How Much Creatine is Actually in Carnivor Beef Protein?

Carnivor beef protein by MuscleMeds is one of the most popular beef protein powders on the market It contains 100% pure beef protein isolate and is known for its high concentration of muscle-building amino acids

But does Carnivor contain any creatine? And if so, how much?

In this article we’ll take an in-depth look at the Carnivor ingredients list and determine just how much creatine is in each serving. We’ll also discuss the benefits of creatine and why it’s an important supplement for strength training and muscle growth.

An Overview of Carnivor Beef Protein

First let’s start with a quick rundown of what exactly Carnivor beef protein is.

Carnivor is made from 100% pure beef protein isolate, which comes from high-quality lean beef. It goes through a specialized filtration process to remove virtually all the fat, cholesterol, lactose and other unwanted components from the beef.

What you’re left with is an ultra-pure powder that contains 23g of protein per serving, mainly comprising muscle-building amino acids like leucine. Carnivor has a higher concentration of BCAAs and other aminos than most other protein powders including whey and soy.

It’s sugar-free, carb-free, and fat-free too.

So in a nutshell, Carnivor provides all the muscle-nourishing goodness of beef, without any of the unhealthy stuff you want to avoid. It makes an excellent protein source for low-carb diets or those sensitive to dairy proteins like whey or casein.

Now let’s take a closer look at the ingredients…

Carnivor Ingredients List

Here are the ingredients found in Carnivor beef protein powder:

• Beef protein isolate
• Cocoa powder (in chocolate flavors)
• Natural and artificial flavor
• Acesulfame potassium
• Sucralose
• Red #40 (in fruit punch flavor)

As you can see, creatine is noticeably absent from the ingredients list.

Carnivor contains no added creatine whatsoever. This is an important distinction for some people who want to control their creatine dosage from other supplements, without getting any additional creatine from their protein powder.

However, there is still a tiny amount of creatine that occurs naturally in beef itself. Let’s analyze how much…

How Much Creatine is in Beef?

While Carnivor doesn’t contain any added creatine, all beef naturally contains a small amount of creatine.

The creatine content of raw ground beef is approximately 5 grams per pound.

So if we assume Carnivor is made from 90-95% lean ground beef (after fat removal), then each pound of beef used to make it would contain about 4-5g of creatine.

With some calculations based on the protein content of Carnivor, we can estimate roughly 2.5-3mg of creatine per serving.

Clearly this is a negligible amount compared to the 5-20g per day people take from creatine supplements. But it’s interesting to know the amino acid composition of any protein, including the small natural amounts.

Now let’s take a closer look at what creatine actually is and why it’s important…

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally-occurring compound that plays a key role in energy production in muscle cells. It helps provide quick energy for powering muscle contractions, particularly during short bursts of intense activity like weightlifting or sprinting.

Here’s a quick science lesson on what creatine does in the body:

• Over 95% of the creatine in your body is stored in skeletal muscle.

• When your muscle needs immediate energy, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine and donates a phosphate molecule to regenerate ATP energy.

• Supplementing with creatine increases phosphocreatine stores in the muscle, providing more rapid energy turnover during repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise.

• This is why creatine boosts workout performance, strength, power and muscle mass when training hard.

Now that we understand why creatine matters for muscle performance, let’s dive into the benefits of supplementing with creatine…

Benefits of Taking Creatine

Hundreds of studies over the past 25+ years have proven creatine to be one of the most effective sports supplements for increasing lean muscle mass, strength and performance.

Just some of the scientifically-proven benefits of creatine include:

• Increased muscle mass and strength gains from weight training
• More reps performed at a given percentage of 1RM
• Increased power output and performance in sprints/jumps
• Faster muscle growth when paired with a resistance training program
• Reduced fatigue and quicker muscle recovery between sets
• Enhanced muscle cell hydration and protein synthesis
• Increased lean body mass and decreased body fat percentage

It’s no wonder creatine is widely considered to be the #1 muscle building supplement and is used by powerlifters, bodybuilders, CrossFitters, team sport athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts.

But what is the clinically effective dosage of creatine to see results?

How Much Creatine Should You Take Daily?

Research has found the optimal daily dosage of creatine for improving exercise performance and increasing muscle mass is approximately:

• 5 grams per day for up to 12 weeks.

To maximize muscle creatine stores, a “loading phase” is often recommended:

• 20 grams per day split into 4 equal servings of 5 grams each, for 5-7 days.

Then continue with 3-5 grams per day as a maintenance dose. Cycling on and off creatine for 8-12 week periods can help maintain its benefits too.

Note that there can be safety concerns with mega-dosing creatine in the short term. Stick to respected brands and the standard 5 gram serving recommendations.

Clearly, the approximately 3mg of creatine per serving in Carnivor protein is far below the clinically effective dosages for performance enhancement or muscle building. It likely has little impact compared to dedicated creatine supplementation.

However, even sub-optimal amounts can be beneficial. A 2021 study found that small doses of 0.1 grams of creatine per day increased power output after just 7 days. So the tiny bit found in beef and Carnivor may provide a nominal benefit.

Now let’s recap the key takeaways…

To Summarize:

• Carnivor beef protein contains no added creatine – it’s not included in the ingredients list.

• But a tiny amount around 2.5-3mg occurs naturally in the beef protein isolate per serving.

• For reference, dietary recommendations are 5 grams of creatine per day, up to 20 grams for a loading phase.

• Therefore, the negligible creatine in Carnivor protein likely has minimal effects. Those wanting performance benefits should supplement with standalone creatine products.

So in conclusion, if you’re looking for a pure beef protein powder without any extras like creatine or other additives, Carnivor is an excellent choice. Its ultra-concentrated amino acid profile supports muscle growth and recovery.

Creatine can then be stacked as a separate supplement to maximize strength and mass gains from your workouts. The two make an effective combo.