Creatine vs Protein: Which is Best to Build Muscle?

Creatine and whey protein have both continued to grow in popularity over the past decade. For the most part, these products are both marketed as great ways to build muscle and improve your performance. When comparing creatine vs protein, it’s important to understand that they support muscle growth in very different ways.

But, the question remains: Which is better for building muscle … whey protein or creatine? A lot of people also wonder which one is worth taking over the other.

The truth is, both products are great tools you can utilize to build muscle. In my personal opinion, you should be taking both!

However, which one you prioritize over the other will really come down to your goals, your lifestyle, and your nutrition.

I’ll make sure to discuss these topics today, as well as explain what each one is and what it does for you. That way, you’ll leave here with all the knowledge you need to make the best choice for you and your goals!

In This Article:

• What is Creatine?
• What Are The Benefits of Creatine?
• How Much Creatine Do You Need?
• What is Whey Protein?
• What Are The Benefits of Whey Protein?
• Creatine vs Whey Protein: Which is Better For Your Goals?
• Creatine vs Whey Protein: Why Not Both?

First, What is Creatine?

Chances are you’ve probably heard all, if not most, of the rumors about creatine ... whether it was through TikTok, Google, or your local gym rat.

For whatever reason, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about creatine in particular. These are myths about how it can magically alter your hormones, build a ton of muscle, or cause your kidneys to fail.

Let me assure you, all of these myths are just that ... myths.

Creatine is an amino acid compound that can help support ATP production, improving strength, power, and explosiveness.

It's made from arginine, glycine, and methionine. We actually get creatine from a lot of the animal products that most of us consume on a daily basis. These are foods like beef, fish, dairy, and more.

Believe it or not, creatine is already found naturally in the body. Most of it is stored in muscle, but some creatine is also stored in the brain.

But what does creatine do? Really, creatine has two primary functions:

1. It can help volumize the muscle cells, allowing them to store more water and nutrients.

This is actually a great thing! However, this is where the water weight myth comes from. Your muscles survive on water and need nutrients in order to function properly. More water and nutrients are not a bad thing, even if it equates to a couple of extra pounds on the scale. Think about it as if you’re helping to keep your muscle cells healthier.

2. Creatine can help your body produce energy.

I’m not talking about “energy” as in being awake and alert. The kind of energy creatine helps the body produce is ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is an energy source your body can pull from quickly for high-intensity activities such as sprinting and weightlifting.

By supplementing with creatine powder, you give your body the ability to cycle more of this ATP. This is why creatine can be a great way to help improve your workout performance.

What Are The Benefits of Creatine?

Now that you know what creatine is, I’m sure you’d like to know how it can help. Creatine provides the body with a wide variety of benefits:

• More ATP production (burst energy)
• Muscular endurance
• Increased strength
• Increased power output
• Muscle hydration
• Energy production in the brain
• Can lead to more muscle breakdown in training, which can lead to building more muscle

So … is creatine going to make you big and bulky? No, only your nutrition and training can do that. Can creatine help you build more muscle mass? It absolutely can.

But you also need to make sure you take enough creatine to get the full benefits.

How Much Creatine Do You Need?

"When" you take creatine is not as important as "how much" you take. As long as you are taking 5 grams of creatine every day, you can keep your muscles saturated.

You can even take up to 10 grams of creatine a day, with 5 grams being the most your body can utilize in a single dose.

So, whether you take it pre-workout, post-workout, or any time throughout the day ... it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you’re getting enough of it to keep your muscles saturated.

What is Whey Protein?

Protein powder is a concentrated source of amino acids commonly used to support muscle repair, recovery, and growth.

Whey protein is one of two proteins that are found in milk. During the cheese-making process, whey isolates itself in the form of a liquid.

This liquid is then dried out to make whey protein powder, which is one of the most popular muscle growth supplements on the market today. A huge part of what makes whey protein so special is that it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids.

These amino acids are the building blocks your body needs to stimulate the muscle-building process. Whey protein also has the highest concentration of leucine that you’ll find in any protein source.

If you didn’t know, leucine is one of these essential amino acids, which is particularly important for building muscle.

What Are The Benefits of Whey Protein?

By supplementing with whey protein, you’re getting a high-quality source of protein that can help with muscle growth, recovery, and overall performance. Other than that, a huge part of what makes whey protein so beneficial is that it’s convenient and affordable.

Chicken, beef, fish, and just about any animal protein source you can get are expensive. Plus, you can’t just snack on a raw chicken breast … it has to be cooked. Even then, you still only have so much time to eat it before it goes bad.

To make things worse, you need to store it in a fridge or freezer. These reasons and more are what make animal protein sources such a hassle.

Whey protein, on the other hand, can be mixed directly with water and slurped down in under 60 seconds. Plus, whey protein powder has come quite a long way over the decades. The high-quality whey protein powders on the market today oftentimes taste far better than just plain chicken.

This is one reason many people choose protein powder vs creatine first ... it makes hitting daily protein goals fast and practical.

Creatine vs Whey Protein: Which is Better For Your Goals?

When it comes to creatine vs protein, the right choice depends on your diet, training style, and specific fitness goals. Whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose body fat, creatine and whey protein can both be great options. 

In the debate around creatine vs protein powder, protein intake usually comes first because it can support muscle repair and growth. I don’t like to think of either one of them as being “better” than the other, though. Looking at protein vs creatine, protein is foundational for muscle, while creatine can support training output.

Rather, you need to consider your goals, diet, and lifestyle to determine which will benefit you the most.

Now, for 99% of people, whey protein will be the “better” fit for them. The reason I say this is because of how important your protein intake is for building muscle and losing body fat.

If you aren’t getting between 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, then whey protein is a great way to help you hit that goal. Doing so will help your body preserve and build new lean muscle.

Clearly, this makes a lot of sense for someone trying to build muscle. But why is this important for fat loss?

Well, the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest. With a goal to lose body fat, maintaining and even building new muscle is a great way to keep your metabolism high and accelerate your fat loss goals.

But let’s look at a different scenario.

Say you are currently eating plenty of protein and you’re doing it consistently. In this case, you wouldn’t necessarily need a whey protein powder to hit your protein intake for the day.

In this case, creatine may be the “better” option for you and your goals. But, unless you are trying to build muscle, strength, or increase performance, other supplements could potentially benefit you more.

Not to mention, after your workouts is one scenario where whey protein can be more beneficial than whole foods. So, even if you are hitting your protein goal through whole foods, it's best to utilize a whey protein post-workout shake after your workouts to help maximize your recovery.

So again, it’s not that one of these supplements is “better” than the other. They do, however, have situations where they're perhaps more beneficial than the other.

Truthfully, though, creatine and whey protein are both great supplements. Most of the time, I’d recommend taking both. In fact, it's been a part of my daily routine for years ... and it's worked great!

Creatine vs Whey Protein: Why Not Both?

Both creatine and whey protein have unique benefits that are different and can even work together to help you maximize your results. Instead of treating creatine vs protein as an either-or decision, many people choose to use both.

If it makes sense to take both, awesome! But regardless of what supplements you take, you must understand that supplements are simply tools.

They are actually just designed to supplement the nutrients you aren’t able to get in through your diet alone. They aren’t magic, and they definitely won’t do the work for you.

If you are looking for a good creatine and whey protein supplement, though, we offer both at 1st Phorm!

For creatine, we make Micronized Creatine Monohydrate. This is a pure, micronized form of creatine monohydrate that mixes and absorbs well!

On top of that, we have quite a few different whey protein supplements. This includes everything from our whey protein isolate proteins, Phormula-1 and Phormula-1 Clear, to our whey protein concentrate products, Level-1 and Level-1 Bars.

You can shop all of our whey protein and other protein supplements here.

Creatine vs Protein: Frequently Asked Questions

Is creatine or protein better for building muscle?

When comparing creatine vs protein, protein is more important for building muscle because it provides the amino acids needed for muscle repair and growth. Creatine can support muscle growth indirectly by improving strength and workout performance.

Can I take creatine and protein together?

Yes. In fact, combining creatine and protein is often the approach many fitness enthusiasts take.

Should beginners take protein or creatine first?

It's commonly recommended that beginners focus on protein first. If your daily protein intake is low, protein will deliver more noticeable results than creatine.

What’s the difference between protein powder vs creatine?

Protein powder provides essential amino acids that directly build and repair muscle tissue. Creatine increases ATP production, which can support strength, power, and training performance.

Is whey protein or creatine better for fat loss?

Whey protein is generally more helpful for fat-loss-focused plans because it can help support muscle retention and appetite. Creatine can still be useful by improving workout intensity, but protein intake should be prioritized.

Do I need creatine if I already use protein powder?

If you’re already meeting your protein needs through food or protein powder, creatine can be a valuable addition to support strength and performance. This is why some people use both together.

If you have any additional questions or need any help in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com. We're available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 8 PM Central and Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!

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