What Meats Have Creatine in Them? A Comprehensive Nutrition Guide

October 30, 2025 •

4 min read

Over 90% of the body's creatine is stored in muscles, providing quick energy for high-intensity activities like weightlifting and sprinting. This article explores what meats have creatine in them, detailing the best animal-based sources to support muscle function and athletic performance.

Quick Summary

This guide covers the best dietary sources of creatine, focusing on red meat, fish, and poultry. It explores the creatine content of different meats, the impact of cooking, and the benefits for muscle energy and strength.

Key Points

Rich Sources: Red meats like beef and pork, as well as fish such as herring, salmon, and tuna, are the most concentrated dietary sources of creatine.
Content Varies: The creatine level per kilogram differs among meat types; herring is notably higher than poultry or beef.
Cooking Matters: High-heat cooking methods can destroy a significant amount of creatine, so gentle cooking is recommended to maximize intake.
Supports Performance: Getting creatine from meat contributes to muscle energy, strength, power, and faster recovery during high-intensity exercise.
Dietary Challenges: Consuming enough meat to match supplemental creatine doses (3-5g daily) is difficult for most people, making supplementation a popular alternative for athletes.
Vegan/Vegetarian Consideration: Plant-based diets contain minimal or no direct creatine, resulting in lower muscle stores unless supplements are used.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that plays a critical role in supplying energy to muscle cells for quick, explosive movements. While the human body produces some creatine, a significant portion is obtained through diet, primarily from animal products. For athletes, bodybuilders, and anyone looking to enhance muscle performance, knowing the best dietary sources can be highly beneficial.

Red Meat: A Powerful Creatine Source

Red meat is arguably one of the most well-known and concentrated sources of creatine. Beef, pork, and game meats like venison are particularly rich in this compound. The creatine in red meat comes packaged with other essential nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins, which further support energy production and muscle recovery.

Beef: Contains approximately 4.5 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw meat. Lean cuts of beef are an excellent choice for a balanced diet.
Pork: Offers a slightly higher concentration, with about 5 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw meat. Pork is also a good source of protein, zinc, and B vitamins.
Lamb and Veal: These red meats also provide substantial amounts of creatine, along with high-quality protein and iron.

Fish and Seafood: Creatine and Omega-3s

Several types of fish and seafood are excellent natural sources of creatine, with some species containing very high concentrations. Many of these fish also offer the added health benefit of being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation.

Herring: This small, oily fish is one of the richest natural sources of creatine, containing between 6.5 and 10 grams per kilogram of raw fish. It also packs a powerful punch of omega-3s and other vitamins.
Tuna: Offers a high concentration of creatine, with around 5.5 grams per kilogram of raw fish. Both fresh and canned tuna are good options.
Salmon: A popular choice for its omega-3 content, salmon also provides a good dose of creatine, at about 4.5 grams per kilogram of raw fillet.
Cod: A leaner fish that still provides a decent amount of creatine, approximately 3 grams per kilogram of raw meat.

Poultry: Leaner Sources of Creatine

For those who prefer leaner protein options, poultry like chicken and turkey can also contribute to your daily creatine intake. While they contain less creatine than red meat or some fish, regular consumption can still be beneficial.

Chicken: Provides about 4.0 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw meat. Chicken breast is a popular option for its high protein, low-fat profile.
Turkey: Contains around 3.8 grams of creatine per kilogram of raw meat.

Creatine Content in Various Raw Meats (Approximate g/kg)


Type of Meat	Approximate Creatine Content (g/kg raw)
Herring	6.5 - 10.0
Tuna	5.5
Pork	5.0
Beef	4.5
Salmon	4.5
Chicken	4.0
Turkey	3.8
Cod	3.0

The Impact of Cooking on Creatine

It's important to note that the way you cook your meat can significantly affect its final creatine content. High-temperature cooking methods, such as grilling or frying, can cause a loss of 30% to 50% of the creatine. To maximize your intake from dietary sources, it is recommended to use gentler cooking techniques like steaming, poaching, or stewing, which expose the meat to lower temperatures for shorter periods.

Dietary Creatine vs. Supplements

While a diet rich in animal products can provide a good amount of creatine, relying solely on food to meet the higher intake levels used in sports supplementation (e.g., 3-5 grams daily) can be challenging. For instance, you would need to eat a kilogram of raw beef to get approximately 4.5 grams of creatine. For this reason, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts opt for concentrated creatine supplements to ensure consistent, precise dosing. The efficacy of creatine as a supplement is well-documented, but incorporating creatine-rich foods remains a healthy way to support your natural creatine stores.

A Note on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

As creatine is predominantly found in animal products, vegetarians and vegans have lower muscle creatine stores compared to omnivores. While the body can synthesize its own creatine from amino acid precursors found in plant-based foods, this synthesis may not be sufficient for athletes seeking performance enhancement. For these individuals, creatine supplementation is often necessary to achieve optimal muscle saturation levels.

Conclusion

Understanding what meats have creatine in them reveals that animal-based proteins are the primary dietary source. Red meats like beef and pork, along with fish such as herring and salmon, contain the highest concentrations. While cooking methods can impact the final creatine content, incorporating a variety of these meats and fish into your diet provides natural support for muscle strength, energy production, and athletic performance. For those with high athletic demands, supplements can offer a more practical way to consistently achieve the required intake for maximum benefit.

Learn more about the science behind creatine on WebMD's Creatine information page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Herring is reported to have one of the highest creatine contents, offering between 6.5 and 10 grams per kilogram of raw fish. Pork and tuna are also very high, followed by beef and salmon.

Raw beef typically contains about 4.5 grams of creatine per kilogram. Lean cuts are a great way to obtain creatine along with other essential nutrients like iron and protein.

Yes, high-temperature cooking methods like frying or grilling can significantly reduce creatine content, with losses estimated between 30% and 50%. Gentle methods like steaming or poaching help preserve more creatine.

While a meat and fish-rich diet provides creatine, getting the 3-5 grams per day often recommended for performance enhancement from food alone can be difficult and impractical, requiring large quantities of meat. Supplements offer a more concentrated and convenient option.

Yes, creatine helps with muscle growth by increasing the body's quick energy supply, allowing for more intense and productive workouts. It also helps increase water content in muscle cells, leading to a short-term increase in muscle size.

Yes, poultry like chicken and turkey do contain creatine, though in lower amounts compared to red meat and some fish. They are good, lean sources that can contribute to your overall creatine intake.

People who are vegetarian or vegan, or athletes who require consistently high creatine levels for training, may find it difficult or impossible to meet their needs from diet alone. Supplements offer a precise and efficient way to ensure adequate intake.