{"id":394864,"date":"2025-09-03T15:32:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/394864\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:32:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:32:11","slug":"5-things-you-should-never-mix-with-creatine-according-to-nutrition-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/394864\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things You Should Never Mix With Creatine, According to Nutrition Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re a hardcore gym<\/a>-goer, a keen runner<\/a>, or a biohacking brainbox, you\u2019re probably taking creatine<\/a>. Right now, everyone seems to be \u2013 and for good reason. One of the most well-researched performance supplements on the market, creatine has been shown to boost speed<\/a>, strength<\/a> and power<\/a> during high-intensity<\/a> workouts, support recovery, and there\u2019s even emerging evidence to suggest it can have benefits for cognitive and brain health. <\/p>\n

However, while it’s often flavourless, like with many supps \u2013 including protein powder<\/a> \u2013 creatine can have a gritty texture, making it difficult to know what to mix it with. Plus, one side effect of creatine can be dehydration<\/a> (it causes water to be drawn into the muscles<\/a>), potentially leading to headaches in some cases. So, is there anything we should avoid mixing it with that might worsen those effects? We asked two nutrition experts for their advice. <\/p>\n

What to Avoid Mixing With Creatine1\/ High-Dose Vitamins<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good news? \u2018Creatine is remarkably safe and compatible with most supplements. There aren’t really any dietary supplements that are off-limits,\u2019 says Dr Samuel Impey, scientific advisor at Puresport<\/a>. \u2018The main caution is with certain medications that heavily impact kidney function.\u2019 <\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

Bearing that in mind, he advises that \u2018if you’re taking high-dose vitamins, consider spacing them out from your creatine dose to give your kidneys a break from processing everything at once.\u2019<\/p>\n

2\/ Acidic Juices<\/strong><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not unsafe, Dr Impey adds that when mixing creatine with acidic juices, such as orange or grapefruit, the acid can degrade the creatine if it has been sitting for a while. So, if you refuse to take creatine<\/a> without your morning OJ, just be wary of this.<\/p>\n

3\/ Overlapping Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re taking multiple supplements, such as protein powders, pre-workout, and creatine, it\u2019s wise to double-check the ingredient lists on each. \u2018Many supplements contain “bonus” ingredients like trace vitamins<\/a>, amino acids<\/a>, or other additives that companies include as value-adds,\u2019 says Dr Impey. \u2018When you’re taking multiple products, you can easily end up over-consuming these extras without realising it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although this isn\u2019t dangerous per se, it can put \u2018unnecessary strain on your kidneys to process and eliminate what your body doesn’t need,\u2019 he explains. \u2018The key is choosing reputable brands with clean formulations that stick to essential ingredients only.\u2019<\/p>\n

Indeed, some protein powders<\/a> and pre-workouts already contain creatine as an add-on, so while it would be very difficult to overdose on creatine, it\u2019s always important to check what and how much of something you\u2019re actually consuming. \u2018Stick to 5-10g [of creatine] daily, depending on your needs,\u2019 advises Dr Impey. <\/p>\n

Related Story4\/ Alcohol <\/strong><\/p>\n

This might sound like an obvious one, and while there are \u2018no known direct interactions between the two, both can contribute to dehydration, so it’s really important to keep hydrated \u2013 more than usual \u2013 if you do plan to have both in the same day,\u2019 says registered dietitian Clementine Vaughan<\/a>. \u2018For example, creatine in the morning and a boozy dinner\/lunch later in the day. Just be really mindful of drinking plenty of water.\u2019 <\/p>\n

In that vein, Vaughan adds, it\u2019s important to consider any substances that might exacerbate dehydration \u2013 like diuretics and stimulants. \u2018Make sure that if you’re throwing back tonnes of coffee, you match it with a good amount of water.\u2019<\/p>\n

Related Story5\/ NSAIDs <\/strong><\/p>\n

Common examples of NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, include ibuprofen and aspirin, and there are some references online suggesting that combining them with creatine isn\u2019t advisable. Is there any merit to those claims?<\/p>\n

\u2018There are no studies that definitively show that if you combine the two for a long time, you’ll develop kidney damage \u2013 because that would be pretty unethical \u2013 but the advice is that if you have some form of kidney damage you should avoid NSAIDs and creatine supplements as this can worsen your condition further,\u2019 says Vaughan. <\/p>\n

\u2018For a healthy individual with no kidney problems, it’s likely that the one-off use of NSAIDs while taking creatine supplements will be okay. However, it is definitely preferable to opt for different types of medication if possible as you’re giving your kidneys more to deal with from both the NSAIDs and the creatine.\u2019 <\/p>\n

If you have any concerns, though, Vaughan urges you to consult your GP, \u2018who can advise you on what is best to take, especially if it’s for something more than a one-off.\u2019<\/p>\n

What You Should Mix With Creatine<\/p>\n

\u2018Take it with a carbohydrate<\/a> source to enhance uptake through insulin response,\u2019 says Dr Impey. \u2018Post-workout is ideal because your body acts like a sponge, ready to absorb nutrients \u2013 a protein<\/a> and carbohydrate shake after exercise is perfect timing to maximise absorption and support recovery.\u2019<\/p>\n

Smoothies<\/a> are a great option, he adds, \u2018because you can combine fruit<\/a> (natural carbs), protein powder or milk<\/a>, and fibre all in one.\u2019 A quick \u2018shot\u2019 approach works too \u2013 \u2018mix 5g into a small, flavourful liquid like a ginger shot and down it quickly.\u2019<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t mind the texture, Vaughan says mixing it into a good old glass of water is a great way to take creatine. Otherwise, adding it to yoghurt, porridge or overnight oats<\/a> is a good way to sneak it in. <\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Nutrition Writer across Women\u2019s Health UK\u00a0and Men\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World\u00a0and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you\u2019re a hardcore gym-goer, a keen runner, or a biohacking brainbox, you\u2019re probably taking creatine. Right now,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[9759,105,4434,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-394864","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-creatine","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-nutrition","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115141092559151786","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}