. For this reason, these individuals, especially athletes, can experience more significant benefits from creatine supplementation. The good news is that commercially available creatine monohydrate supplements are produced synthetically in a lab and are 100% vegan-friendly.

Conclusion

Yes, animal protein contains creatine, and it is the best natural dietary source available. Red meats, fish, and poultry are particularly rich in this compound. However, relying solely on food to achieve optimal creatine saturation for athletic performance is impractical due to the large quantities required. For most individuals, dietary creatine from animal sources is sufficient for general health, but for athletes or those with lower creatine stores (like vegans and vegetarians), supplementation is a more efficient and effective strategy. It's always best to consult a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen. For more on the benefits of creatine, review the systematic review on creatine supplementation for vegetarian athletes in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Herring is one of the richest sources of creatine, containing up to 10 grams per kilogram of raw fish. Other top sources include pork, beef, and salmon.

While you can get a baseline amount of creatine from food, it is difficult to consume the large quantities needed to maximize muscle stores for athletic performance. Supplements provide a more concentrated and convenient dose.

Red meat, particularly beef and pork, generally contains more creatine than chicken. For instance, raw beef contains about 4.5 grams per kilogram, while raw chicken contains about 3.8 to 4 grams per kilogram.

The creatine molecule itself is the same whether from food or supplements. However, supplement creatine is synthetically produced for high purity and potency, whereas creatine from food is less concentrated and is affected by cooking.

Yes, studies show that vegetarians and vegans, who do not consume the primary dietary sources of creatine, have significantly lower creatine stores in their muscles compared to omnivores.

Yes, cooking meat, especially at high temperatures like grilling or frying, can cause some of the creatine to degrade. Gentle cooking methods can help preserve more of the creatine content.

Yes, most commercial creatine monohydrate supplements are produced synthetically from non-animal materials like sarcosine and cyanamide, making them completely vegan-friendly.