Creatine, Part 3

I’ve gotten more comments about creatine than for nearly any other topic.

(Comments are great, please send more!)

One question that’s come up is whether adding it to hot coffee is problematic.

Short answer: unless you’re drinking molten lava in a Yeti carafe over several hours, the creatine won’t degrade significantly.

Slightly longer answer

Creatine monohydrate is super stable in its powder form, but dissolved in water, it converts over time to inactive creatinine. The hotter and more acidic the liquid (up to a point), the faster it converts; the longer it sits in the liquid, the more it converts.

Neither AI nor I was able to find any studies detailing how quickly the conversion happens in coffee-temperature beverages.

But in practical terms:

To maximize the creatine you get, dissolve it in a cool beverage and consume it promptly. In a glass of water pre-coffee, for example, keep the teaspoon with it; the crystals won’t dissolve fully, and you’ll need to stir to get the last particles.

If you’re going to drink the coffee within minutes, the conversion is negligible.

Super hot coffee sitting in a Yeti carafe all morning might be an issue. Nothing bad will happen, but you may lose up to 1/4 of your creatine.