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Best Creatine Supplements

Simon Hilton by Simon Hilton
Reading Time: 30 mins read
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Best Creatine Supplements

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements in the United States (second only to whey protein), and for good reason.

The best creatine supplements support muscle growth, athletic performance, post-workout recovery, and lean muscle building.

Creatine is an organic molecule formed from amino acids in the body. It is naturally produced by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, and is stored in major muscles.

During heavy, demanding workouts, creatine is transported to the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is the main energy carrier in the body.

The best creatine supplements help to fuel your muscles during workouts so that you can lift more, for longer, every time.

Best Creatine Supplements

Our in-house fitness and nutrition experts have tested the top 10 best creatine supplements on the market. 

We walk you through the best creatine supplements to buy, as well as our detailed buying guide on everything you need to know about creatine supplements before you buy.

Top 10 Best Creatine Supplements

  1. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
  2. Muscle Feast Pure Creatine
  3. Muscle Tech Platinum 100% Creatine
  4. Legion Recharge Creatine
  5. Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
  6. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
  7. Universal Nutrition Creatine
  8. Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate
  9. Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine
  10. BSN Creatine DNA

Top 10 Best Creatine Supplements

Here at BigBlueTest we compare and review all of the best creatine supplements online, so that you can quickly and easily find the right creatine powder for you.

If you are looking for a creatine supplement that will help you fuel lean muscle growth, and take your athletic performance to the next level, check out these top 10 creatine supplements.

Each has been tested by our in-house fitness and nutrition experts. Each supplement is FDA-approved and made from high-quality ingredients (meaning zero banned substances, additives, or fillers).

1. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB

Top of our best creatine supplements list is Transparent Labs Creatine HMB.

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
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Transparent Labs Creatine HMB contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate, 2,000mg of HMB (B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate), and 5mg of Bioperine.

bodThis potent mix of creatine monohydrate and HMB make Transparent Labs Creatine HMB a perfect creatine supplement to help fuel muscle growth, develop strength and endurance, prevent lean muscle loss, and decrease body fat.

The optimum dosage of creatine monohydrate will enhance athletic performance in the gym, leading to strength gain, fat free muscle mass, and heavier lifts. While the HMB will slow protein breakdown, aiding protein absorption, aerobic endurance, and post-workout recovery.

HMB is naturally made in the body from leucine (an amino acid). Leucine is responsible for slowing down the breakdown of muscle proteins, which during post-workout recovery help to rebuild muscle.

Over time, HMB supplementation has shown to provide a dramatic difference to workout endurance and overall body composition.

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB also contains Bioperine, which is a black pepper extract. Bioperine enhances nutrient absorption, leading to enhanced bioavailability of various supplement nutrients during post-workout recovery.

Made from 100% high-quality, pure ingredients, Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is a brilliant FDA-Approved creatine supplement that will help you build lean muscle mass.

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB is available in blue raspberry, strawberry lemonade, tropical punch, and unflavored combinations.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate, 2,000mg of HMB (B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate), and 5mg of Bioperine
  • Helps to help fuel muscle growth, develop strength and endurance, prevent lean muscle loss, and decrease body fat
  • 100% pure, high-quality ingredients, FDA-approved, with thousands of 5-star customer reviews
  • Available in 4 great flavors; blue raspberry, strawberry lemonade, tropical punch, and unflavored flavor combinations

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Transparent Labs

2. Muscle Feast Pure Creatine

Second on our list of the best creatine powders, is Muscle Feast Pure Creatine.

Muscle Feast Pure Creatine
Muscle Feast Pure Creatine
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Muscle Feast Pure Creatine is a 100% high-quality, pure creatine supplement that contains 5,400mg of creatine monohydrate.

Unlike Transparent Labs, Muscle Feast have not bundled HMB or black pepper extract into their creatine powder, instead they have upped creatine dosage by 400mg per serving.

Muscle Feast Pure Creatine undergoes a unique production process in Germany that increases purity. It’s this reasons that many of the world’s best renowned bodybuilders and strength athletes opt to use it.

Muscle Feast is FDA-approved and comes in a number of great flavors. These include; green apple, tangerine, watermelon, blue ice pop, fruit punch, grape, and an unflavored version.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,400mg of pure creatine monohydrate per serving
  • FDA-approved supplement, produced in Germany for maximum purity
  • 8 great flavors, including; green apple, tangerine, watermelon, blue ice pop, fruit punch, grape, and an unflavored version

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

3. Muscle Tech Platinum 100% Creatine

Next on our top creatine supplements list is Muscle Tech’s Platinum 100% Creatine.

Muscle Tech Platinum 100% Creatine
Muscle Tech Platinum 100% Creatine
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Like Muscle Feast, Muscle Tech’s Platinum 100% Creatine contains 100% creatine monohydrate, however in a slightly lower dosage of 5,000mg.

Muscle Tech’s Platinum 100% Creatine is a micronized creatine monohydrate, which means it is a creatine powder designed to pump energy directly into your muscles during workouts.

Muscle Tech’s Platinum 100% Creatine contains 80 servings per tub, and comes unflavored. It has been formulated to aid muscle growth, size, and strength. It is also increases cell volumization to ensure greater protein synthesis during and post-workout.

Like other leading creatine powders on our list, Muscle Tech’s Platinum 100% Creatine is FDA-approved, and contains pure creatine.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of pure creatine monohydrate per serving
  • FDA-Approved creatine powder that helps to aid muscle growth and encourage cell volumization
  • 80 servings per tub, unflavored for ease of use

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

4. Legion Recharge Creatine

If you are looking for a more well-rounded post-workout supplement then Legion Recharge Creatine is a great option.

Legion Recharge Creatine
Legion Recharge Creatine
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Legion Recharge contains 5,000mg of pure micronized creatine per serving, as well as 2,100mg of L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate. This leading creatine supplement also contains 10.5mg of corosolic acid.

Legion Recharge’s post-workout blend combines creatine for boosting muscle growth and strength, while L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate reduced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and accelerates post-workout recovery. Legion also include corosolic acid to help with post-workout glucose and amino acid absorption.

Legion Recharge is more than just a creatine supplement, but it does contain the same dosage of creatine monohydrate included in other pure creatine supplements on this list.

The post-workout supplement is available in fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, watermelon, and unflavored options. It is made from 100% natural high-quality ingredients, and is FDA-Approved. 

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate, 2,100mg of L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate, and 10.5mg of corosolic acid
  • Creatine helps to build muscle, strength and power, while L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate aids post-workout recovery
  • Available in fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, watermelon, and unflavored options

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

5. Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate

Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate is a cheap, ultra pure form of micronized creatine monohydrate.

Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
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Like Muscle Tech, Bulk Supplements have included a 5,000mg dose of creatine per serving in their creatine powder. The creatine powder stirs easily, comes in unflavored or flavored varieties (mixed berry, and apple and lime), and is perfect for stacking with whey protein and BCAAs.

Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate is taken by many professional athletes, including NFL pros, rugby players, bodybuilders, power lifters, and strength athletes. It is designed to increase athletic performance during successive bursts of high intensity exercise.

Bulk Supplements Creatine is FDA-approved and free from any nasty additives, sweeteners, fillers or banned substances.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of pure micronized creatine per serving
  • Used by NFL pros, rugby players, bodybuilders, power lifters, and strength athletes
  • FDA-approved and available in apple and lime, mixed berry, and unflavored options

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

6. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder is next on our list of the best creatine supplements.

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
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Unlike other leading creatine powders on our top 10 list, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder contains a lower dosage of creatine per serving at 3,400mg.

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder is a pure micronized creatine that is designed to increase muscle power during sustained bursts of high-intensity exercise. It is easy to mix, free from additives, fillers, and that gritty creatine taste.

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder is an unflavored creatine supplement that is FDA-approved. While it contains less creatine per serving than other creatine supplements on our list, there is no denying the high-quality of Optimum Nutrition’s products.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 3,400mg of pure micronized creatine per serving
  • Designed to add muscle power during sustained short bursts of high-intensity exercise
  • FDA-approved, easy to stir, and unflavored

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

7. Universal Nutrition Creatine

Universal Nutrition are known for their extreme bodybuilding supplements, like Animal Cuts, and Animal Stak. And their creatine monohydrate supplement is no different.

Universal Nutrition Creatine
Universal Nutrition Creatine
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Universal Nutrition Creatine contains 5,000mg of pure creatine monohydrate, that is patented for its purity.

Produced in Universal Nutrition’s plant in Germany, under a patent-protected process, Universal Nutrition Creatine is designed to encourage lean muscle growth, and provide fuel for high-intensity, heavy workouts.

It works by supporting the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in carrying more energy to major muscles under stress (during bodybuilding).

Universal Nutrition Creatine is FDA-approved, and free from any banned substances, colors or fillers. It is available in unflavored format and can be stacked with other bodybuilding supplements.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate per serving
  • Supports lean muscle growth, and fuel for high-intensity bodybuilding sessions
  • FDA-approved, easy to stir, and available in unflavored format

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

8. Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate

Next on our list of the best creatine supplements for men is Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate.

Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate
Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate
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Like Bulk Supplements, Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate offers a cheap, pure clean micronized creatine powder that contains 3,000mg of creatine per serving.

Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate is used by bodybuilders, power athletes, and sports professionals, receiving tonnes of 5-star reviews for its high-quality results.

If you are looking for a pure creatine powder that will help build muscle, power high-intensity workouts, and aid post-workout recovery, then Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate is a great no-frills option.

It is available in berry blast, blue raspberry, tropical, and unflavored options. It’s also gluten free, and suitable for vegans.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 3,000mg of pure micronized creatine per serving
  • Available in berry blast, blue raspberry, tropical, and unflavored options
  • Received thousands of 5-star reviews for high-quality ingredients and results

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

9. Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine

Cellucor are another top bodybuilding supplement brand that offers a high-quality creatine supplement that will benefit athletic performance and boost muscle growth.

Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine
Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine
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Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate in pure micronized form. Each tub contains 72 servings, and is formulated to increase strength, promote lean muscle mass, and break down in the body for easy absorption.

Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine is an unflavored creatine supplement, that is free from colors, sweeteners, additives and any banned substances.

It can be stacked with other workout supplements, like BCAAs and protein powder. And will provide everything you need to build muscle, power and strength fast. 

Key Benefits

  • Contains 5,000mg of creatine monohydrate per serving
  • Formulated to increase strength, promote lean muscle mass, and break down in the body for easy absorption
  • FDA-Approved supplement, containing 72 servings in unflavored format

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

10. BSN Creatine DNA

The final supplement on our list of the best creatine supplements is BSN Creatine DNA.

BSN Creatine DNA
BSN Creatine DNA
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BSN Creatine DNA contains 3,000mg of creatine monohydrate per serving and comes in a standard, unflavored format that can be stacked with other workout supplements.

Like other leading fitness supplement brands, BSN has a fantastic reputation for it’s high-quality products that deliver results.

BSN Creatine DNA is part of the wider DNA series, that also includes whey protein, BCAAs, and glutamine. Each is designed to be used individually, or in combination to aid muscle growth, strength, and endurance, while reducing post-workout recovery.

Get the most out of every workout using BSN Creatine DNA.

Key Benefits

  • Contains 3,000mg of pure micronized creatine per serving
  • Part of BSN DNA range, also including whey, glutamine and BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids)
  • FDA-Approved supplement, containing 60 servings per tub

Dosage

  • 1 scoop with 4-6 ounces of water, 30 minutes after your workout

Price

  • $

Buy Now From Amazon

Creatine Supplement Buying Guide

Now that we have completed our list of the best creatine supplements, let’s now take a look at everything you need to know about creatine supplementation before you buy.

That means walking through what creatine supplementation does, how creatine supplements work, the different types of creatine, as well as creatine benefits and side effects.

If you are looking to add body mass, aid muscle growth, boost muscle strength, and improve muscle recovery then you need to start taking creatine supplementation seriously. 

Trust us, your muscle cells will thank you.

Let’s get started.

What Are Creatine Supplements?

Creatine supplements are fitness supplements that come in powder and capsule form. They are one of the most effective nutritional supplements for boosting athletic performance and post-workout recovery.

First off, creatine supplementation helps to produce fuel and energy for your muscles during sustained, high-intensity training, improving performance, endurance and explosiveness.

But that’s not all:

  • Build muscle mass – creatine supplement help you lift more, recovery faster, and aid in protein synthesis, all of which helps you pack on lean muscle mass
  • Promote muscle strength – the only way to get stronger is to muscle cells through plateaus. That means improving performance, and muscular endurance. Creatine helps this process
  • Provide energy to muscle cells during workouts – creatine is transformed into ATP which is the primary energy carrier in the body. That means more fuel for muscle cells during high-intensity exercise
  • Aid muscle recovery – creatine plays an important role in post-workout recovery by aiding cell volumization and protein synthesis. Reducing the impacts of DOMS

What Does The Science Say?

Creatine supplements are the second most tested nutritional supplement in the United States, secondly only to whey protein.

There have been thousands of research studies into the effects of creatine supplementation on athletic performance. And the overwhelming opinion is that creatine supplementation has a positive impact on lead body mass even following short-term creatine supplementation.

When combined with resistance training, the best creatine supplements have been shown to improve muscle cell adaptations at but the cellular and sub-cellular level. 

This means that creatine and HMB supplementation can have a significant impact on net lean mass muscle and strength gains.

But how does creatine supplementation work?

How Do Creatine Supplements Work?

Creatine in an organic molecule formed from amino acids in the body.

While creatine is produced in the kidneys and pancreas, is it primarily formed in the liver and stored as phosphocreatine in major muscles throughout the body (as well as being transported to the heart and brain).

During high-intensity exercise, phosphocreatine is transported to the ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and is then transformed into ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

ATP is the main energy carrier in the body, and plays a vital role in creating energy and fuel for your muscle cells during sustained, high-intensity physical exercise.

While creatine is found in some meats, fish and other protein sources, it most easily absorbed by the body through the best creatine supplements.

Not only do creatine supplements help provide energy during intense workouts, but they also aid post-workout recovery.

Cell volumization and post-workout recovery

Creatine supplements also help to increase water content within muscle cells, which is also known as cell volumization.

When you take creatine supplements, your body draws water inside muscle cells which helps to combat protein breakdown during and after workouts. Intracellular fluids flood muscle cells leading to better protein synthesis and post-workout recovery.

This has a profound impact on your ability to bounce back after workouts, and helps to build more lean muscle mass over the long-term.

Best Creatine Supplements Top Tips

Now that we have covered off some of the key facts around creatine supplementation, let’s turn our attention to some useful tips when starting out with creatine supplements.

Micronized creatine monohydrate powders can be a powerful weapon in your nutritional toolkit, our top tips help you get the most out of your supplementation and training.

Creatine Loading Phase

If you eat a healthy diet, high in proteins like meat and fish, then it’s likely your creatine stores are high (sitting at 60-80%). But here’s the thing, they are not full.

If you want to top up your muscles with creatine fast, then you can carry out a creatine loading phase which will help stock up your creatine levels to 100% so that you build muscle faster.

While we would not recommend continuing a creatine loading phase beyond 7 days, by limiting your loading phase to 7 days you can greatly increase creatine stores in muscle cells.

Start by taking 20 grams of creatine for 5-7 days, which means 5 scoops of creatine monohydrate per day.

Once you loading phase is out the way, it’s likely that you will have increased readily available creatine in the body by between 10-40%. And what’s better, is that you can drop your creatine intake down to 2-10 grams of creatine per day to maintain high creatine stores.

While creatine loading is not essential (as sustained creatine supplementation will increase creatine stores over time), carrying out a loading phase can accelerate the process.

  • Athletic performance  – studies have shown that creatine loading can boost short term athletic performance by 10-20%
  • Muscle mass & strength – research has indicated that creatine loading can increase strength and power by 5-15% 
  • Injury prevention – loading creatine helps with post-workout recovery and injury prevention. Leading to less muscle tightness and fewer sports-related injuries

Creatine Loading With Carbohydrates

​There is a school of thought that suggests taking carbohydrates alongside creatine during your loading phase with increase creatine uptake.

Evidence found that those who took 93g of carbs alongside 5g of creatine during load increased creatine stores by 60% throughout loading.

However, it is difficult to achieve this level of carb intake during load, as you would be adding substantial calories to your diet.

What’s more, some diets do not allow carb intake (e.g. Atkins or Keto Diet), or require you to restrict carbs to encourage ketosis.

If you plan to use creatine for a sustained period, you will be able to increase creatine levels to a sufficient level without extra carbohydrate supplementation.

Take Creatine Any Time Of Day

Creatine stores are topped up throughout the day, that means you can take the best creatine supplements at any time, receiving the same benefits during your workout.

Many of the best creatine monohydrate brands recommend that you take creatine 30 minutes post-workout, that’s because creatine helps to aid muscle recovery. However, that won’t necessarily help you boost athletic performance  in the same way as a pre-workout supplement.

In order to load your creatine stores, take creatine throughout the day during your first 7 days of creatine supplementation. After which, pick a time of day that works for you. Whether that is pre-workout, post-workout, or in the morning.

Not Everyone Responds To Creatine

There are a small percentage of people who do not respond to creatine supplementation. These people are called creatine non-responders (around 20% of people), as their bodies do not uptake creatine in the same way.

There is a lack of evidence as to why creatine is not absorbed in the same way in certain people, but that is not to say that creatine supplementation still can’t help you.

Creatine supplementation has wider health benefits and is an inexpensive nutritional supplement. Creatine boosts ATP production, and increased glucose and oxygen levels in the brain. This leads to sharper mental focus and clarity.

If you start supplementing with creatine and do not notice any impact on your ability to enhance muscle strength, and develop lean muscle mass, there is a chance you’re a non-responder. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add creatine to your workout stack.

Forms Of Creatine

There are various different forms of creatine on the market. The most popular form of creatine is creatine monohydrate, but nutritional brands also now offer creatine HCL, Kre-Alkalyn creatine, ethyl ester creatine, and other forms.

Let’s take a look at the different types of creatine available.

Creatine Monohydrate

The most popular form of creatine supplementation is micronized creatine monohydrate (creatine powder).

Creatine monohydrate has been a staple of the bodybuilding world for a long time, as it has proven to help bodybuilders develop enhanced athletic performance under high-intensity exercise.

Most people supplementing with creatine with carry out a loading phase whereby they take on 20 grams of creatine monohydrate over a 5-7 day period. After that, they will drop down to a sustained 5 grams per day.

This keeps creatine stores full, helping to boost athletic performance, and muscle recovery.

Creatine Hydrochloride (Creatine HCL)

While creatine monohydrate is the most popular form of creatine, other different types of creatine have started to gain in popularity.

Creatine hydrochloride (creatine HCL) is a creatine which has been molecularly bound with hydrochloric acid.

This process helps to increase its water absorption rates and overall solubility in the body.

The reason that creatine HCL is growing in popularity is because when creatine is bound with hydrochloric acid, it becomes more soluble in water. That means when it is consumed, it is absorbed much faster by muscle cells.

That means if you want to increase creatine stores fast (without a loading phase), creatine hydrochloride is a brilliant option.

Creatine Ethyl Ester

Creatine Ethyl Ester is another form of creatine that is gaining fans in the world of sports nutrition.

Creatine ethyl ester (CEE) is creatine monohydrate attached to an organic compound formed by esterification (the reaction of carboxylic acid and alcohols).

Unlike pure creatine monohydrate which can cause bloating and dehydration, creatine ethyl ester helps to reduce common side effects.

It is also taken by a lot of athletes who have felt the reduced affects of pure creatine monohydrate supplementation.

The other great thing about creatine ethyl ester is that uses fat more effectively than creatine monohydrate to permeate muscle cell walls. This means that you’ll require a lower dosage of CEE compared to creatine monohydrate to see the same level (or greater) creatine absorption.

Kre-Alkalyn – buffered creatine monohydrate

Kre-Alkalyn is a form of buffered creatine monohydrate (also known as buffered creatine). It is regarded as the gold-standard in nutrition supplementation thanks to its superior absorption rates and reduced side effects.

Kre-Alkalyn has been shown to reduce some unwanted side effects of creatine monohydrate, such as bloating and stomach swelling. It is also absorbed more easily by the body, meaning you can reduce overall dosage, and skip creatine loading phases required on creatine monohydrate.

Creatine magnesium chelate

Creatine magnesium chelate is a form of creatine that is chelated with magnesium. This means that magnesium has been attached to the creatine molecule.

Some health experts believe that creatine magnesium chelate has beneficial impacts on athletic performance and post-workout recovery vs creatine monohydrate. 

However the evidence is not conclusive. In fact, performance among those who supplemented with creatine magnesium chelate vs creatine monohydrate remained the same.

Creatine Supplement Benefits

There is a reason that most of the world’s best athletes supplement with top creatine brands like Muscle Pharm, Beast Sports Nutrition, and NSF. 

Creatine monohydrate is a highly effective nutritional supplement that helps to build lean muscle mass, improve muscle strength, power high-intensity workouts, and aid post-workout muscle cell recovery.

Here is a quick snapshot of the main creatine supplement benefits if you are still not convinced and looking for a muscle gainer supplement.

Build Lean Muscle

Creatine supplementation helps to increase phosphocreatine stores in major muscles. That means when you workout, your body has high levels of readily available ATP which muscle cells use for energy.

When you train, the rate of ATP resynthesis drops, limiting your ability to push muscles through plateaus. However, creatine supplementation allows you to retrieve more ATP so that you can continue with your workout.

The resulting impact is your muscles get a harder workout, and as such grow faster.

Boosts Athletic Performance

By increasing readily available ATP during workouts, you will enhance every kind of strenuous, high-intensity exercise your carry out. This includes:

  • Strength straining (bodybuilding)
  • Sprinting
  • Brain performance
  • Muscular endurance
  • Resistance to tiredness and fatigue

Aid Muscle Recovery

After you workout, your muscles need to rebuild, which is where protein synthesis comes in.

Supplementing with creatine aids post-workout recovery by creating cell volumization. Cell volumization draws water into muscle cells, leading to enhanced protein synthesis and protein absorption rates.

Creatine Supplement Side Effects

There are few side effects associated with creatine supplementation. That is why it is regarded as one of the best fitness supplements for helping to add lean muscle mass.

With that said, there is always a risk of unwanted side effects if you abuse any supplement. To ensure that you do not suffer from any side effects when supplementing with creatine, always stick to the recommended daily dosage outline by each creatine manufacturer.

As a guide, this means during creatine loading phases, stick to 20 grams of creatine per day, and after this stick to 5 grams of creatine per day.

Some people report feelings of being bloated or swollen when taking creatine supplements. This may mean that you are better suited to creatine HCL or another form of creatine.

If you do suffer from unwanted side effects, make sure you check your dosage and seek medical advice from a trained medical practitioner.

Best Creatine Supplements Bottom Line

We have not completed our review of the best creatine supplements on the market.

Our detailed top 10 creatine supplement list, and associated creatine buyers guide gives you everything you need to know about creatine supplements before you make your next purchase.

Ultimately, if you want to build muscle, improve muscle strength, aid muscle recovery, and supports muscle cells during workouts, then creatine supplementation can help you achieve your workout goals.

Just ensure that you always stick to the recommended creatine dosage, and that you combine creatine supplementation with a healthy diet, regular resistance training, and plenty of hydration.

If you’d like to learn more about the best healthy and fitness supplements online, check out BigBlueTest for more information.

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Simon Hilton

Simon Hilton

Simon Hilton is the Founder & Managing Editor at BigBlueTest. Simon lives in London, United Kingdom, and is a veteran of the health and fitness industry. Simon previously launched Fitsational.com, a leading health and fitness information portal in the UK. He has also developed niche websites that have allowed thousands of people to improve their athletic performance across team and racket sports. Simon is passionate about health supplements, leading a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy diet. In his spare time, Simon enjoys soccer, triathlons, weight training, and swimming.

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Table of Contents

  • Top 10 Best Creatine Supplements
    • 1. Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
    • 2. Muscle Feast Pure Creatine
    • 3. Muscle Tech Platinum 100% Creatine
    • 4. Legion Recharge Creatine
    • 5. Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
    • 6. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
    • 7. Universal Nutrition Creatine
    • 8. Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate
    • 9. Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine
    • 10. BSN Creatine DNA
  • Creatine Supplement Buying Guide
    • What Are Creatine Supplements?
      • What Does The Science Say?
    • How Do Creatine Supplements Work?
      • Cell volumization and post-workout recovery
    • Best Creatine Supplements Top Tips
      • Creatine Loading Phase
      • Creatine Loading With Carbohydrates
      • Take Creatine Any Time Of Day
      • Not Everyone Responds To Creatine
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      • Aid Muscle Recovery
    • Creatine Supplement Side Effects
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