Creatine is typically associated with strength training and sprinting. But is it also worthwhile for cyclists? The answer depends on how you ride. Here you’ll get an overview of what creatine can do, which riders benefit most from it, and what you should be aware of.
What does creatine do?
Creatine is stored in the muscles as creatine phosphate and is used to quickly regenerate energy during short, maximal efforts. With supplementation, you can increase these stores, allowing the muscles to deliver a little more in the hardest seconds and recover faster between repeated efforts.
According to Team Danmark’s factsheet on creatine, the effect is greatest for sprinting and power efforts lasting around 1 minute or less, and for repeated maximal efforts. For intense endurance efforts lasting 1–10 minutes, the evidence is less clear.
What does this mean for cycling?
A road race or a long ride is mostly about endurance, where creatine plays a smaller role. But many races are decided in short moments: an attack up a hill, a gap that needs to be closed, or the final sprint.
A 2023 review article concludes that creatine can extend the time you can maintain a high intensity, while results for time trials are mixed. The authors point out that creatine may be especially relevant in sports with repeated surges and final sprints – including road cycling, mountain biking, and track cycling.
The price: a couple of extra kilos
Creatine binds water in the muscles. Team Danmark reports an average weight gain of 1–2% of body weight within 5–7 days when you start with a loading phase. After stopping, it may take up to a month before your weight returns to normal.
For a rider weighing 75 kg, that corresponds to 0.75–1.5 kg. On flat roads, this does not matter much, but on long climbs, extra weight costs watts per kg. The weight gain can therefore outweigh the benefit for riders who do a lot of climbing.
Who can benefit from creatine?
May make sense for:
- sprinters, criterium riders, and track cyclists
- cyclocross and mountain bike riders who do many short, hard surges
- riders who do strength training during the winter period and want to get the most out of heavy sessions
- riders who do many short intervals and repeated maximal efforts.
Less obvious for:
- light climbers, where every kilo counts
- riders who primarily do long time trials or long, steady rides.
One option is to use creatine during the winter strength phase and assess whether the weight gain is a problem before the racing season starts.
How to use creatine
Team Danmark recommends two phases, where the dose depends on body weight:
- Loading for 5 days: 4 times daily. 4 g per serving if under 60 kg, 5 g at 60–85 kg, and 6 g if over 85 kg.
- Maintenance for up to 12 weeks: 2 g per day if under 60 kg, 2.5 g at 60–85 kg, and 3 g if over 85 kg. Then take a break of at least one month.
Take creatine with a meal and/or before and after training. If you are an elite athlete, you should agree on the exact dose with a physiologist.
You can also skip the loading phase and take a low daily dose. It will then take longer to fill the stores, but the weight gain will occur gradually.
PurePower’s Creatine Neutral is pure creatine monohydrate. One measuring scoop provides 3 g, and the recommended daily dose on the package is 3 g. You can find powder, capsules, gummies, and sticks under creatine.
Is creatine safe?
Team Danmark assesses that there are no side effects at the recommended doses, but recommends use in limited periods because the long-term effects of several years of use are not known. The International Society of Sports Nutrition, on the other hand, assesses that both short- and long-term supplementation is safe in healthy individuals.
Creatine does not replace good training and enough carbohydrate. For hard rides and races, many cyclists use fast fuel such as energy gels or energy chews, while electrolytes can help support hydration during long or hot sessions. If you have the basics in place, creatine can be a small extra tool for the hardest efforts. See more sports nutrition for cycling.
Sources
- Team Danmark: Creatine – factsheet (2021)
- Forbes et al.: Creatine supplementation and endurance performance: surges and sprints to win the race (2023)
- Kreider et al.: ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation (2017)