Can this popular muscle-building supplement help your heart?
Reviewed by Dietitian Katey Davidson, M.Sc.FN, RD, CPT
Key Points
- Creatine may support blood vessel function and help fuel your heart muscle.
- Research on creatine supplementation and heart health is limited.
- Prioritize heart-healthy habits like eating well, exercising and getting quality sleep.
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements on the market. It’s best known for its ability to support strength and athletic performance, and it has also generated buzz for its potential brain benefits. Now, there’s growing chatter that creatine may benefit your heart, too. But is it just hype getting ahead of the research? We spoke with dietitians and a cardiologist to find out what the current science says.
How Creatine May Affect Heart Health
It May Support Blood Vessel Function
Your body contains billions of blood vessels. In fact, they would span roughly 60,000 miles if laid end to end. They carry oxygen and nutrients, remove waste and help regulate blood pressure.
Your arteries are lined with endothelial cells, which act like a smart thermostat for blood flow, telling vessels when to relax and widen, explains Michelle Cardel, Ph.D., RD. “Those cells carry their own creatine transporters and creatine kinase machinery, so they appear to rely on the same quick-release energy system as muscle.”
Cardel points to a small pilot study of 12 older adults who took creatine over four weeks. Participants showed improvements in flow-mediated dilation (how well their arteries widened) and faster microvascular reperfusion (how quickly blood flowed back into their small vessels). Their fasting blood sugar and triglycerides also dropped.
“Poor flow-mediated dilation is an early warning sign of vascular aging, so this is a smart place to look” says Cardel. “Note that this is only one small pilot study, so it’s promising preliminary data but not yet a proven effect.”
It May Help Fuel Your Heart Muscle
Several parts of your body rely on creatine for energy, including your muscles, brain and heart (which is also a muscle!). But unlike your other muscles, which get to rest at times, your heart never takes a break. It beats roughly 3 billion times over a lifetime, so it needs plenty of energy every single day.
“The heart has high energy demands, and creatine helps cells maintain energy availability by supporting the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which powers cellular functions,” explains Brannon Blount, M.S., RDN, LDN.
“Creatine on a cellular level improves muscle function and efficiency, and this includes your heart. Many studies have shown higher levels of available creatine correlated with improved heart contractility,” adds Madhav Upadhyaya, MD.
Much of this research has involved people with heart failure, who tend to have lower creatine stores in their heart. Lower levels are associated with weaker pumping function and worse outcomes. Whether creatine supplements can change that is still unclear. Small studies in people with heart failure found gains in muscle strength and endurance, but no improvement in how well the heart pumps.
“One review notes that restoring creatine could be especially relevant for people whose levels are low due to disease or diet, such as vegetarians and vegans, pending more trials,” says Cardel. “Science is still trying to understand whether correcting this energy deficit actually improves outcomes in patients, and there is currently no evidence that supplements make a healthy heart pump better.”
It May Help Lower Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are among the major, and often hidden, drivers of cardiovascular disease.
Creatine may act as an antioxidant, says Upadhyaya. “There is some thought that this antioxidant property may help reduce free radicals formed during oxidative stress in inflammatory states. These free radicals essentially lead to breakdown of cellular function,” he explains.
However, human evidence is limited, Cardel points out. Creatine’s antioxidant effects have mainly been seen in exercise studies. One review found that creatine lowered some inflammatory markers, but only in certain populations.
So, the jury is still out on whether creatine can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress enough to protect your heart, and more research is needed.
How Much Creatine Do You Need?
Because research on creatine is still emerging, there’s no established “heart-healthy” dose. The general recommendation is 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day, says Briana Butler, M.C.N., RDN, LD. For athletes looking for performance benefits, up to 10 grams per day may be recommended.
“However, it is always important to discuss any new supplements with your physician before taking them. Creatine should not serve as a substitute for medications prescribed for heart-related issues,” Butler notes.
Creatine is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. “Possible side effects include water-related weight gain and gastrointestinal discomfort. People with kidney disease or other medical conditions, or those taking medications that may affect kidney function, should consult their health care professional before supplementing,” notes Blount.
Other Tips for Supporting Heart Health
Beyond creatine, there are plenty of research-backed ways to support your heart health. Experts share their top tips:
- Follow a Heart-Healthy Eating Pattern. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish and unsaturated fats. Limit sodium, saturated fat, fried and heavily processed foods. The Mediterranean and DASH dietary patterns are two good examples, says Blount.
- Increase Fiber. Focus on filling up on fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes to help meet your daily goal. Soluble fiber can support healthy cholesterol levels by binding to LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and bile, helping lower your overall levels.
- Be Active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, says Blount. Walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, dancing or playing a sport like tennis or basketball all count, so choose activities you enjoy. Also include at least two days of strength training, which is linked with improvements in heart health.
- Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule. Research suggests that irregular sleep timing may be linked to a higher risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. Aim to go to bed and wake up within a similar window every day, advises Cardel.
- Avoid or Quit Smoking. Smoking is strongly linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease and stroke.
- Limit or Reduce Alcohol Intake. Excess alcohol consumption is linked to poorer health outcomes, including a higher risk of heart disease.
Our Expert Take
Creatine plays an important role in cellular energy production, including in the heart. Preliminary research suggests it may also support blood vessel function and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. However, evidence that creatine supplements actually improve heart health is still limited, and more research is needed.
There’s no established dose for heart health, but 3 to 5 grams per day is commonly recommended for general supplementation. To support your heart, focus on a heart-healthy diet, regular physical activity, consistent sleep and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol.