Can Arginine & Creatine Be Taken Together?

Arginine and creatine both occur in dietary products such as red meat. Your body produces creatine and arginine as part of its normal function, and one substance does not interfere with the other. Regardless of how much you produce or consume, they have completely different mechanisms of action, and can be taken together. However, consult a health-care practitioner before using any supplements.

Arginine

Arginine is an amino acid found in every whole protein source, including beef, chicken and eggs. Milk, dairy, turkey, fish, tofu and beans all contain arginine. If, for some reason, you are not getting enough arginine from your diet, your body will synthesize more from the amino acid citrulline. You either get arginine in sufficient dietary supply, or produce enough so that instances of arginine deficiencies are extremely rare, usually occurring only in the case of some extreme pathology.

Use of Arginine

Arginine is a very plentiful amino acid, and its uses as a stand-alone supplement are fairly limited. While arginine has been included in various supplements as a "growth hormone stimulant," including common nitrous oxide products, the evidence of its use is fairly limited. In only one study has there ever been any increase in growth hormone levels. It was published in "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" in 1988. The degree of increase was insufficient to produce either an anabolic, or muscle building, effect, or to stimulate fat loss.

Creatine

Creatine, or specifically, creatine monohydrate, is a substance that your body produces naturally, roughly 2 g per day. Creatine is manufactured from three amino acids, one of them being arginine. So, low arginine levels may limit your ability to produce creatine. Creatine is generally obtained via food sources, notably meat. It is for this reason that vegetarians often have lower levels of creatine when compared to meat eaters, according to a 2003 study published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise."

Use of Creatine

Creatine is an effective ergogenic, meaning a substance that enhances athletic performance. Supplementation with creatine monhydrate shows a direct effect on improving sport performance, according to a 2005 study published in "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness." It is important that you use creatine monohydrate, as other forms are not effective. In a 2009 study published in the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition," supplementation with creatine ethyl ester produced no measurable effect.

References

• "Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations"; Thomas M. Devlin; 2010
• "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Arginine Stimulates Growth Hormone Secretion by Suppressing Endogenous Somatostatin Secretion; J. Alba-Roth, et al.; December 1988
• "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Effect of Creatine and Weight Training on Muscle Creatine and Performance in Vegetarians; D.G. Burke, et al.; November 2003
• "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness"; The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Performance During the Repeated Bouts of Supramaximal Exercise; N. Okudan, et al.; December 2005
• "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; The Effects of Creatine Ethyl Ester Supplementation Combined with Heavy Resistance Training on Body Composition, Muscle Performance, and Serum and Muscle Creatine Levels; M. Spillane, et al.; February 2009