Best Creatine Supplement Is Our Featured Product Review
This article is intended for individuals looking for a review and information on the best creatine supplement on the market! Whether you’re looking for the best creatine monohydrate powder for muscle gain, a creatine blend, buffered creatine, pharmaceutical grade creatine, powder or capsules; you’ll find it here in our creatine supplement review for 2024.
There is one misconception about creatine that I would like to clear up. Many individuals are under the impression that creatine is used only by bodybuilders but, that’s simply not the case. Creatine supplements can be beneficial for anyone looking to increase muscle mass such as sprinters, wrestlers and numerous other athletes; basically, anyone involved in high intensity workouts or demanding activities.
Scientific evidence shows that the short-term use of creatine can boost maximum power & performance by as much as 5 to 15% for high intensity anaerobic repetitive workouts. Of course, creatine is only one of the Muscle Building Supplements you should consider if you’re supplementing for muscle gain. You can discover the most important Muscle Building Supplements in my article HERE.
Many individuals consider creatine monohydrate to be the best creatine product and one of the best pre workout supplements you can take. However, finding the most effective Top Rated Creatine Supplement can be a tough job, so we’ve created this resource, it’s your one-stop-shop, an all-inclusive guide to help you find the Best Creatine Supplement.
This article is not only a review and comparison on creatine supplements; it’s also a comprehensive guide. To make sure you have a good understanding of creatine I’ve packed this article with as much information about creatine supplements as I thought would be useful and included sections on creatine history, creatine basics, answers to common questions concerning creatine supplements and more. I feel this is beneficial information for anyone that’s been using creatine supplements for years or is just becoming interested in creatine supplementation however, if you prefer to jump straight to the Best Creatine Comparison? Just Click Here.
Best Creatine Review – Table of Contents
3. Common Questions about Creatine Supplements
4. A Background on Creatine – Answers to FAQ’s
6. The Bottom Line On the Best Creatine
Creatine’s History
A Creatine supplement is an athletic aid normally used to boost high-intensity performance and is equally beneficial for both men and women. Creatine has been recognized as an energy source for the muscles since the early 1900’s and in 1992 creatine became popular as a supplement for enhancing performance.
As early as 1912, Harvard researchers discovered proof that consuming creatine can substantially increase creatine content in the muscle. Then, in the 1920s, scientists found creatine phosphate, they determined that creatine plays an important part in metabolizing skeletal muscle, and creatine is formed in vertebrates.
Even though we have known about creatine’s ability to influence physical performance since the early 1900’s, it really didn’t become publicized until after the 1992 Olympics. Reports following the Olympics indicated that a few of the gold medal winners had started using creatine supplements before the Olympics. At that time creatine supplements could be found in Britain, however, the following year in 1993 creatine supplements produced to enhance strength were made available commercially and sold as Phosphagen.
Creatine Basics
Creatine monohydrate is usually purchased in flavored powders and normally mixed with liquids to boost the body’s ability to create energy rapidly. When you have increased energy, you are able to workout more often and train harder which in turn produces faster results. Consider that if you are able to lift just a few more pounds or do a couple extra reps, your muscles will grow bigger and stronger. For this reason, I’ve heard some individuals refer to creatine as a fat burner or weight loss supplement. Sure, when you take creatine, you’re able to work harder which may cause fat burning and weight loss but that’s not creatines purpose.
You will receive the most benefit from creatine supplementation with high-intensity workouts and demanding activities. A few sports where creatine supplementation has been found to provide maximum benefits includes:
- Baseball
- Football
- Soccer
- Sprinting
- Weight Training
Creatine is more beneficial for anaerobic repetitive workouts as compared to aerobic-type exercise and endurance performance.
I’m using a Top-Rated Creatine Monohydrate Supplement, why am I not seeing results? Some individuals that use creatine claim to see either very poor results or no benefit at all. Although not very common, this is a definite possibly. You may be one of the select individuals that even the best creatine supplement won’t be able to help. Why? You may be among the few (a very small percentage) that won’t react to creatine simply because your muscles already contain high levels of the substance. However, for most of us creatine supplementation will equal results, and if you’re just not seeing the benefits from creatine that you where expecting give the following a try.
Timing is Everything. It’s critical to take creatine when your muscles are primed to absorb the nutrients, which is normally after your workout. The best way to have the creatine absorbed by your muscles is to take 3 to 5 grams just after your training. You may also consider consuming 3 to 5 grams before your workout with a protein shake, this way during your workout your muscles should be saturated with creatine. Having the muscles saturated during your workout will allow them to produce the quick energy they require and it allows more water to be pulled into the muscles causing them to grow stronger. The pre workout use of creatine may allow you to lift more weight or crank out an additional rep or two. Recent studies reported that individuals that consumed a creatine supplement before and after their workout tended to gain more strength and muscle mass than the individuals that took the same creatine supplement in the morning and at night. However, on the days you skip a workout, you can take the creatine supplement with any meal. ** As with any product, never exceed the manufacturers daily recommended dosage.
Common Questions about Creatine Supplements
1. What exactly is creatine?
It’s a protein-like compound which is produced by the liver, kidney and a little in the pancreas and is stored in muscle cells.
2. Is it possible to increase my level of creatine without taking supplements?
Yes, it is possible but not very practical. Foods such as red meat contain creatine but only in small amounts. One pound of raw steak will contain just under 1 gram of creatine. In order to consume 10 grams of creatine from steak each day you need to eat about 10 pounds of raw steak, not something most individuals can do.
3. What’s the reason for taking creatine post workout?
Creatine will boost protein synthesis and ATP production in the muscle; this provides the body with additional energy during a workout and provides better recovery time post workout. It provides the muscles additional time to grow.
4. How long before my workout should I take creatine?
Creatine should be taken at least 1 hour prior to your workout, you need to give the supplement time to get into your system.
5. Do creatine supplements help everyone?
Creatine will not help everyone. The greatest benefits are realized by athletes that perform explosive workouts like sprinting or weight training.
6. How much creatine do I need?
Usually it’s recommended to take 3 to 6 grams daily for maintenance. However, you always want to follow the manufactures recommendations.
7. What is the top rated creatine?
Creatine monohydrate powder is what most research indicates is the best creatine supplement. Creatine monohydrate tends to be less expensive than other types of creatine, and provides better results.
8. Creatine Loading. I’ve heard I have to load on creatine, is this required?
Many individuals recommend creatine loading but, it is not required to load on creatine to reap the benefits however, you can see results faster. If you don’t load the creatine will still get to your muscles but it may take longer.
9. Creatine and Alcohol – Is it ok to combine them?
Research indicates that combining alcohol and creatine should not be harmful, however, it is not normally recommended. Using alcohol and creatine together may counteract the advantages this supplement provides. Both creatine and alcohol can cause dehydration, however, if you are unable to avoid combining them, then consume only a small amount of alcohol and make sure that you drink a lot of water to hydrate your body. Keeping hydrated is critical to insure proper muscle function.
10. What are the different types of creatine, and which one is best?
Typically, creatine is offered as a liquid, powder or in pill form. We feel powder is the leading creatine supplement choice and is the only type of creatine we consider using. In fact, we have some of the best creatine monohydrate powders in our review.
Do you still have questions about creatine? Still wondering what does creatine do? Still unclear about what creatine is, where its found and how it can help you gain muscle mass. Are you wondering how long you need to take creatine, how often it should be taken and if its right for you? There are many myths floating around about the benefits of creatine and the possible side effects it may have. The answers to many common questions can be found in the following video.
A Background on Creatine – Answers to FAQ’s
Best Creatine Supplement – Comparison
The process involved in finding the Most Effective Top Rated Creatine Supplement was far more time consuming and difficult than I had first thought. A good amount of the information I initially found on creatine supplements proved to be either highly inaccurate or just plain wrong. Often, I came across sites that were recommending a creatine supplement and all the products had going for it was the support of a popular name or some very fancy packaging but, it was far from the top creatine supplement or even a great product.
Our recommendation for the Best Creatine Supplement is based on our analysis of many factors. We didn’t make our choice based solely on popularity, product name or some you tube video. Just a few of the factors that were taken into consideration include: reviews, ratings, manufacturer reputation, supplement ingredients and nutrients, dosage recommendations and many others. Just because a manufacturer claims they have the best creatine supplement on the market doesn’t make it true.
After pouring through a ton of research looking for only the best creatine supplement, we are happy to present what we found to be the Top Rated Creatine Supplements for your review.
The Top 10 Creatine Supplements
Best Creatine Supplement Comparison Chart
The Bottom Line on the Best Creatine Supplement
All of the creatine supplements presented in our comparison are top rated creatine supplements, and you will probably be happy with any one you choose. With that being said we found that…
Con-Cret Creatine is a great choice for a creatine supplement, it seems to be an overall favorite of many, and we have to agree; it’s a top-rated creatine supplement available. And the brand that most people seem to be extremely happy with, (and it is also our #1 choice for the best creatine) is “Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate“.
Nutricost Creatine
This is by far our #1 choice for the top-rated creatine supplement. It is cost effective and produces amazing results with regard to strength gain and increased endurance. Keep in mind that everyone is unique and different, and any creatine supplement can produce varying degrees of success, just because one product works well for one person doesn’t mean it will do the same for the next. As with any supplement, in order to obtain the desired benefits, creatine should be used in combination with a proper diet and exercise program. You should always consult a healthcare professional prior to starting a diet or exercise program or before starting to take creatine or any other type of supplement.
Best Creatine Supplement Runners Up
The competition for the best creatine supplement was tough, there were many excellent creatine supplements available but only the cream of the crop made if for our list of top choices. However, there were a few that just missed being selected as our top creatine supplement choice by a very narrow margin. For this reason I feel that I need to be fair and give them an honorable mention. The following creatine supplements are excellent creatine products and in fact could easily move into the top category during our next review.
Our first place runner up is ON’s Optimum Nutrition Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder. This is a good choice for a top rated creatine supplement and I was sure that it was going to be a top contender (and it still may). Even though it didn’t make our list of top choices it is still one of the best creatine monohydrate powders available and you won’t be disappointed if you give it a try. It is high quality, practically tasteless, cost effective and an odorless powder which you can easily mix into water or juice, and although I haven’t tried On’s creatine myself, I’ve heard many rave reviews. I know many that are claiming amazing results in relation to improved endurance and strength gains from using this product and believe it’s definitely worth a second look.
See Pricing, Ratings and Reviews for ON’s Optimum Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate
Our second place runner up is Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine. Cellucor is another leading creatine supplement, not quite up to par with On’s but definitely worth considering. The product is advertised as unflavored but many complain it has a definite taste but this is usually overcome by mixing the supplement with a flavored beverage instead of water. Most people agree that the product dissolves and mixes very easily. The biggest drawback is the price, it tends to be a little more per serving as compared to On’s. Over all it is a decent creatine supplement and should be considered.
See Pricing, Ratings and Reviews for Cellucor COR-Performance Creatine
Our final runner up is Con-Cret Concentrated Creatine Hydrochloride Powder. Con-Cret is one of the least expensive brands to purchase, however, when you compared the cost per serving to On’s brand you’ll find it to be more costly. Con-Cret only provides 48 servings per container compared to On’s 380 servings per container. But, if you want to give Con-Cret a try it’s a small initial investment. One thing that Con-Cret has going for it is that it doesn’t require the loading phase or cycling that some of the other brands require. Also, according to the manufacturer it will not cause bloating or water retention. Con-Cret is a good creatine supplement with a low initial price point and it may be one you want to try (at least once).
See Pricing, Ratings and Reviews for Con-Cret Concentrated Creatine Powder
As I mentioned, these three supplements were very close to making the cut for our top choices. Periodically, the creatine manufacturers will make changes to their products and the changes aren’t always for the best. Keep in mind that a specific manufacturer may offer the top rated creatine product today but, it doesn’t mean it will still be the best creatine available in six months from now. Therefore, we will review our recommended creatine supplements from time to time and make changes as necessary but, for now this is our list for the Best Creatine Supplement.
Always follow the dosage and usage instruction provided by the manufacturer, after all they know their product best. If you have specific questions or concerns about a particular product, contact the manufacturer before starting to use the product.
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Thanks for this article, I’ve looked at several different creatine supplement sites and this is the only one that gives me the information I am looking for. I’ll go with your recommended creatine supplement.
I feel that CON-CRET Creatine is hands down the best creatine monohydrate supplement I have ever used. No bloating, excellent strength, amazingly quick recovery times.
I have been body building and using creatine supplements for several years. It always gives me a great pump.
I started using a creatine supplement about 3 months ago. So far I am very happy with the results it provided. CON-CRET gets my vote as the best creatine on the market.
I plan to start taking creatine and want to know what is the best type of creatine, powder, pills or liquid.
Hi Tony. Thanks for the question. If you’re looking for the best creatine, monohydrate powder is my recommendation. In fact, powder is the only type I consider.