Establishing Dietary Reference Intakes for Creatine in Adults

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound essential for energy metabolism, primarily stored in skeletal muscle and the brain. While endogenous synthesis supplies most of the daily requirement, dietary intake is necessary to maintain optimal creatine status, especially in individuals with low or no consumption of animal-source foods. Currently, no dietary reference intakes (DRIs) exist for creatine in adults. In this technical paper, we estimated daily creatine needs and proposed adequate intake values for adults aged 19-65 years by integrating physiological data on creatine turnover, endogenous synthesis, and population-level dietary exposure. Daily creatine losses through irreversible conversion to creatinine were estimated at 20 mg/kg/day for men and 15 mg/kg/day for women, with 73% of these losses being replaced by endogenous synthesis and the remaining 27% supplied by diet. The resulting adequate intake for creatine was calculated as 5.4 mg/kg/day for men (approximately 400 mg/day for a 75-kg man) and 4.1 mg/kg/day for women (approximately 240 mg/day for a 60-kg woman). Most adults are likely to meet these requirements through regular consumption of meat, fish, and dairy products; however, vegetarians, vegans, older adults, and those with limited access to animal-source foods may be at risk for creatine insufficiency. The additional creatine needed for muscle growth or rehabilitation is minimal compared with maintenance needs. These findings provide the first evidence-based dietary reference values for creatine in adults and highlight its classification as a conditionally essential nutrient, supporting dietary planning and public health strategies to prevent insufficiency in vulnerable populations.