Creatine vs Whey Protein for performance
Short answer: For performance, users rate them about the same: 98% report improvement with Creatine (542 reports) and 100% with Whey Protein (51 reports).
Creatine has 763 meta-analyses and 2,794 randomized trials on PubMed; Whey Protein has 97 and 691.
Based on 2,279 reports about Creatine and 305 about Whey Protein. Not medical advice.
| Creatine Supplement | Whey Protein Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 72%helped1,048 reports · high confidence | 83%helped128 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 763 / 2,794 | 97 / 691 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Performance % reporting improvement | 98% (542) | 100% (51) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 97% (268) | 100% (2) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 93% (249) | — |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 87% (125) | 67% (3) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 98% (95) | 100% (31) |
| Common side effects | stomach issues, hair loss, insomnia, water retention | stomach issues, acne, constipation, throat tightness |
| Typical dose reported | 5 g / daily | 30 g / 2x daily |
The results of the meta-analysis suggest that creatine supplementation did not significantly alter serum creatinine levels (standardized mean difference = 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.73, P = .001, I2 = 22%), and did not alter plasma urea values (standardized mean difference = 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.34-1.85, P = .004, I2 = 28%). The findings indicate that creatine supplementation does not induce renal damage in the studied amounts and durations.
J Ren Nutr, 2019 ↗“I actually feel a lot better. Mentally clearer and more balanced, like I have my brain back.”
Analysis revealed that chronic and without professional guidance use of whey protein supplementation may cause some adverse effects specially on kidney and liver function. Presented data support a need for future studies co-relating the use of different types of whey protein with and without exercise to better see the impact on human physical health.
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2021 ↗“Coffee with cream, has to be a cream or fake creamer with a whey protein, doesn't. It gives me a gentle but potent energy boost with no headache and no jitters.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate