Since every bit of this micronized powder is so tiny, the supplements quickly dissolve in any type of liquid, so you will be able to mix them with any drink, be it juice or water and experience the effects sooner rather than later. It will increase your energy levels and speed up the recovery rates.
The container's design is a tad inconvenient, might be difficult to get the last bits of powder with a spoon.
If you're looking for the optimal post-workout creatine supplement, you should definitely give this Optimum Nutrition product a try. It may very well be the most effective option out there, just the thing you need to take your workout regimen to the next level.
Powder
0.6 kg (1.32 lbs)
1 rounded teaspoon (5 grams)
Creatine Monohydrate: 5 grams
None
A single serving doesn't just contain creatine monohydrate but also creatine citrate. This way, their product delivers more creatine directly into your muscles. This creatine supplement formula includes Vitamins C, B6, and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. With these extra elements, you will have far more energy and you will feel a lot better after a workout.
There's quite a lot of sugar in one serving.
MuscleTech Cell Tech will prove to be the right choice for people who do not have the means or the desire to buy a whole bunch of different sports nutrition products. This is as complete of a formula as you can get from a single container of creatine supplement.
Powder
1.4 kg (3 lbs)
1 scoop (48 grams)
Creatine Monohydrate: 2.5 grams, Creatine Citrate: 2.5 grams
Cell-Volumizing Amino Acids: 1.5 grams, BCAAs: 1 gram
The formula is gluten-free, making it one of the only supplements suitable for individuals with celiac disease. Lab-tested and verified, this product will provide you with nothing but 99.99% pure micronized creatine monohydrate powder.
The packages do not seal closed, so we would suggest using a different container.
Creatine Monohydrate Powder Micronized by BulkSupplements is just the right product for you if you're not looking for some sort of complex formula. What you get is pure creatine, plain and simple. You won't have to worry about any potentially harmful ingredients and you won't have to adjust your diet.
Powder
1 kg (2.2 lbs)
1 rounded teaspoon (5 grams)
Creatine Monohydrate: 5 grams
None
The powder includes no yeast, wheat, corn, soy, milk, no extra additives, and no preservatives. This is a completely vegetarian product that works for men and women. The fact that the bits of powder are larger than average also makes them last longer, so you won't have to keep the expiration date in mind.
The bits of powder are relatively large, so it takes more time for them to dissolve.
NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder is a creatine supplement for athletes who feel stuck in their training progress and would like to improve their performance. But it will also fit those individuals who are just getting started in the world of fitness.
Powder
1 kg (2.2 lbs)
1 rounded teaspoon (5 grams)
Creatine Monohydrate: 5 grams
None
Creatine magnesium chelate allows a higher level of absorption and does not require a loading phase. Their formula includes 0.025 grams of AstraGin® and 1.6 grams of beta-alanine. Aside from improving the overall endurance, this substance is responsible for delaying fatigue in workouts and general exercises.
A limited amount of powder that won't last you for more than 25 servings.
What we have here is a product with its own take on the creatine formula. Naturally, it all depends on your body, but for the majority of people out there, this powder will be easier to digest. And all of the extra ingredients could very well make you a better athlete.
Powder
0.188 kg (0.41 lb)
1 scoop (7.5 grams)
Creatine Monohydrate: 3 grams, Creatine Hydrochloride: 1.5 grams, Creatine Magnesium Chelate: 0.5 gram
AstraGin®: 0.025 gram, beta alanine: 1.6 grams
Take It to the Next Level
As per usual, the folk at Optimum Nutrition offer creatine supplements at their best. Their powder is made with CreaPure Creatine, one of the most effective options on the market and arguably the purest one. They don't add any additional ingredients, making it really easy to control your diet. But the best part about their micronized powder is, well, the micronized part. Since every bit of powder is so tiny, these supplements quickly dissolve in any type of liquid, so you will be able to mix them with any drink, be it juice or water.
Just like any other creatine supplement out there, this product will become your perfect bodybuilding assistant. It not only enhances energy reserves in those muscles of yours but it also minimizes protein breakdown. It will increase your energy levels and speed up the recovery rates. Whether you're looking to build up some muscle mass or your ideal body type is more of a lean frame, this product will come in handy by improving your performance in those high-intensity exercises that are often the driving force behind your gym progress. All in all, it will provide you with the opportunity to build muscle, increase the strength of those muscles, and maximize your power.
And that's about all there is to it. If you're looking for the optimal post-workout creatine supplement, you should definitely give this Optimum Nutrition product a try. It may very well be the most effective option out there, just the thing you need to take your workout regimen to the next level.
A Complete Formula
The people behind MuscleTech Cell Tech advertise it as the ultimate hardgainer creatine formula and we're inclined to give them that one. What makes their formula better or, at the very least, different from the rest of them is that a single serving doesn't just contain creatine monohydrate but also creatine citrate. This way, their product delivers more creatine directly into your muscles, providing you with even more opportunity to build major lean muscles.
But what you get out of their formula isn't just creatine either. Other ingredients include a gram and a half of cell-volumizing amino acids and a gram of BCAA. The latter will prove to be particularly useful to you if your diet doesn't include enough protein or if you're just trying to increase your frame. While the former will make your muscles grow even faster.
On top of that, this creatine supplement formula includes Vitamins C, B6, and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. With these extra elements, you will have far more energy and you will feel a lot better after a workout. We would say that the only issue we have with their formula is that they add quite a bit of sugar in it. And while that does make it taste better, they don't call it the white poison for no reason, so make sure to follow the recommended serving suggestions.
All things considered, MuscleTech Cell Tech will prove to be the right choice for people who do not have the means or the desire to buy a whole bunch of different sports nutrition products. This is as complete of a formula as you can get from a single container of creatine supplement.
Pure Creatine, Nothing Else
The creatine powder from BulkSupplements is easily one of the best options for people who strictly need creatine supplements and nothing else. What you get is just pure creatine monohydrate without any extra ingredients.
Now, if you're looking for a formula that covers as many bases as possible, this isn't necessarily the best fit for you. But it is definitely a good fit for vegans since the powder doesn't contain any dairy products. Furthermore, it doesn't contain any unnecessary and potentially harmful additives sugar, soy, or yeast. Their formula is gluten-free, making it one of the only supplements suitable for individuals with celiac disease.
Lab-tested and verified, this product will provide you with nothing but 99.99% pure micronized creatine monohydrate powder. You won't have to worry about making it fit your diet. You just take it before a workout and see your muscular endurance skyrocket as you push more reps than ever before. Plus, it will fuel your muscles during those high-intensity exercises where you need every bit of extra energy to reach your fitness goals.
Of course, it isn't a perfect product, and if we had to point out one flaw with it, it would have to be the fact that you get is just a plastic package that doesn't seal closed, so you'll have to acquire a different container on your own to store the powder. Other than that, we would like to rephrase our earlier point and say that Creatine Monohydrate Powder Micronized by BulkSupplements is just the right product for you if you're not looking for some sort of complex formula. What you get is pure creatine, plain and simple. You won't have to worry about any potentially harmful ingredients and you won't have to adjust your diet.
The Training Time is Now
NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder is another creative supplement option that doesn't incorporate any unnecessary substances. Their formula includes no yeast, wheat, corn, soy, milk, no extra additives, and no preservatives. This is a completely vegetarian product that works for men and women. One teaspoon of this powder before a workout will provide you with the energy you require to push yourself to your limits and to handle the most intense exercises. Another teaspoon after your workout will help you maintain the existing muscle tissue and develop lean mass. Moreover, creatine makes your muscles recover faster, and we all know how important that is for healthy muscle development.
Aside from that, there isn't much that makes this product different from your standard creatine supplement options. You get a nice little container about a kilogram of powder (2.2 pounds). Though grains of powder are relatively large, meaning that they might take more time to dissolve compared to other creatine formulas. But the fact that these bits are larger than average also makes them last longer, so you won't have to keep the expiration date in mind.
In short, NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate Powder is a creatine supplement for athletes who feel stuck in their training progress and would like to improve their performance. But it will also fit those individuals that are just getting started in the world of fitness.
A Unique Take
A company with a modest name Genius with their creatine powder is another entry on our list. Offering 0.188 kilograms of their substance (0.41 pounds), the company provides the smallest amount of powder volume compared to the rest of the products listed in this review. But it may be the most effective option as well.
Most supplements out there offer a 5-gram serving that consists creatine monohydrate. But here, you get 3 grams of the said substance, 1.5 grams of creatine hydrochloride, and 0.5 grams of creatine magnesium chelate: 0.5 gram. Despite the fact that the latter is the smallest part of the serving, it is also the part of the formula that allows a higher level of absorption and does not require a loading phase.
Other than the creatine, their formula includes 0.025 grams of AstraGin® and 1.6 grams of beta-alanine. Aside from improving the overall endurance, this substance is responsible for delaying fatigue in workouts and general exercises. Of course, none of these extra ingredients would be worth much if the creatine itself wasn't up to par. But the modest folk at Genius use Creapure for their creatine supplements, which is the best creatine available for increasing lean body mass without adding the extra fat.
In conclusion, what we have here is a product with its own take on the creatine formula. Naturally, it all depends on your body, but for the majority of people out there, this powder will be easier to digest. And all of the extra ingredients could very well make you a better athlete.
What Is a Creatine Supplement?
A lot of people tend to be wary of sports nutrition. But creatine is a bit different from the rest of them. The fact that it is a chemical that is found in the human body makes it one of the safest natural substances out there. Now, we're not saying that it couldn't possibly harm you in any way, shape, or form and you should still consult your physician before taking any supplements, but these are as safe as they come. Plus, when it comes to building muscle by providing your body with the sort of energy excess that will allow you to improve your workout performance, there is nothing quite like creatine supplements.
Without going into some of the more technical details, this natural substance works by turning itself into phosphate after entering your body. The latter helps produce a substance by the name of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). And ATP, in turn, provides the energy that is necessary for muscle contractions, thus improving muscle growth. Finally, other than improving physical performance and muscle strength, a substantial number of individuals require creatine to battle the creatine deficiency syndromes, all of which affect so many parts of the body and cause such a number of diseases that we simply wouldn't be able to cover them all.
Hopefully, we don't need to tell you that creatine supplements won't do you any good if you're not willing to put in the work. So make sure to renew your gym subscription and if you do not have the time nor the desire to go to the gym, you can always get yourself a train bench or a smith machine and exercise at home.
Benefits of Creatine Supplements
Health Concerns
With the ideas of fitness and self-care rising in popularity over the last few years, the subject of sports nutrition has been one of the most controversial and debated topics of discussion. And, as always, a lot of people don't seem to be interested in exploring the middle ground, opting for one extreme or the other.
But, as we have said earlier, creatine is a bit different from the majority of other sports nutrition supplements. Again, creatine itself a nothing more than a chemical, a chemical that is present in the bodies of every one of us. Just this fact alone already makes it one of the safer substances in the sports supplements category. Creatine is easily one of the most researched sports supplements. And we can say with certainty that it shouldn't do any harm to your kidneys or your health in general. That said, there is still a lot of debate on the subject of creatine and its benefits, so we thought that it wouldn't hurt to shed some light on this subject without boring you too much with medical terms.
Muscle Strength
As per usual, there has been conducted a series of studies and most of them show varying results. Nevertheless, the majority of these studies arrive at a relatively similar consensus. According to the United States' National Library of Medicine, creatine as a substance is rated as “possibly effective” in terms of muscle strength improvement. It's been shown to be especially effective with older adults, though it is by no means ineffective for younger people.
Age-related muscle loss becomes an issue for every person once you approach a certain age. And there's been enough evidence to suggest that creatine's benefits include improving older individual's muscle strength, especially those who are doing resistance training in addition to the usual workout regimen. But, regardless of your age, taking creatine before and/or after a workout (depends on the creatine) will most certainly result in improved upper and lower body strength.
Athletic Performance
Athletics is a bit of a wide field, so we wouldn't be able to say that creatine always improves athletic performance. But creatine has been shown to improve those athlete's performance who are involved in rowing, soccer, and high jump. The same cannot be said about tennis players' serving ability. With sprinting, cycling, and various swimming activities, the results have been mixed. It clearly helps some people, while others do not seem to receive any benefits from it, so the researchers haven't been able to reach a consensus here.
High-Intensity Training
As far as the benefits of creatine and creatine supplements are concerned, high-intensity training is one of the more uncertain subjects. Some fitness enthusiasts claim that it helps them with those explosive, high-intensity exercises that require every bit of energy. But there hasn't been enough evidence to back up those claims.
Muscle Weight
If there's one thing we can say about creatine with utmost certainty, this thing will help you gain weight. It is easily the best substance out there if you're looking to add some muscles to your frame. Now, to be fair, some of that weight will include water. But that water weight is actually good for you as it makes muscles fuller and bigger.