Many supplements lack promising research, but Arnold Schwarzenegger found two that are worth a second look. In Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter from May 5, 2025, he compared the workout performance benefits of creatine and beetroot juice.
“If you’ve ever stood in a supplement aisle wondering whether any of this stuff actually works — and, if so, which one is worth your money — you’re asking the right question.”
Plain chicken breasts and protein shakes weren’t the only ingredients that built Schwarzenegger’s timeless physique. Through the years, he paid close attention to supplementation, and not just when he was a dominant seven-time Mr. Olympia champion.
At 78 years old, supplementation is even more important, which can help him recover faster and build muscle. Creatine and beetroot juice definitely stand out for their health benefits, prompting Schwarzenegger to zero in on where exactly they fit into a given routine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Compares Workout Benefits of Creatine vs Beetroot Juice
In the newsletter, Schwarzenegger pointed out that creatine and beetroot juice offer their own unique benefits.
“A new study put two of the more-researched options, creatine and beetroot juice, directly against each other in the gym. What they found wasn’t really a winner. It was more like a division of labor.”
During studies, researchers found that creatine helped individuals perform more reps at high intensities, while beetroot juice played a bigger role in faster bar speed and improved cardiovascular function.
“A new head-to-head comparison found that creatine may help you perform more reps at high intensities, while beetroot juice appears to support faster bar speed, better muscle oxygenation, and improved cardiovascular efficiency during the same workout.”
Looking at bench press and back squat metrics, creatine outperformed beetroot juice for total repetitions. This indicates that it might help more if volume at high intensity is the goal.
“Researchers had participants who regularly lifted weights perform bench press and back squat sets to failure at 60%, 70%, and 80% of their one-rep max under three conditions: creatine, beetroot juice, and placebo. They measured repetitions, bar velocity, heart rate, intramuscular oxygen levels, heart rate variability, blood lactate, and perceived effort.
Creatine outperformed both beetroot juice and placebo for total repetitions at 80% of max in bench press, a meaningful advantage if grinding out quality volume at high intensities is your primary goal.”
However, beetroot juice was a game-changer when measuring bar speed across different intensities. It also had a positive effect on heart rates during workouts, which could aid recovery mid-training.
“Beetroot juice showed advantages in bar speed across multiple intensities, higher muscle oxygen saturation throughout the workout, and lower heart rates during the same workload.
Both supplements outperformed the placebo in heart rate variability, a marker of how recovered your nervous system feels heading into each set.”
Schwarzenegger cautioned that this was a smaller study and that outcomes could vary among different people.
“This was a small study, so that doesn’t mean the outcomes will be the same for everyone. But with so many supplements lacking evidence of effectiveness, creatine and beetroot remain two options that consistently show positive benefits.”
Bottom line: “The Austrian Oak” believes both supplements are safe and have value:
“These two supplements appear to work through different pathways, which means your goal should drive the choice. Prioritizing strength volume? The creatine case is well-established, and this study extends it. Care more about training efficiency and recovery quality between sessions? Beetroot juice has growing evidence supporting its use.
And neither supplement has shown much of a risk profile or danger.”
Schwarzenegger continues to unpack the latest supplement research to keep his fans informed. While creatine gummies received massive hype when they were first marketed, the bodybuilding icon warned against them. Schwarzenegger shared that lab tests showed that most gummy creatine products contain no actual creatine.
Schwarzenegger highlights that creatine and beetroot juice offer different workout benefits. He believes both options stand out as some of the most effective supplements in the industry.
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