Creatine and Running: Does It Actually Help?

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition, but it’s often dismissed by runners as something “only sprinters or gym athletes need.” In reality, creatine plays a direct role in energy production, and its effects vary depending on race distance, training phase, and how it’s used.

For runners, creatine is less about instant speed gains and more about training quality, repeatability, and resilience.

What Creatine Does in the Body

Creatine supports the phosphocreatine (PCr) system, which rapidly regenerates ATP—the body’s immediate energy source—during short, high-intensity efforts.

Key roles include:

Faster ATP resynthesis
Improved power output
Greater resistance to fatigue during repeated efforts
Enhanced training adaptations over time

While the PCr system dominates in efforts under ~30 seconds, it still contributes meaningfully during surges, hills, accelerations, and finishing kicks in longer races.

Benefits for Sprinters and Short-Distance Runners

For sprinters (100 m to 400 m), creatine’s benefits are well established.

Research consistently shows:

Improved sprint performance
Increased peak and repeated power
Better maintenance of speed across repetitions

A large systematic review found creatine supplementation improves performance in repeated high-intensity exercise with minimal downside when used appropriately (Kreider et al., 2017).

For track sprinters and athletes doing speed-focused training, creatine is one of the few supplements with strong evidence.

Middle-Distance Runners (800 m–5 km)

This is where creatine becomes more nuanced.

Middle-distance running relies on both:

Anaerobic power (starts, surges, finishing kick)
Aerobic capacity

Creatine may not directly improve time-trial performance in events like the 5 km, but studies suggest it can:

Improve interval training quality
Increase tolerance to high-intensity reps
Support strength and plyometric work

Enhanced training quality can translate into indirect performance gains over a full training cycle, even if race-day effects are subtle.

Long-Distance and Marathon Runners

For marathon runners, creatine is not a magic performance enhancer, but it still has potential benefits—particularly in training.

Potential Advantages

Improved strength training adaptations
Better recovery between hard sessions
Reduced muscle damage during heavy training blocks
Support for neuromuscular fatigue late in races

Creatine may also support glycogen storage when combined with carbohydrates, which could be relevant during high-mileage phases (Roberts et al., 2016).

Potential Drawbacks

Small increases in body mass (often 0.5–1.5 kg)
No clear evidence of improved marathon race times
Limited benefit if training lacks high-intensity elements

For runners focused purely on economy and weight-sensitive performance, this trade-off matters.

Creatine and Running Economy

Running economy—the oxygen cost of running at a given pace—is critical for distance performance. Creatine does not consistently improve running economy, and some studies suggest added body mass may slightly worsen it if strength gains don’t offset the cost.

This makes creatine less appealing during peak race phases, but more useful during:

Base training
Strength-focused blocks
Injury-prevention phases

Safety and Long-Term Use

Creatine monohydrate is one of the safest supplements studied.

Consensus statements conclude:

No evidence of kidney damage in healthy individuals
Safe for long-term use at recommended doses
No dehydration risk when normal fluid intake is maintained

These findings are supported by decades of controlled trials and position stands from international sports nutrition bodies (Kreider et al., 2017; ISSN).

Practical Dosing for Runners

Most runners do not need a loading phase.

A simple protocol:

3–5 g creatine monohydrate per day
Taken consistently, with or without food
Expect saturation after ~3–4 weeks

Timing around workouts is far less important than daily consistency.

Who Should Consider Creatine?

Creatine may be useful for:

Sprinters and track athletes
Middle-distance runners with frequent intervals
Runners doing regular strength training
Masters runners aiming to preserve muscle mass

It may be less useful for:

Weight-sensitive marathon racers near peak phase
Runners avoiding any mass gain
Those seeking immediate race-day effects

Practical Takeaway

Creatine isn’t a performance shortcut for runners—but it is a powerful training support tool.

For sprinters, the benefits are direct and well proven.
For distance runners, creatine can improve training quality, strength, and resilience—especially away from race day.

Used strategically, creatine can help runners train harder without training recklessly.

References

Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 18.
Rawson, E. S., & Volek, J. S. (2003). Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(4), 822–831.
Branch, J. D. (2003). Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13(2), 198–226.
Roberts, P. A., Fox, J., Peirce, N., & Jones, S. W. (2016). Creatine supplementation enhances glycogen storage in human skeletal muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(1), 50–56.
Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Wong, S. H., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), S17–S27.