Don’t be alarmed if people try to dissuade you from taking creatine, this muscle-building supplement is one of the most tested in the world and, when consumed safely, can have brilliant benefits.
Known and loved by bodybuilders, athletes and anyone looking to enhance muscle growth safely and naturally, creatine draws water into muscles and helps them produce energy during high-intensity exercise.
Creatine is similar to amino acids and is absorbed into your body naturally through things like red meat and seafood. But, if you’re aiming high with your body’s physical capabilities, there’s no harm in adding a little extra creatine into the mix.
Lily Chapman, Performance Coach and Nutritionist for P3RFORM says: "Creatine is a natural substance that the body both produces itself and takes from protein-rich foods or supplementation. Creatine supplements work by maximising the body’s natural creatine stores, meaning individuals can potentially increase muscle strength and size, stimulate phosphocreatine resynthesis, or improve cognitive functioning.
Creatine can help a range of individuals, whether this is gym-goers wanting to increase their muscle mass, bodybuilders who are going through their ‘cutting’ phase whereby they seek to lose fat, whilst maintaining lean muscle, strength, and power athletes, or even those wanting to improve functional strength as they age.
Should I take creatine every day?
Edward Mather, Registered Nutritionist at Fuel Hub shares "Creatine is a saturation product, meaning we have to go through a period of saturation before we see any benefits. This involves going through a loading phase (5g x 4 = 20g/day) for 5-7 days. After this period, 3-5g servings daily will be enough to maintain the benefits associated with creatine. So yes, taking creatine daily will see the most benefits. A loading phase is not essential but has shown to be effective."
What are the pros and cons of creatine?
"Creatine is one of the most widely researched supplements to date and there is now an abundance of strong evidence showing creatine has many benefits on health and performance”, Mather explains. “Benefits include improved strength and power output, increased muscle mass, improved training quality and cognitive function, as well as possible anti-concussion benefits. This explains why it’s so popular amongst athletes and fitness professionals. Some people have reported gastrointestinal issues such as bloating and nausea when taking creatine in larger doses, but this can be helped by splitting doses throughout the day and by consuming with food. Additionally, there may be some water retention experienced but this isn’t seen in everyone and the benefits outweigh any potential negatives."
What does creatine do to the body?
According to the nutritionist, "Creatine plays an important role in energy metabolism. Once it enters our cells, it’s phosphorylated into phosphocreatine, an energy substrate that is responsible for regenerating ATP (adenosine triphosphate). During exercise, muscles require ATP as an immediate energy source, but we only have a limited supply of this which lasts for just a few seconds during high-intensity exercise, where it is broken down and turned into ADP (adenosine diphosphate). This is where creatine can help by regenerating ATP within the muscles, allowing you to sustain high-intensity performance for longer periods.
Along with regenerating ATP within the muscles, creatine also plays a role in brain ATP production which may explain the cognitive benefits associated with supplementation. Additionally, creatine increases the uptake of water into the muscles leading to cell volumisation and increased water retention within the muscles."
What should people keep in mind before adding it to their workout/nutrition routine?
Lily Chapman, Performance Coach and Nutritionist for P3RFORM reveals, "Creatine is widely studied and considered safe to use by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. However, creatine can promote water retention, which can be disruptive if your goal is weight loss (this should not be an issue as your real goal is fat loss, not weight loss!) With this, I’d still recommend creatine even when seeking to lose fat, as the benefits (increased muscle strength, etc) are extensive."
What is the best way to incorporate it into a fitness plan?
"For those really looking to maximise their performance, taking small daily doses of creatine (3-5g/d) should be enough to fulfil requirements” advises Chapman. “Studies show that the optimum time to take creatine is shortly before or after exercise."
Best creatine supplements at a glance
- Best for overall performance: Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine Powder - £27.50, Amazon
- Best for value for money: MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate Powder 250g - £5.55, MyProtein
- Best for an easy-to-mix formula: Applied Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder - £14.35, Amazon
- Best for extra vitamins: Iron Labs Nutrition Creatine Capsules - £30.49, Amazon
- Best for serious athletes: Warrior Creatine Monohydrate Powder - £13.53, Amazon
- Best for creatine beginners: Bulk Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate Tablets - £9.99, Bulk
- Best for recovery: MyProtein All-In-One Perform Blend 2500g - £50.93, MyProtein
- Best for quick muscle growth: C4 Original Beta Alanine Sports Nutrition Bulk Pre Workout Powder - £17.95, Amazon
- Best for taking on-the-go: VOW Nutrition Creatine Chews Strawberry - £20, Holland & Barrett
- Best for vegetarians: PE Nutrition Performance Creapure Creatine - £23, Holland & Barrett
- Best for tiredness: MyVitamins Creatine Gummies - £15.59, MyVitamins
- Best for being the best you: Thorne Creatine - £32.39, Healf
We’ve rounded up all of the best creatine supplements below.
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Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine Powder
Best for: overall performance
Optimum Nutrition’s Micronised Creatine Powder is one of the finest options around - both physically and metaphorically. Designed to blend easily without any unnecessary texture or gritty taste, this pure creatine is a great choice just after finishing a CrossFit class or a long workout session.
Optimum Nutrition is one of the most popular brands in the world of creatine, so you know you’re in safe hands when buying this one. One pack also contains 186 servings, so you won’t need to stock up again for a while, either.
Buy now £27.51, Amazon
MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate Powder 250g
Best for: value for money
MyProtein's budget-friendly supplements extend past just protein powders and snacks. The brand's Creatine Monohydrate Powder is a popular, clean product that offers all of the benefits of creatine but none of the filler ingredients that you may find in cheaper options.
This creatine comes in two flavoured options as well as its standard unflavoured offering. Choose between Tropical V2 or Berry Burst if you're looking to step up your weight training with a twist.
Buy now £5.55, MyProtein
Applied Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate Micronized Powder
Best for: an easy-to-mix formula
Everything about Applied Nutrition's creatine supplements was designed to be as easy as possible, from the easy-to-mix formula to the varying package sizes depending on your workout schedule intensity.
Another popular brand with the reviews to match, Applied Nutrition offers both capsules and powder depending on how you'd rather take the supplement. Often called one of the best options on the market, this creatine is renowned for not only being clean and smooth but also budget-friendly on a per-cost basis.
Buy now £14.35, Amazon
Iron Labs Nutrition Creatine Capsules
Best for: extra vitamins
Iron Labs makes creatine supplements for those looking to go all out, which is why these tablets contain not just creatine but also a large helping of other beneficial ingredients. As well as 3900mg of creatine per serving, these supplements' impressive features include Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), Vitamin D and Zinc, vitamin D3 and vitamin B12. It brings together all of the essentials to keep your body growing healthily.
Buy now £30.59, Amazon
Warrior Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Best for: serious athletes
Choose between Savage Strawberry or Blazin’ Berry when you buy Warrior’s Creatine Monohydrate Powder: flavours that don’t necessarily promise any extra boost in the gym but may get you pumped a little faster mentally.
A vegan option that’s micronised for easier mixing, uptake and consumption, it blends smoothly with all kinds of protein powders. This 100 per cent pure creatine supplement brings all the benefits of ultra-premium quality creatine monohydrate powder without the side effects and was designed with the likes of MMA fighters, BJJ masters, boxers, rugby players and hardcore gym users in mind.
Buy now £13.53, Amazon
Bulk Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate Tablets
Best for: creatine beginners
Creatine tablets are a great option if you're on the move or don't want to struggle with weighing out particular portion sizes each time you take them. And Bulk's are some of the best around.
These tablets feature a beginner-friendly dose of 1000mg of creatine with 99.99 per cent purity, helping you to increase physical performance next time you're hitting the gym. If you don't like the taste of powder-based supplements or just want your health to be as easy to maintain as possible, look to Bulk.
Buy now £9.11, Bulk
MyProtein All-In-One Perform Blend 2500g
Best for: recovery
MyProtein's All-In-One Perform Blend isn't strictly a creatine product but it does contain everything you need post-workout. As well as creatine, you'll find 30g of premium protein per serving with a boost of carbs to help you refuel after a heavy session.
Each shake will contain 5g of Creapure: enough on a daily basis for most no matter whether you're looking to maintain your current physique or if you're on a growth period. Bonus points for the delicious chocolate flavour.
Buy now £50.93, MyProtein
C4 Original Beta Alanine Sports Nutrition Bulk Pre Workout Powder
Best for: quick muscle growth
Where to start with Cellucor's C4 Original Beta Alanine Sports Nutrition Bulk Pre Workout Powder? As well as its all-important 1500mg serving of micronised creatine monohydrate, it also includes 150mg of caffeine, 1600mg of clinically studied CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine and 1000mg arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate.
Perfect ahead of a workout, it brings together everything you need to help muscles grow quickly and safely with an added energy boost at the same time. It also comes in a huge range of flavours.
Buy now £17.96, Amazon
VOW Nutrition Creatine Chews Strawberry
Best for: taking on-the-go
With 5g of creatine per chew and two flavours available, VOW Nutrition's easy-to-enjoy Creatine Chews are a great choice for those on the move or who want to implement creatine into their workout routine easily and efficiently. Choose between mint or strawberry with these popular supplements, which come in a 100-pack size to keep you going for a while.
Buy now £20.00, Holland & Barrett
PE Nutrition Performance Creapure Creatine
Best for: vegetarians
PE Nutrition's Performance Creapure comes unflavoured, so you're free to add it to your favourite drinks, protein shakes or even your favourite bakes (protein pancakes or banana muffins, anyone?) without having to experience a lingering aftertaste that some may feature.
With 5g of creatine per serving, this vegetarian-quality-assured creatine is a great budget-friendly option for implementing into your nutrition routine.
Buy now £15.00, Holland & Barrett
MyVitamins Creatine Gummies
Best for: tiredness
When you're feeling tired and unmotivated, going to the gym feels like a real chore. Luckily, with MyVitamins' gummies in your sports bag, you can easily combat fatigue with the unique blend of creatine, caffeine and vitamin B6 - leaving you to make the most of your workout.
Buy now £25.59, MyVitamins
Thorne Creatine
Best for: being the best you
A pure creatine formula, Thorne's Creatine will promote muscle performance and lean body mass, as well as cellular energy production and improved cognitive function - making it perfect for gym goers and the elderly alike.
Simply mix a scoop with 8 ounces of water or juice daily for best results.
Buy now £32.39, Healf
Verdict
There are lots of great options out there, but choose Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine Powder if you're looking for creatine that both dissolves and mixes well with shakes or straight-up water.
