If you have been thinking about adding more muscle, while getting stronger in body and mind as well as getting more dates, you may be wondering what you can do to up your game. The answer is easy: try creatine supplements. Creatine happens to be the most effective and well-known fitness supplement out there. There are many reasons why. Here we will go over all those reasons and help you select the perfect creatine supplement to add to your diet.

You can go read the hundreds of studies that have been done on creatine and why it’s so effective and why it’s safe. So now that you have the green light to use creatine, we’re here to tell you what it is and what the best creatine supplements are on the market today.

Just keep in mind that not all creatine supplements are created equal. There are many differences in fact. The kind and quality of creatine that you choose to consume will dictate the effectiveness you enjoy. It can be overwhelming to go through all the reviews and information online about the various creatine supplements. That’s why we did all the work for you, testing and reviewing dozens of creatine supplements. Here are our top picks.

Most Effective Creatine Monohydrate Supplements For 2022

Our staff reviewed a multitude of creatine supplements. It was tough but we managed to get the list down to 12 or so. We hope you agree with our rankings. Let us know what you think! So, without further adieu, here are our ratings of the best creatine monohydrate supplements on the market today.

Top Rated Products:

• XWERKS Lift
• CRN-5 Creatine by Crazy Nutrition
• Cellucor Creatine Monohydrate
• Onnit Creatine
• Performance Lab Maintain
• Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
• NSP Nutrition Muscle Power Creatine
• Elm & Rye Creatine
• Beast Sports Creature Creatine
• Ghost

Full Reviews Below:

XWERKS LIFT

XWERKS isn’t about to reinvent the wheel. They know the insane benefits of pure monohydrate creatine as the most effective supplement out there. That’s exactly why they didn’t introduce something new! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Each dose of XWERKS Lift packs a punch of pure creatine monohydrate. It can be combined with a pre-workout drink, a smoothie, or any other beverage of your choosing. Mix it with whatever drink you happen to like before, during or after a workout.

You’ll spend about $39 on XWERKS, with every package of XWERKS Lift containing 80 servings of 5g dosages of flavorless, pure creatine. This is why it’s one of the top deals on our list. In addition to being a stellar value, XWERKS is a respected, well-established manufacturer that doesn’t fool around when it comes to the production of fitness supplements of the highest quality.

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CRN-5 Creatine by Crazy Nutrition

Crazy Nutrition offers both weight loss and weight gain supplements, along with supplements designed to build muscle mass. Its CRN-5 Creatine formula happens to be one of the most well-known formulas in the entire industry. Crazy Nutrition’s CRN-5 Creatine will cost you about $49 for 30 scoops (10.2g/scoop). It promises to give you better muscle pump, better strength, and more high-intensity training.

Regular creatine is contained in all creatine monohydrate supplements. But Crazy Nutrition’s CRN-5 Creatine has a combo of five different creatine forms to result in maximum efficiency for your workout. Those forms of creatine include:

• Creatine monohydrate
• Creatine hydrochloride
• Creatine ethyl ester
• Creatine citrate pyruvate
• Tri-creatine malate

To assist you in efficiently hydrating and replenishing yourself after a particularly intense exercise session, CrazyBulk has electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium and potassium. Always consume creatine with plenty of water, which is recommended by all the studies. So drink up and hydrate!

Crazy Nutrition’s CRN-5 Creatine is a good creatine monohydrate that’s available to order online, so it’s readily available and accessible. You get a combination of five creatine sources with this supplement that’s known as being one of the best fitness products.

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Cellucor Creatine Monohydrate

Cellucor is one of the most popular supplement brands, boasting a creatine formula that justifies all the hype with a super solid brand history. Cellucor’s Creatine Monohydrate forms one of the best deals in this list. It’s one of the more affordable ones out there. You’ll only spend about $20 for 72 doses.

Use creatine monohydrate to boost your ability to build lean muscle. Be sure to consume Cellucor Creatine Monohydrate regularly. Creatine, as you know, has great muscle-building qualities. Cellucor micronized its creatine monohydrate to boost both consumption and absorption, and it’s comparable with other high-ranked creatine formulas on the market.

Cellucor made its creatine formula to assist the metabolism in absorbing it faster, resulting in one of the more recognizable creatine products available. Check out the huge potential of Cellucor Creatine Monohydrate if you want to stimulate lean muscle development.

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Onnit Creatine

This is one of the greatest weightlifting supplement brands, so it makes sense that Onnit would feature on our best creatine list. This company offers a strong creatine formula. In fact, Onnit’s creatine monohydrate allows you to gain muscle and strength, while improving your effectiveness in the fitness center or gym.

Onnit’s creatine costs about $15 for 30 doses, so it’s quite an affordable product. Compared with the other supplements on our list, each dose of Creapure has 5g of micronized creatine monohydrate. You could say that Onnit does not scrimp one bit on dosage or scoop quantity!

Creatine assists in the production of adenosine triphosphate (supplies energy for muscular activity). Onnit’s formula works in a similar way to other high-ranked creatine monohydrate supplements on this list. You get more power growth and reps on weight-lifting workouts, along with big-time strength gains and improvements in lean muscular body mass.

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Performance Lab Maintain

Performance Lab gives you the SPORT Maintain creatine supplement. With this, you get prolonged muscle-mass building while at the same time as you replenish your muscle with nutrients. Strength, power and persistence can be improved vastly by taking Performance Lab Maintain every single day. In fact, you should be taking most of the creatine products on this list daily.

Maintain comes in capsule form, unlike most powdered creatine supplements. You’ll have to take between six and 10 pills a day to enhance your muscular growth. If you are active and healthy, take up to 10 capsules each day. The amount of creatine in each 6-capsule dose is about 3,000mg — less than the creatine powder supplements on this list. Lots of people prefer the capsule form because it’s easier to ingest rather than the powder.

You get a serving of 1,600mg of beta-alanine in each dose, too. This is how Maintain compensates for the small creatine amount compared with other formulas. Performance Lab Maintain offers an efficient encapsulated alternative so you can more easily consume good quality creatine from a trusted company. If you don’t like to hassle with powder supplements, Performance Lab Maintain is an ideal way to go.

That being said, it costs more than powder supplements. Each container provides just 10 meals, or 60 capsules. Plan to spend about $44 and up.

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Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder

The Micronized Creatine Powder by Optimum Nutrition is a popular alternative, considered one of the better supplement companies on our list. You get 5g of creatine monohydrate per dose to help with ATP recycling. As a result, you get muscle growth, explosive strength, stamina, and efficiency.

It has zero calories and carbohydrates per dose, similar to other high ranking creatine supplements on our list. You won’t find any unnecessary components in this brand of creatine monohydrate supplement.

It is available in a variety of serving sizes: 30, 60, 120, 240, or 400 doses. Optimum Nutrition’s Micronized Creatine Powder. Prices start around $10.99 for 30 doses.

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NSP Nutrition Muscle Power Creatine

Muscle Power Creatine from NSP Nutrition is designed to stimulate the muscles for a faster strength increase, as well as faster muscle mass and faster fat burning. If you consume these supplements regularly, you will develop muscular strength, endurance, mass, and overall efficiency.

Muscle Power Creatine is competitively priced and offers similar quality compared with others on this list. It has a price tag of $28 for 60 doses, with 5g of creatine in each dose.

This brand is located in Florida and offers the single form of creatine, hence the name: Creatine monohydrate.

Muscle Power Creatine by NSP Nutrition is one of the better solutions for those who want to enhance muscular strength. You can achieve this with 100 percent creatine and no additives. It costs less than $0.50 per dose, which is super cheap. Plus, you can boost your energy, strength, and body improvement.

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Elm & Rye Creatine

Elm & Rye have a reputation in the market as manufacturers that consistently produce high quality fitness supplements. Its Creatine formula carries on that legacy and stands behind its good name and promises of quality. With this Elm & Rye’s Creatine product, you get muscle development, increased effectiveness, and minimal exhaustion. At the same time, you can enhance your endurance during training such as sprint interval training.

Elm & Rye Creatine, like the others on this list, assists with increased energy, improved capacity, and support of muscular recovery and development. The Elm & Rye Creatine stands out from the rest because the creatine supplement, containing 1,400mg of creatine/dose, is available in capsule form instead of powder.

Creatine in capsule form is much easier for people to consume, which is why it’s always so popular. Because it’s not a powder, you don’t have to mix it with drinks such as shakes, smoothies, or water. Just pop a capsule and be on your way.

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Beast Sports Creature Creatine

Beast Sports Creature Creatine has a distinctive name that helps it stand out from the crowd. It also has an eye-catching package. But its popularity goes beyond the name and package. It’s actually a really great product. It’s available in a wide variety of flavors, including cherry limeade, citrus, pink lemonade, and beast punch.

Beast Sports call Creature “the unfair advantage for next-level performance.” Its formula promises to help you increase bench press reps and sprint speed so you can pack on blocks of lean muscle fast and efficiently. Beast Sports Creature Creatine is one of the more effective supplements we mention on our list that allows you to sustain max efficiency for longer and more efficient periods of time.

Creature Creatine is similar to the other high-ranked creatine powders here, combining five forms of creatine in a single mix, such as:

• Di-Creatine malate
• Creatine gluconate
• Creatine monohydrate
• Crea-Trona (creatine supplement containing 94% creatine and 6% buffer agent)
• Creatine anhydrous

Creature Creatine comes in both capsules and powder forms. While most people choose to take Creature Creatine in powder form, it comes in many other forms to suit various tastes and preferences. To achieve four grams of creatine per dose, you just have to mix one scoop with water before starting and after finishing your workout.

Creature Creatine helps users gain quick muscle strength, strength improvement, long-term muscle mass, and quicker recovery. It will cost you about $30 for 60 servings, making it an affordable supplement appealing to the masses.

ATP-FUSION

This is a #1 selling no-bloat muscle building creatine that’s pH-buffered. You get creatine monohydrate synthesized to pH 12, great for those who want lean muscle gains with no bloating or the possibility of water retention. It doesn’t require loading phases or sugar to be absorbed. Best part is, it is stimulant free.

ATP-Fusion offers the following benefits:

• Stimulant-Free Pre-Workout
• Increased Energy
• Quicker Recovery Times
• Promotion of Strength Gains
• Improvement of Cognitive Brain Function

As you can see, there are many benefits associated with this excellent creatine supplement. It’s no wonder it made our list!

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Ghost

You get the purest, highest-grade, clinically-dosed, transparent muscle builder with Ghost. This was designed to ensure faster gains than any other supplement, which is why so many people choose to stack with GHOST LEGEND® or WHEY for better gains and more life.

• GHOST® Full Disclosure Label
• 5G Betaine
• 2G Beta-Alanine
• 5G of Creapure®
• 50MG Senactiv®
• 200MG Epicatechin
• 50MG Astragin®

All GHOST® supplements have a 100% transparent label disclosing the dosage of each active ingredient. With zero proprietary blends, you know exactly what you get in every scoop. Creapure® is Creatine Monohydrate in its purest, highest-grade form, designed to maximize efficacy, solubility and absorption.

Betaine works in conjunction with Creatine to deliver great muscle building benefits, with results seen in as little as just 500MG. Beta-Alanine, with just 1.6G/day, can deliver big results, with even more benefits seen at higher doses. With GHOST LEGEND®, you get a 3.2G clinical dose in every serving.

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Our Ranking Methodology

So how did we come up with the list of best creatine supplements? Rest assured, the list is not arbitrary. It took a lot of research and homework to arrive at these decisions. We wouldn’t steer you wrong without doing all the legwork. We evaluated three main components when coming up with our best creatine supplements: muscular mass, strength, and effectiveness. While all creatine supplements promise these three core results, not all can actually deliver on what they say. That’s why we took it upon ourselves to form this review so our readers can all be better informed. From costs and benefits to manufacturer credibility, we took many factors into account when developing this exhaustive list.

Creatine and Its Many Forms

Creatine monohydrate happens to be the only type of creatine that is found in most supplements. But our high-ranking creatine formulas include between three and five different types of creatine! And it stands to reason that the more forms of creatine there are, you get a better result in the long run.

Different forms of creatine are ingested, absorbed and handled differently by the body. Certain forms of creatine may be more optimal for short-term consumption, while others may be better over the long haul. There are many benefits when you combine different forms of creatine.

Costs and Benefits

Creatine is a bodybuilding supplement that is, on the whole, affordable. To get good quality creatine, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg. You can get some of the most effective creatine pills around for as little as 50 cents a dose. We took both cost and benefit when making our best creatine supplement selections.

We took a cautious stance when it came to creatine pills that charged a lot of money for the same amount of creatine. We want you to get a high-ranking creatine supplement whether you can afford to pay $10 or $100 for a package that gives you a month’s worth of service.

This is why we gave you some cheap alternatives too, designed to deliver the same effectiveness as the more costly versions. We don’t want you to have to break the bank just to take creatine supplements!

Manufacturer Credibility and Expertise

Some creatine supplement companies have been in business for many decades; others are just starting out in this competitive industry. We were not biased for or against younger or older businesses when we made these selections. Just because a company is young doesn’t mean it can’t deliver a great product. And just because a company is well-established doesn’t mean it has a pass to deliver sub-par quality products.

But in the end, we chose supplements from manufacturers that had a proven history of providing products with the highest quality and the best customer service. The reputation of the manufacturer is everything when it comes to putting supplements in your body.

Transparent Labeling

Creatine can be found in lots of poor-quality creatine supplements when it’s part of a patented formula. Thus, separate amounts are unavailable or impossible to detect. Basically, some companies hide the ingredients or don’t provide a clear label.

Some companies offer creatine supplements as a combo of five separate forms of creatine, but they only list creatine monohydrate with small concentrations of the others forms. We wanted to look at those manufacturers that have the utmost label clarity when we compiled this list.  That’s why we chose only creatine products with decent doses and clear labels so you could get the necessary effects safely and efficiently.

Clear Advantages

No creatine supplement will hasten muscular growth magically. No supplement will make you a hero of the gym overnight. You have to put in the time and the effort to achieve that. Supplements will only help you along the way. They are meant to supplement healthy eating and fitness routines. That’s why we are cautious of creatine pills and brands that overstated the benefits or made promises that were too good to be true.

No company can promise to get you huge muscle growth just by taking their pills. Take them with a grain of salt. We certainly have.

Creatine Dosages That Work (3g to 10g Per Dose)

For optimal performance, most creatine supplements use a scoop size of between 4g and 5g. That’s because creatine is in a group of weightlifting supplements that has a particular and confirmed dosage.

Creatine supplements in capsule form have a smaller amount, whereas most powder creatine formulas contain 4g or 5g per dose, which is similar to the amount found to function in studies.

We recommend creatine supplements with between 3g and 10g of creatine a day for max effects when you’re trying to build muscle mass.

Ingredients: Smallest Amounts of Fillers

Most users consume a creatine supplement just for the creatine itself rather than for the intake of protein, amphetamine, or any other substance. That’s why we favored creatine supplements with no substances added. We looked for the purest forms only.

The only time we allowed a creatine supplement containing electrolytes (such as potassium and sodium) as well as other non-aggressive substances, was when it was placed in there to help with hydration. Creatine supplements work much better with fewer filler elements.

Texture and Mixing Ability

Some creatine supplements are difficult to combine. You may have high hopes of making a creatine shake, until your hopes are dashed when you see that you’re only left with a clump of wet mush. Creatine shakes can sometimes clump, adhere, and result in grainy pockets. This isn’t too tasty or appealing!

Other supplements are much easier to mix and give you a smooth finish with better flavor. We tested the mixing ability of all supplements so that we could confirm their texture and flavor.

Micronized Creatine Absorbability

To get maximum absorption, many high-ranked companies use creatine micronization. The body’s ability to absorb creatine can improve when you decrease the size of those creatine particles.

Your creatine supplement is only as productive as the amount of creatine that can be absorbed by your body. This varies by individual. The more creatine your body absorbs, the more efficient the results will be. To improve digestibility and absorption, you should take micronized creatine pills.

What is Creatine?

This is a component that is naturally produced in our bodies. Glycine, methionine and arginine, are the three amino acids that chemically make up creatine, which is required by your body to energize the muscles. Creatine gives your muscles the strength they need to function optimally.

Creatine helps you react faster, move better, and get more energy. For example, research shows it enhances race speed and weight lifting capacity.

Creatine Function

Creatine impacts the mechanisms that cause muscles to contract.

Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP for short, is the energy source we need for muscle activity. We don’t have adenosine triphosphate for more than 10-second bursts of energy. When you consume creatine phosphate, you are lending an additional phosphate molecule to your ADP to generate ATP. This boosts efficiency because it enhances the supply of creatine phosphate.

You will perform at a better capacity with improved efficiency when using creatine due to the increased ATP/ADP levels in the body.

Creatine has been researched, proven and reported in various studies and journals. It has been found to be beneficial when it comes to enhancing training recovery and capacity.

Benefits of Creatine Supplements and Who Should Take Them

Creatine is most commonly used in bodybuilding and strength improvement. But people can use creatine for many purposes.

Some people use it to help with muscle recovery and healing. Others use it to build lean muscle mass. Still others use it for joint and brain function and wellness.

You may benefit from using creatine if you:

• Want to increase your strength and muscle mass
• Want to achieve higher peaks of performance while in the gym
• Want to gain weight or lean muscle mass
• Want to achieve faster muscle recovery while performing more quickly
• Want to improve your mental acuity, concentration, and intelligence
• Want a healthy, effective, and easy-to-use supplement to improve efficiency

Types of Creatine

There are about seven types of creatine, but creatine monohydrate is the most common and popular. Even though there are creative supplements that include between three and five forms of creatine, most creatine pills only include just one form of creatine.

The most popular creatine forms include:

Monohydrate Form of Creatine

The monohydrate form of creatine is the most common and trustworthy type of creatine out there. It’s also very affordable. Most of the research you will read about it is in regards to this type of creatine, the primary ingredient in the supplements.

Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE)

Ethyl ester creatine is a kind of creatine that’s been bonded to ester salts to enhance solubility. Proponents claim that creatine ethyl ester is quicker to absorb and more convenient, creatine monohydrate and ethyl ester were equal according to recent studies.

Creatine HCl (hydrochloride)

Creatine hydrochloride (AKA creatine HCl) is a type of creatine that’s been linked with hydrochloride molecule components. This enhances the water solubility of the creatine, leading to quicker absorption. If you have trouble processing creatine monohydrate, you may want to take a creatine hydrochloride supplement instead.

Buffered Creatine (Kre-Alkalyn and Crea-Trona)

Creatine with greater pH levels compared with traditional creatine monohydrate is called buffered creatine. Buffered creatine is made up of two forms of creatine: Crea-Trona and Kre-Alkalyn. Compared with creatine monohydrate, buffered creatine won’t decompose as easily, providing the most benefits. Some research shows that there is little difference between the two. We will leave that up to you to decide.

Liquid Creatine

Creatine can be available in liquid form, which is more convenient when it comes to consumption. Many people prefer liquid creatine because it’s much easier to take, but there’s not much evidence out there that speaks to improved solubility.

Creatine Magnesium Chelate

The magnesium-bonded form of creatine is called creatine magnesium chelate, and it’s more easily absorbed compared with creatine monohydrate.

There’s not much evidence to back up this claim, though, in comparison to the rest of the creation varieties. In the end, most forms of creatine work in the same way: by increasing muscle activity to optimize efficiency.

Research and Creatine

Creatine happens to be one of the most researched substances in weightlifting supplements, usually in relation to its many health advantages. Its efficiency is why it’s one of the most utilized and popular fitness supplements you can get.

Baylor University conducted a study whereby they examined the impact of creatine on efficiency. They proved it to be beneficial for those who wanted to boost their sprint speed and lifting capacity. Optimum lift capacity and the pace of sprints were both found to be enhanced by the use of creatine.

Creatine was also found to be beneficial in growing total muscle mass. On the other hand, other studies showed creatine as providing lower efficiency when it comes to improving fitness capacity during longer activities. These include marathon runs or aerobic fitness routines. Those who wish to boost sprint speed and strength should use creatine, because it’s proven to work in those instances.

About 70 percent of research that has been conducted on creatine and muscle building showed considerable gains in muscle mass, enhanced strength and power, short-term achievement, and sprint performance of up to 15 percent.

Creatine has many benefits thanks to its stimulant effects, health advantages and enhanced physical ability. Creatine has also shown the potential to have fewer adverse effects, side effects or health hazards.

Creatine and protein are the most popular supplement combinations in weightlifting. Experts took a look at the influence of protein and creatine on adults during a six-week period in one study. Creatine plus protein, protein, or placebos were provided to adults while performing a strength exercise regime. The protein plus creatine group displayed the best growth in lean body mass after the six-week period. Max bench press and strength scores were also enhanced at a faster rate with this group.

Creatine isn’t just for those who want to bulk up. It also has joint health and injury rehab benefits. It can restore muscle mass after an accident, as one Belgium study has shown. To mimic injury, 22 volunteers immobilized their healthy legs in plaster for a period of two weeks. Then, they either took a creatine supplement or a placebo while engaging in therapy. The creatine group recovered strength and muscle activity faster than the group that took the placebo.

Creatine has also been known to help older adults maintain joint health. Creatine is often offered to senior patients who are more vulnerable to falls and fractures. In a 2016 study, older participants were given either a creatine supplement or a placebo before undergoing a strength training program. After 12 weeks of strength training, experts found that the creatine group had gained more strength and muscle mass than the placebo group. That’s why creatine is thought to be good for maintaining strength and lean body mass as people age.

Creatine can also improve cardiovascular strength, with its effects on heart disease healing and therapy being documented in many studies. In one study, those who took creatine alongside traditional treatment healed at a faster rate than those who only took placebo therapy. In another study, creatine supplements enhanced weight gain and muscle development in those who suffered from heart disease.

Creatine is linked to cognitive improvements in many studies as well. Some people took creatine daily in an effort to improve memory. Using creatine for this purpose has been backed by extensive research. Creatine supplements were provided to patients who were healing from traumas in one study. Creatine was found to act as a rehabilitation aid to prevent neurodegeneration while keeping up with cellular energy.

Creatine improves cognitive performance and delays worsening brain function when in those who have been subjected to high amounts of stress, such as insufficient sleep or high altitudes. Taking a creatine supplement on the regular may help people focus better while enhancing cognitive processes in many ways.

Some diabetics use creatine to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It can also help with sustaining blood sugar reactivity after meals. In one study, those who took creatine while exercising displayed better blood sugar management after eating a carb-heavy meal compared with people who only trained and did not take creatine during the 12-week trial.

Creatine may also have anti-tumor qualities, possibly possessing cancer-fighting properties.

As you can see, in addition to being touted for its muscle-building qualities, creatine has many other advantages as well. It remains one of the most prevalent, popular and well-researched health supplements on the market, with lots of benefits to all types of users.

Cons of Creatine

Healthy individuals may use creatine in normal amounts because it has a good reputation for safety. There have been no considerable negative effects in creatine trials. Researchers have not seen negative aspects of creatine use despite participants consuming large amounts for longer than six months.

The biggest negative effect is weight gain, manifesting a lean muscle mass. Creatine stimulates the body to gain more muscle than it would normally, which results in gaining more weight. This is true because muscle is heavier than fat.

But those with kidney disease, high blood pressure or liver disease may have negative results when using creatine. Older individuals can increase their risk of renal injury, for example. If you have a medical condition or you are currently undergoing treatment, always consult with your doctor before you use creatine.

One study showed that not using creatine could result in a greater danger of experiencing physical and cognitive difficulties in athletes. This is just another study that touts creatine’s safe and proven reputation. That’s why all major athletic bodies permit the consumption of creatine with no restrictions.

Creatine: Suggested Amounts

The standard serving amount of creatine is four to six grams once or twice a day. Most people take one scoop of creatine before a workout and one afterwards.

Reducing the amount of creatine consumption to one or two half-scoops on non-workout days is also a popular action. Research shows most users feel the effects of creatine with servings as low as 3g a day.

Taking more than 20g of creatine daily does not give any additional benefits. That’s because the muscles have already absorbed the necessary amount of creatine, and if you take more than the recommended amount you won’t be doing yourself any favors. All you’ll be doing is spending more money on supplements than you really need to. So always stick to the recommended amounts of creatine as found on the label.

Take the creatine cycle method into account, which will depend on muscle mass gain. When you put on weight, you may consume up to 15g to 20g of creatine every day before you reduce it to 3g to 5g daily on days when you don’t work out. To make sure you get the necessary amount of creatine per day, increase your intake dosage. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, consume 5g to 6g of creatine every day for maintenance. If you weigh 200 pounds or more, take 8g to 12g of creatine every day.

Creatine FAQs

We get a lot of questions from people just like you in regards to creatine. Here we have compiled the answers to some of those most commonly asked questions in terms of creatine usage.

What is its function?

Creatine provides a short-term energy source, which your muscles use. It basically saturates your muscles to give you energy when you need it most. As a result, you get better strength and endurance at the gym.

Can you get creatine through food?

You can only get a small amount of creatine through food, which is why you should take creatine supplements every day (10g to 20g).

What meals have the highest creatine?

Creatine is found in raw beef, salmon, and other types of meat. You can get 1g – 2g of creatine in 1lb of raw salmon or 1lb of raw beef.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a source of short-term power and energy for the body. It feeds your muscles energy, which in turn enhances your strength and endurance while at the gym. Thus, you can build lean muscle mass as a result.

What are the benefits to taking creatine?

Creatine gives you lean muscle mass, improving muscular development and aiding with recuperation. It also has many cognitive advantages, such as cardiac improvement.

What’s the finest form of creatine?

The most common is creatine monohydrate. Creatine anhydrous is used in most supplements as a refined form. To achieve max absorption, most creatine supplements will have three to five forms of creatine in them.

What are the various forms of creatine?

There are seven main forms of creatine and they include: monohydrate, ethyl ester, anhydrous, buffered, hydrochloride, liquid, and magnesium chelate.

Is creatine harmful to your health?

When taken by healthy individuals in recommended, regular doses, creatine does not have severe negative effects. It’s healthy, harmless, and safe to use.

Who can use creatine?

Anyone can use creatine, including bodybuilders, athletes and joggers, along with people who occasionally work out.

Should I do creatine cycles? What is creatine loading and how does it work?

Creatine cycling can give you the best absorption possible. When you are trying to gain weight, consume 20g of creatine every day, reducing that amount to 5g when starting the maintenance phase. Those who take 20g of creatine on training days should consume smaller quantities on non-workout days. Not much has been studied and published about the pros and cons of creatine loading, so it’s hard to say just how beneficial it can be.

When’s the best time to consume creatine during the day?

It doesn’t really make a difference. As long as you divide your creatine into several servings of 5g each every day, you’re giving your body plenty of absorption time.

Should I take creatine during the night?

You can, since creatine supplements do not contain stimulants unless specifically added. Therefore, it is safe to take creatine overnight.

When’s the best time to use creatine: before a training session or after a training session?

To get the best muscle mass and function, you can consume creatine both before training and after training. This is a widely-used supplement that’s great for both options.

What is the optimal way to use creatine?

Most creatine supplements come in capsule or powdered forms. The powdered form usually comes with no flavor (although there are some flavored powdered options out there if you so choose) and can be blended with a smoothie or water, to be consumed daily. Or, if you have the capsule form, you can take one or more capsules each day.

What happens if I quit creatine? Will muscle mass loss occur?

You shouldn’t have to worry about muscle loss when quitting creatine. That said, you may lose a few pounds of water weight that’s typically retained when you consume creatine.

Does creatine result in water retention?

Creatine doesn’t exactly cause water retention, but it does draw water from the body in order to boost muscle function.

Does creatine have impacts on kidney function?

Most research on creatine says it’s harmless for people of all ages. Some recent studies show there could be side effects on renal function in senior citizens. However, other studies have concluded that those with diabetes or kidney issues are able to safely ingest creatine.

Does creatine cause weight gain?

You may experience temporary fat gain thanks to creatine water retention in the tissues of your muscles. But it’s not likely to cause weight gain per se when you use it alongside a strong diet and training regimen.

Is creatine safe for females?

Yes. Creatine has no impact on women’s hormones, so women can safely use it just like men can. Gender has no effect.

Is the creatine-caffeine interaction bad or good?

Some studies show that creatine and caffeine work in harmony, while others say they counteract one another’s benefits in some areas. However, more research is needed to determine exactly how creatine and caffeine interact with each other.

Can creatine make you lose your hair?

This possibility is very low but it could speed up the hair loss process by increasing your dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels.

Does creatine have a vegetarian/vegan origin?

You will find vegetarian or vegan ingredients in nearly all creatine supplements.

What is creatinine?

A blend of creatine and creatine phosphate will make creatinine, a substance that is normally excreted by your kidneys.

Background on Creatine

Scientists have been researching the benefits of creatine for many years, specifically regarding how it can boost athletic performance. This has been going on since the early 20th century. Fast forward to 1992 when gold medal winners at the Barcelona Summer Olympics credited creatine with a major role in their success. This is when the supplement really went mainstream. Many controlled trials were conducted to prove its efficacy. Then, by the time the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta rolled around, 80 percent of athletes who competed in the games reported using creatine supplements.

Today, creatine remains very popular with people of all ages, from weekend warriors to elite athletes. It even has taken a large share of the sports nutrition market. This has led to many companies developing dozens of creatine types, each with its own forms, benefits and ingredients.

Before you add creatine to your supplement and training routine, you should carefully investigate the benefits, differences in formulas, and the proper dosage you need to take in order to best improve your performance.

What is Creatine?

So let’s go over what creatine is. Basically, it’s a naturally-occurring nitrogenous organic acid that can be found in most vertebrates. In humans, the pancreas, liver, and kidneys produce one gram of creatine per day. Food sources are usually animal products such as red meat, milk, seafood, and eggs. Most meat and plant eaters consume one gram of creatine per day. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you probably won’t naturally consume dietary sources of creatine. In this case, you should supplement with creatine protein powders or capsules. Come up with a balance of good diet and training workouts to achieve the results you want.

Did you know 95 percent of the body’s creatine is being stored in skeletal muscle tissue? Then, it recycles the main source of cellular fuel called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This can put off muscle fatigue so you can push through high-intensity workouts and activities such as sprints and weight lifting. This allows you to go harder and longer, to result in strength gains, endurance improvements, and power.

Benefits of Creatine

Creatine has been extensively researched for decades when it comes to sports supplements. Probably no other supplement has been researched as much! There are hundreds of studies out there, in fact, that evaluate the effects of creatine on things like resistance training. We took a look at 300 of them, with 70 percent of those studies showing that creatine supplements can give users significant gains in strength.

On top of improving strength gains, creatine supplements have been proven to boost max power output, which in turn enhances muscular endurance and the size of your muscles.

There is also a lot of evidence out there supporting the fact that creatine could have cognitive and memory benefits. Studies show that creatine supplements can improve short-term memory and can also sharpen thinking skills, particularly in seniors. The largest cognitive benefits can be viewed among vegetarians and others who do not consume creatine naturally through meat sources.

Best Creatine Monohydrate Supplements For 2021: In Conclusion

Creatine has long been known for its extensive benefits in the health, wellness and bodybuilding world, no matter which form it comes in. From protein powders to pre-workout capsule supplements, there is no doubt as to the efficacy of creatine.

It remains a useful and reliable supplement for those who want to develop lean muscle, build mass muscle, improve the healing process, and support cognitive development.

We hope you found the above list of the best creatine supplements to be useful. You can choose with confidence based on our extensive research into the top creatine supplements on the market today. Just go through them all, read the reviews and labels, and compare them with your specific fitness and health requirements. All of the products we mention here are backed by lots of evidence and research, and are competitively-priced. You shouldn’t have to break the bank when it comes to using creatine in all its many forms.

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