Does mixing creatine with sugar or cinnamon make it work better?
Creatine co-ingestion with carbohydrate or cinnamon extract provides no added benefit to anaerobic performance
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cinnamon did not enhance creatine effectiveness despite its proposed insulin-like activity.
Many believe cinnamon can mimic insulin and improve nutrient uptake, so it was expected to boost creatine absorption. The abstract explicitly states this was the rationale for testing it, yet no added benefit was found.
Practical Takeaways
Take creatine monohydrate alone—no need to combine it with carbs or cinnamon for better results.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cinnamon did not enhance creatine effectiveness despite its proposed insulin-like activity.
Many believe cinnamon can mimic insulin and improve nutrient uptake, so it was expected to boost creatine absorption. The abstract explicitly states this was the rationale for testing it, yet no added benefit was found.
Practical Takeaways
Take creatine monohydrate alone—no need to combine it with carbs or cinnamon for better results.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Sport Science
Year
2016
Authors
Hashim Islam, Nick J Yorgason, T. Hazell
Related Content
Claims (4)
When you take creatine with carbs, it helps your body hold onto more creatine because the carbs spike insulin, which helps shuttle creatine into your cells better.
Taking creatine for a few weeks can give young, active guys a boost in short bursts of power, help them lift heavier weights, and let them do more reps — basically making their muscles work better during quick, intense exercise.
For young, active guys taking creatine, adding carbs doesn’t seem to make it work better for boosting power, strength, or stamina—even though we thought insulin from carbs might help the body absorb more creatine.
Taking cinnamon with creatine doesn’t give young active guys any extra boost in strength, power, or endurance beyond what creatine alone already does — even though cinnamon might help with insulin.