Creatine is probably the best and the worst product ever to emerge from the supplement industry. Best because of its effectiveness in building muscle and strength. Worst because many supplement companies have exploited the research at your expense. So which is the best creatine supplement?
About 25 years ago this supplement single-handedly revolutionized and rejuvenated a tired, impotent sports nutrition market. Among an ocean of benign, useless, fraudulent products at last one supplement shone through like a beacon with compelling research on its safety and effectiveness.
As far as performance-enhancers go, no supplement gives you more muscle-building stimulus than creatine monohydrate.
Benefits range from greater force capacity, power output, strength (relative and absolute) and much better body composition changes during exercise training (more muscle, less body fat). Supplementation is also shown to delay time to fatigue under an array of athletic conditions, speed muscle recovery and even enhance brain function. Best of all, it’s safe, inexpensive and readily available.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]If a company is trying to sell you a form of creatine other than creatine monohydrate and they are claiming it’s better, they are lying. It’s as simple as that.[/su_pullquote] Creatine monohydrate is the form of creatine shown in research to provide these benefits. Ever since the science-based evidence started accumulating, supplement companies have taken advantaged of restored consumer faith and renewed interest from sports/athletic communities.Newer forms of creatine have been continually introduced to the marketplace. These newer forms have been purported by shameless supplement companies to have better physical and chemical properties, bioavailability, efficacy, and safety profiles than creatine monohydrate. All claims with no substantiation. You must understand that marketing and scientific research are two completely different things.
What is the best creatine supplement?
Recently, an independent review of new and novel forms of creatine has been completed and published. [1] This extensive review examined all the available research on virtually every type of creatine product available in the marketplace. This review included stability, bioavailability, safety and effectiveness at increasing muscle creatine stores and enhancing athletic performance. Additionally, this review examined the regulatory status of creatine-containing products all over the world.
The results . . .
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Creatine Monohydrate is the most stable form as a dry supplement and in solution within the body.
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Creatine Monohydrate is the most bio-available form.
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Creatine Monohydrate is the most effective by far at increasing the concentration of creatine in muscle and other tissues.
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Creatine Monohydrate is by far the most effective at enhancing physical performance under an array of athletic conditions.
Additionally, unlike other forms of creatine, supplementation with creatine monohydrate is not significantly degraded during the digestive process, it is effectively taken up by muscle and safely eliminated in the urine. Despite over 500 peer-review studies, no medically significant side effects have been reported from creatine monohydrate supplementation despite the widespread worldwide use.
If a company is trying to sell you a form of creatine other than creatine monohydrate and they are claiming it’s better, they are lying. It’s as simple as that.
Conversely, the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of alternate forms of creatine have not been well investigated. There is no evidence supporting marketing claims of alternate forms of creatine; they are definitely no more stable, digestible or effective. More importantly, possible side effects of alternate forms of creatine have not been extensively investigated.
The Bottom Line
If you are buying and using a creatine supplement other than creatine monohydrate you are using an inferior creatine supplement. Listen to the science and not the hucksters. Creatine monohydrate is clearly the best creatine supplement. AST’s Micronized Creatine is the purest and most power creatine on the market. It’s patented and guaranteed for purity and potency.
Source: Jäger R, Purpura M, Shao A, Inoue T, Kreider RB. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1369-83.
