What are the main dietary sources of creatine?

    Written by:
    Antonis Damianou

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    by:

    Mike Murray, Natalka Roshak
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Creatine is primarily found in skeletal and cardiac muscles, and meat, poultry, and fish are the main dietary sources. Examples of creatine content in uncooked meats include beef at 4.5 grams per kilogram (g/kg), chicken at 3.4 g/kg, and pork heart at 1.5 g/kg; the average daily consumption among Americans ages 19 to 39 is approximately 1.1 gram for men and 0.6 grams for women.

    Creatine is found in appreciable quantities in skeletal and cardiac (heart) muscles.[1][2] Therefore, meat (including poultry and fish) and meat-based products are the main dietary sources of creatine. Here are some examples of (uncooked) meats and their respective creatine content:

    • Beef, with minimal visible connective tissue: 4.5 g per kg[3]
    • Chicken: 3.4 g/kg[2]
    • Rabbit: 3.4 g/kg[2]
    • Beef heart: 2.5 g/kg[2]
    • Pork heart: 1.5 g/kg[1]

    According to the NHANES III survey, the average daily consumption of creatine from food sources among Americans aged 19-39 years is around 1.1 g for men and 0.6 g for women.[4]

    What are the main dietary sources of creatine? - Examine