A question most people are asking wrong
Creatine or beetroot juice? For many people, it's a choice. A 2026 study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Ammar et al.) suggests the question is framed incorrectly.
Both supplements were tested head-to-head during resistance training sessions. The result: they improve different things. There's no winner vs loser here. There are two tools targeting distinct mechanisms.
What creatine actually does well
Creatine works on the phosphocreatine system — the fuel used during short, intense efforts (under 10-15 seconds). It increases available muscle reserves, which translates to higher peak force output and more reps under heavy loads.
In this study, creatine produced the bigger improvements in heavy lifting performance. If your primary goal is moving bigger weights, creatine is still the benchmark supplement.
What beetroot juice does instead
Beetroot juice operates on a completely different system: dietary nitrates convert to nitric oxide in the body, which dilates blood vessels and improves oxygen delivery to muscles. The study measured better muscle oxygenation and reduced cardiovascular strain in the beetroot group.
That benefit is especially relevant for high-volume training sessions or moderate-intensity efforts where cardiovascular fatigue limits you before local muscle fatigue does.
Can you stack them?
The study didn't test the combination. But the mechanisms are distinct enough that stacking makes theoretical sense. Creatine boosts peak force on heavy movements. Beetroot juice reduces cardiovascular fatigue across the whole session. They're not solving the same problem.
If you're already on creatine (3-5g/day maintenance), adding 500ml of beetroot juice 2-3 hours before training is a documented option. Not a priority for everyone, but the data supports it.
Sources: Evidence Based Muscle