SupplementsComparison
Creatine vs beta-alanine
Creatine, unless your event is an all-out effort lasting one to four minutes, where beta-alanine is the better buy.
Side by side
| Creatine monohydrate | Beta-alanine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Refills phosphocreatine, so you get more out of short maximal efforts | Raises muscle carnosine, which buffers the acidity of sustained hard work |
| Effort window | 0 to 30 seconds | 60 to 240 seconds |
| Lifting | A few percent more strength and reps | Little to no effect on heavy sets |
| Rowing, 800 m, sprint cycling | Helps the first effort | Clear benefit across the whole effort |
| Dose | 3 to 5 g per day, any time | 4 to 6 g per day, split into doses |
| Time to effect | 3 to 4 weeks | At least 2 to 4 weeks |
| Side effects | Water retention early on | Skin tingling at doses above about 800 mg |
| Evidence base | Hundreds of trials over 30 years | Solid, but far smaller |
Which one
Creatine monohydrate
If you lift, sprint or play a stop-start sport, this is the better buy. Plain monohydrate is all you need.
Beta-alanine
Worth adding only if you compete in the one to four minute window: 800 m, 2 km rowing, sprint cycling, hard grappling rounds.
Taking both
They work through different mechanisms and there is no interaction to worry about, so stacking them is fine. The order still matters for your money: creatine first, and only add beta-alanine if your sport actually lives in its window.
Sources2
- Trexler, E.T. et al. (2015). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 12.4 to 6 g a day for at least 2 to 4 weeks; clearest benefits in efforts lasting 1 to 4 minutes; tingling can be reduced with doses of 1.6 g.