Creatine In Protein Bars: Does It Actually Work

Creatine, it’s so hot right now and in most everything–drinks, gummies, you name it, creatine’s in it. But what about protein bars? Go ahead, roll your eyes. We get it. Is creatine worth all the hype? What’s the actual science behind dosing and absorption? And, more importantly, is a creatine protein bar even worth my time… or is this another fad that will fade faster than last season’s labubu?

 

So, what does creatine even do anyway? 

Energy is the name of the game, from here on when I say “ATP,” I want you to think energy. Your muscles run on a fuel called ATP. The problem? At any given time, you only have enough ATP for a quick burst of work… we’re talking 1-2 seconds of work before you run out of that energy. In order to keep that output, you’ll need some more ATP stat.

Enters creatine.

When you supplement with creatine (ideally 3-5g daily… but more on that later), your muscles store it as phosphocreatine. This phosphocreatine acts like the energizer bunny and offers its energy to the ATP! In other words, you have a whole lot more fuel for your muscles.

Now, you might read this and say, “load me up!” Which is fine in appropriate dosages, but more doesn’t always mean better. Studies indicate that 3-5g of creatine each day is optimal for maintaining muscle saturation. You can get muscle saturation in one of two ways: 1.) Large doses of creatine daily (roughly 25g total) for a week or 2.)  3-5g daily for ~28 days. Unless you’re up against the clock, and need to hit muscle saturation FAST, 3-5g of creatine daily is easier to hit (as you can work it into your once daily ritual versus multiple times a day) and decreases the likelihood of gastrointestinal discomfort (yes, we’re talking gas and diarrhea).

So, now that we’re all in agreement that daily creatine consumption helps us maintain muscle saturation, how do we get it? Creatine monohydrate powder is exceedingly shelf stable, once you mix it with moisture the clock starts ticking. Creatine gummies get a bad rap, because not only are they exposed to moisture, but they are then cooked at high temperatures which breaks down the creatine much more quickly. Due to this perfect storm, independent studies have found that many popular creatine gummy brands contain far less viable creatine than advertised (we’re talking less than 0.1g).

Unless baked at high temperatures, protein bars with added creatine monohydrate don’t run into the same creatine breakdown problems as other drinks or gummies. Further, another study highlights when ingested with high amounts of protein, the creatine absorption is slowed and less is excreted into waste or urine. What does that mean? High protein bars with creatine may actually be a more efficient delivery method for creatine than that of gummies or even water!

So, now, if you wanted to use a high protein bar as your creatine vehicle, what would be important things to look for? First, that you like it. Since we have already discussed the importance of daily, consistent use and building it into your routine, you better like the taste… or you’re likely not to continue. Second make sure it is a high protein bar… not a glorified candy bar with a gym membership. We suggest looking for at least 15g of quality protein in your protein bar of choice. We’d also want there to be an effective dose of creatine in each bar (that golden 3-5g range we chatted about earlier for effective muscle saturation). Finally, check out the other ingredients. Is the protein bar filled with seed oils or sugar alcohols that could actually be a bomb for your gut (again, we’re not looking for disaster pants here)? If the goal is delivering high quality supplements (ie creatine), you’re doing yourself a disservice if your protein bar is packed with junk and causing a ton of inflammation.

This is why we made the DAILY BAR. We saw most protein bars lacking in substantial amounts of protein and next to none with creatine added. 2 years and 55 iterations later, we made a protein bar with great taste, 20g plant-based protein, and 3g of creatine monohydrate in every bar. We cold press the bars, so they’re never baked and avoid that nasty creatine breakdown discussed earlier. The DAILY BAR is gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and both sugar alcohol and seed oil-free. While it’s not the only solution, it’s one we found (or, rather created) that meets our standards.

Bottom line, creatine in protein bars does actually work if dosed effectively (3-5g creatine) and may actually be more effective when paired with high protein (15+ grams). Convenience matters for consistency, and there’s more to ingredients than simply the taste. Check the labels, not the marketing, that a protein bar with creatine monohydrate checks all of your boxes. If you want to try our solution to “how can I make creatine tasty and convenient,” check out the DAILY BAR by Kreatures of Habit.