Pre-Workout Gummies
Before there was the wellness industry, adaptogens, and erewhon;
there was diet culture, protein powders, and GNC.
And I know GNC still exists, but it’s a little different now. They sell ashwagandha and lion’s mane.
But back in the day…the entire store was MASSIVE containers of protein powders, diet pills that made you have full on panic attacks, pre-workout supplements that also made you feel like you were having a panic attack, and one more thing: creatine.
As a teen who was obsessed with wanting to be leaner, have more energy, be more confident & sparkly, and well…look better; I was a regular at GNC. I would experiment with various diet pills (spoiler alert: none worked, but one did send me to the doc), I tried pre-workout supplements, and I would look at the protein powders but never buy any.
Creatine, though…that section I skipped entirely.
I’m not sure why. Maybe the packaging felt too masculine? Maybe I just had no idea what it was so I ignored it?
Either way, I never tried it back then.
Once I graduated college, I would spend so much time researching ways to be leaner, and one thing that consistently came up in my searches was creatine. There were probably hundreds of times that I meant to start creatine, but I never did until last year.
Matcha-Creatine Gummies
I won’t bore you with the entire trajectory of my supplement taking history, but I will tell you I’ve been taking creatine consistently for a few months now, and it has CHANGED. MY. LIFE.
I have more energy, I perform better in my workouts, I’m more patient & less irritable, my mood is WAY better, and the list goes on.
One of the only annoying things about creatine is that it does not dissolve in water. It’s just impossible. I use it in warm water, which is a bit better, but still not ideal.
So, when one of my favorite brands, Arrae, came out with a creatine gummy, I thought….”i could make that!”
And then I had another idea: add matcha.
Here’s why: creatine and caffeine are hands down the two best, most well-researched, and most scientifically proven performance-enhancing supplements.
So why not combine them?
The Recipe
Ingredients:
120 g creatine*
1/2-2/3 cup REALLY PACKED DOWN irish sea moss** (around 20-25g)
2 cups fresh, unpasturized, coconut water
7g matcha***
*I made 24 gummies, so I used 120g creatine so that each gummy would have roughly 5g, which is the gold standard for creatine. You may need to adjust how much you take- it’s roughly 0.03g per pound of body weight.
**you need dry sea moss for this, put it in a measuring cup, and REALLY pack it- like push it down with your hand)
***you can adjust your matcha quantity to the amount of caffeine you want in these. I found that more than 10g can taste really grassy; but regardless, here is a rough caffeine guide:
1 tsp matcha per serving is about 50 mg of caffeine, which is pretty light (so that would be 8 tbsp or 1/2 cup of matcha for 24 gummies)
2 tsp matcha per serving is around 100 mg of caffeine, which is about equivalent to a cup of coffee (that would be 15 tbsp or 1 cup matcha for 24 gummies)
Instructions:
soak the dried sea moss for 4-8 hours, or according to the package instructions
drain & rinse the sea moss, and blend everything together
pour into molds to set
optional but encouraged: zest some orange peel on top & sprinkle with cinnamon
Links:
This is the kitchen scale I use in the reel—it’s so cute!
I used these molds
I use this dried sea moss
I use this creatine. You can use whatever, but definitely use Creatine Monohydrate
I used Frauth matcha. You don’t have to use this, and honestly could just use culinary matcha (vs. ceremonial grade) for this purpose
The Benefits
I go deep into the benefits of creatine on the podcast this week, but just a quick overview:
Creatine boosts ATP production, giving your muscles quick energy for explosive movements and improving strength, power, and endurance during workouts.
Matcha provides a steady release of caffeine and L-theanine, enhancing focus, energy, and fat oxidation without the jitters or crash of coffee.
Coconut water replenishes electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, keeping you hydrated and preventing muscle cramps during exercise.
Sea moss supports endurance by providing iodine for thyroid function, aiding recovery with its mineral content, and acting as a natural thickener for the gummies.
To Hear More About Creatine
I talk all about creatine, the benefits, why it’s so buzzy right now, and how to take it on episode 213, “Hot or Not: Creatine, Water-Based Cooking, Slimbiotics,” available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts here, and Spotify here.
