How much meat is 5g of creatine?

December 25, 2025 •

3 min read

According to nutritional data, you would need to consume approximately 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds) of raw beef or 500g of raw herring to get a dose of 5g of creatine. This highlights why getting 5g of creatine from meat alone is challenging for many.

Quick Summary

Consuming 5g of creatine from meat requires large quantities of specific animal products like beef or herring. For this reason, supplementation is a far more practical and efficient strategy to achieve specific fitness or health goals.

Key Points

Quantities are massive: Getting 5g of creatine from food requires eating approximately 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of raw beef, pork, or salmon, and even more for chicken.
Cooking destroys creatine: High-temperature cooking can reduce a food's creatine content by 30-50%, meaning you need even more cooked meat to reach 5g.
Supplements are more practical: A single scoop of creatine monohydrate is a far more convenient, consistent, and cost-effective way to get 5g of creatine daily.
Avoid excessive fat and calories: Relying on meat for high creatine intake can lead to excessive consumption of saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories, unlike pure creatine monohydrate.
Creatine has diverse benefits: Beyond athletic performance, creatine supplementation is associated with benefits for cognitive function, muscle recovery, and overall health.
Supplementation is optimal for specific goals: While a regular diet may provide 1-2g of creatine, supplementation is the most effective method for individuals aiming to fully saturate their muscle stores.

The Meat of the Matter: Quantifying 5g of Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound synthesized in the body and found in animal-based foods. For individuals like athletes aiming for a performance-enhancing dose of 3 to 5 grams daily, relying solely on meat is a significant and often unrealistic challenge. The creatine content varies by animal and cooking method, making precise intake difficult to calculate. The following amounts illustrate just how much raw meat is required to hit the 5g mark based on published nutritional estimates:

Beef: You would need to consume approximately 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of raw beef to obtain around 4.5 to 5 grams of creatine. This is equivalent to several large steaks, an impractical amount for daily consumption.
Pork: With a slightly higher creatine content per kilogram, around 5 grams, you would still need to eat roughly 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of raw pork to reach 5g.
Herring: This fish offers one of the highest concentrations, with 6.5 to 10 grams per raw kilogram. To get 5g, you would still need to eat at least 500g (1.1 lbs), which is a very large single portion.
Salmon and Tuna: These popular fish contain around 4.5 grams of creatine per raw kilogram. Similar to beef, this means over 1 kg (2.2 lbs) would be needed daily.
Chicken: Poultry has a lower creatine concentration than red meat. With approximately 3.5 to 4 grams per raw kilogram, you would need to consume an even greater amount—around 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) of raw chicken breast.

How cooking affects creatine content

All the figures mentioned above are for raw meat. The cooking process, especially high-temperature methods like grilling, can significantly reduce the creatine content by 30-50%. This means that the amount of cooked meat needed to obtain 5g of creatine is even greater than the raw amounts listed, pushing it further into the realm of the impractical. Boiling or steaming with subsequent use of the cooking liquid in a sauce or soup can help retain more creatine, but the overall loss is still a factor.

Meat vs. Creatine Supplementation: A Comparative Look

For most individuals seeking to maximize muscle saturation, creatine supplementation is the most sensible and cost-effective approach. While meat provides beneficial nutrients, the sheer quantity required for a performance dose of creatine comes with downsides, including excessive calories, fat, and cost.


Feature	Dietary Creatine (from Meat)	Supplemental Creatine (Monohydrate)
Quantity for 5g	Very large amounts (e.g., ~1 kg raw beef)	One small, affordable scoop
Creatine Purity	Varies; affected by cooking and animal variations	Generally high and standardized; vegan-friendly
Health Impact	High intake may increase saturated fat, cholesterol, and potentially other health risks associated with excessive red meat	Minimal risk with proven safety record at recommended dosages
Cost	High, given the large quantity of meat needed daily	Very low, making it a highly cost-effective strategy
Convenience	Requires significant meal prep and consumption; impractical daily	Simple to mix with water or a shake

Why supplement with creatine?

For anyone serious about increasing muscle creatine stores, especially athletes, there are clear advantages to using a supplement:

Higher Potency and Consistency: Supplements deliver a precise, concentrated dose, ensuring you hit your target intake without guesswork.
Cost-Effectiveness: A daily 5g scoop is significantly cheaper than purchasing several pounds of meat or fish each day.
Healthier Alternative: It allows for maximizing creatine benefits without the high caloric, fat, and cholesterol load associated with the large quantities of meat needed.
Vegan-Friendly: Creatine monohydrate is synthetically produced, making it a viable option for vegetarians and vegans who have lower baseline creatine levels.
Extensively Researched: Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied and safest supplements available, with strong evidence supporting its efficacy.

Conclusion: Supplementation for Practicality and Performance

While meat and fish contain creatine, relying on them for a 5g daily intake is not a practical, cost-effective, or healthy strategy for most people. A standard athletic dose would require consuming several pounds of meat daily, a regimen that is both expensive and potentially unhealthy due to high saturated fat intake. For those with specific fitness or health goals that require higher creatine levels, supplementation with creatine monohydrate is the superior choice. It offers a convenient, affordable, and safe way to precisely control your daily intake and reap the benefits of increased strength, performance, and muscle growth.

For more information on the safety and efficacy of creatine, consult comprehensive reviews such as those published by the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

To get approximately 5 grams of creatine, you would need to consume around 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of raw beef, 500g of raw herring, or 1.1 kg (2.4 pounds) of raw chicken breast.

Yes, high-temperature cooking methods like grilling or frying can significantly reduce the creatine content in meat, often by 30% to 50%. This means even more cooked meat is needed to reach 5g.

For achieving a targeted intake of 3-5g of creatine, supplements are a more practical, cost-effective, and efficient option. Relying solely on meat requires consuming very large, potentially unhealthy, and expensive quantities daily.

An omnivorous diet typically provides 1-2 grams of creatine per day, falling short of the 3-5 gram dose often recommended for athletic performance or muscle saturation. The body's own synthesis also contributes, but may be insufficient to fully meet higher demands.

A large athletic dose of creatine requires consuming several pounds of meat per day, which is very expensive. A tub of creatine monohydrate, on the other hand, is inexpensive and contains dozens of daily 5g servings.

Consuming very high quantities of red meat to meet creatine needs can lead to an excessive intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and effective form of creatine, widely recognized for its ability to increase muscle strength, performance, and mass during resistance training.