Gnarly adds creatine to impressive lineup

By Henry Howard

Earlier this month Gnarly Nutrition unveiled Gnarly Creatine, a new product to its growing line of fuel and recovery products for athletes. I’ve been a fan of Gnarly products for years. Co-founder Eli Kerr, CPO/COO Shannon O’Grady and team lead this amazing company that creates products for athletes by athletes. (Learn more about Kerr, O’Grady and how Gnarly began here.)

Creatine is a peptide, a short string of amino acids, that people produce on their own. This molecule is part of our body’s energy systems and combines with a molecule of phosphate to form creatine phosphate, which can be broken back apart to regenerate ATP – the “energy currency” of the body.

I’m glad that it is gluten- and soy-free to avoid stomach issues. There are no artificial flavors or sweeteners. One scoop is 90 calories and has 5 grams of creatine monohydrate.

The benefits of creatine

Creatine delivers a continuous supply of energy to working muscles. It is generally advised for those engaged in heavy weight-lifting but it can be beneficial for all types of athletes. (Do note that overdoing creatine can result in kidney damage.)

Other benefits include:

• Improving endurance accumulation in muscles.

• Reducing the risk of injury risk.

• Improving post-exercise recovery by accelerating glycogen replenishment and reducing inflammatory markers.

• Enhancing cognitive function and focus.

How to use

Gnarly Creatine, which is NSF for Sport certified, is intended to be used daily, before or after a workout. It’s tasteless and I often add it to other Gnarly products like its Fuel20 or, Pre or Vegan Protein.

The Vegan Protein is a great product that I use after workouts for recovery and sometimes fuel with it during long runs. Here is why it is better than a highly marketed product commonly touting its overinflated benefits for athletes.

Specifically, Gnarly recommends mixing the creatine mix with 8 ounces of water or other Gnarly product 30 minutes before exercise or immediately afterward with a recovery protein drink.

As an ultra runner, I don’t need the typical muscle gains often associated with creatine.

However, I have found that the creatine mix does help speed my recovery after workouts. And anything that helps me safely recover more quickly, is worth it.