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Best Creatine Supplements: Top 7 Brand Reviews In 2024
Updated on
- Written by Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by
Melissa Mitri, MS, RD
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Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
- Natural ingredients
- Contains no harmful additives
- Gluten-free and Non-GMO
Crazy Nutrition Ultimate CRN-5
- Boosts energy
- Builds muscles
- Enhances physical performance
Elm & Rye Creatine
- Available in tablets and gummies
- Sustainably-sourced ingredients
- Soy, dairy, and gluten-free
For any athlete or gym lover, bulking up is the ultimate goal. It’s tempting to want to join the working-out culture and get ripped in a few months. But, let’s face it, there are times when you need an extra boost from supplements.
Supplements can help you improve your performance, increase your energy, and, most importantly, help you achieve the muscle growth you desire.
If you are keen on supplements, you know that they have a set purpose of offering your body an extra boost that you can’t always get from food alone. There are many types of dietary supplements to choose from for weight gain, weight loss, and bodybuilding, as well as for boosting brain health and immunity.
Our focus in this article will be specifically on creatine products, but they are not the only supplements that one can use to bulk up. In that same category, you will find protein supplements that are weight gainers such as Beta-Alanine[1], and Beta-hydroxy beta-methyl butyrate (HMB)[2], to mention a few.
Each of these has its benefits. Here we will discuss our seven best creatine products and their health benefits linked to muscle building and overall fitness performance.
Best Creatine Supplements On The Market In (April. 2024)
- Transparent Labs Creatine HMB – Editor’s Choice
- Crazy Nutrition Ultimate CRN-5 – Best Creatine With Electrolytes
- Elm & Rye Creatine – Best Option
- Naked Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate – Best Pure Creatine
- Life Extension Creatine Capsules – Best For Vegetarian
- Thorne Creatine – Best For Competitive Athletes
- Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate – Most Affordable
Top 7 Best Creatine Supplements In 2024
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Transparent Labs has created a formula that helps the person who wants to step up their athletic game without straining the body. This is because the formulation offers the user an increase in endurance, a boost in strength, muscle growth, and fat reduction without losing lean muscle.
- All-natural formulation
- No added synthetic additives or harmful ones.
- Boost performance without straining the body
- Increases endurance
- Prevents lean mass loss
- Decreases fat mass
- Results are only seen if taken consistently
Here is the list of the main ingredients that make Transparent labs the second-best creatine supplement on our list:
Creatine Monohydrate: Works hand-in-hand[3] with another ingredient present in this supplement called B-Hydroxy B-Methyl butyrate (HMB) to add lean body mass plus muscle strength. Monohydrate on its own helps with muscle growth, fat-free mass increment when combined with consistent heavy resistance training.
Micronized creatine also effectively affects body composition by helping the body naturally shed fat while keeping lean muscle, resulting in a more well-toned body. They use pure creatine from a German company called Creapure.
B-Hydroxy B-Methyl Butyrate, HMB: Helps weight lifters boost their athletic competency. It provides a boost of energy that enables you to go longer without getting tired. This is because HMB increases the oxygen[4] capacity within the muscle cells.
BioPerine: This substance is a component of black pepper, and it enhances bioavailability. It improves the absorption of the other nutrients inside the product, possibly rendering it more effective.
Besides the ingredients, you can find the Transparent labs nutritional supplement in four flavors -tropical punch, unflavoured powder, blue raspberry, and strawberry lemonade.
Crazy Nutrition Ultimate CRN-5
The main angle that Crazy Nutrition offers its clients is offering a chance to bulk up with no negative side effects.
- Improve physical performance in training
- Faster recovery after a workout
- A variety of taste
- Free shipping
- Results might take long to appear without hard training
- Only available for purchase on the official website.
This product contains seven main creatine ingredients in the CRN-5, namely:
Creatine monohydrate (CM): Helps the body naturally increase[5] fat-free mass and strength.
Creatine hydrochloride (HCL): HCL benefit is backed up by a study[6] that found that it aids recreational weightlifters to increase their bench press and leg press routine significantly in a month.
Creatine Ethyl Ester: One randomized, double-blind research study[12] purported that when you combine this substance with resistance training, the result is improved muscle strength and body composition in non-athletic men.
Creatine Citrate Pyruvate: In one double-blind and placebo-controlled experiment[7], Cr-Pyr was proven to increase performance during intense workouts.
Aquamin Mg and Aquamin AG: Help in protein synthesis and muscle formation, which is vital post-workout. For this reason, it is ideal for helping you recover fast[8] from intense workouts.
Potassium and Tri-Sodium: Keep the body hydrated and offers more power during your sessions. When these two substances are naturally released in the body, it causes muscle fatigue. When you then supplement them[9], it brings more power back to the muscles.
Tri-Creatine Malate: Is vital to competitive athletes[10] that did long-distance running. Specifically, runners were able to run a longer distance when on it. They also had a boost in stamina and performance on the track.
With such an impressive ingredient list, it’s no surprise that Crazy Nutrition CRN-5 is the best creatine if you are looking to improve your overall workout performance.
Elm & Rye Creatine
If creatine in powder form is not for you, you might consider Elm & Rye’s Creatine tablets. Just two tablets provide 1,400 mg of creatine to help support lean muscle mass and enhanced muscle recovery.
- Available in tablets and gummies
- Sustainably-sourced ingredients
- Soy, dairy, and gluten-free
- Third-party tested
- 1,400 mg of creatine monohydrate per serving, a low dose
Elm & Rye offers its creatine supplement in both tablet and gummy form. Each serving of two easy-to-swallow tablets contains 1,400 mg of creatine monohydrate. This daily creatine dietary supplement aims to increase lean muscle mass, support muscle recovery after a workout, and reduce fatigue.
Elm & Rye prides itself on their sustainably-sourced ingredients and third-party tested products. The creatine tablets also contain vegetable magnesium stearate to prevent individual ingredients from sticking to each other and help improve the consistency and quality of the product.
You can purchase Elm & Rye’s creatine as a one-time purchase, or you can save a whopping 25% by subscribing to monthly deliveries. Not sure if Elm & Rye Creatine is right for you? They offer a 30-day risk-free guarantee.
Naked Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate
15% Off Coupon: HEALTHCANAL
In the fitness club dietary marketplace, Naked Nutrition has established a reputation for itself. They take a lot of pride in becoming the highest quality of their kind, with accredited vegan supplements that are free of soy, GMOs, and gluten.
- Easy to mix
- Leaves no unpleasant aftertaste
- No fillers
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of all major allergens
- High price
- Must take lots of water to avoid dehydration or any digestive discomfort
Yet again, this is a product that consists of only one ingredient: monohydrate creatine.
Naked Nutrition’s creatine powder has been evaluated for heavy metals, according to the package insert. This is what distinguishes this product as premium. You’ll get exactly what you see, with no extra ingredients or uncertainties that could potentially harm the human body.
Micronized creatine aids in the energy production in your muscle fibers during heavy work out or high-intensity strength training.
In fact, it is said to aid in energy production so much that this supplementation is widely used by athletes, gym-goers, and fitness lovers around the world to build muscle mass, increase strength, and improve physical performance.
Life Extension Creatine Capsules
Life Extension uses high-quality creatine that has been third-party tested for purity, making it one of the few vegetarian-friendly creatine capsules available.
- Creapure is the main pure creatine found in this formula
- Suitable for vegetarians
- Third-party tested
- Contains vitamin C, which is essential for recovery
- Each pill contains only half a gram of creatine
- Ten pills for daily dosage
- Not made in a cGMP institution.
Each pill is composed of Creatine Monohydrate and vitamin C. They also contain 12 mg of Vitamin C, which is 20% of your recommended daily intake.
Stearic acid, rice bran, and silica are the remaining ingredients, mostly used for anti-caking and preservation. Unlike many creatine capsules, the vials are considered vegetarian as they are made from vegetable cellulose.
Vitamin C is a healthy antioxidant, but the only study on the use of creatine and vitamin C together was a rat study, which involved toxins present in chemo.,
That’s not vitamin C’s purpose in this supplement, according to Life Extension. It’s actually used as a flow agent, which means it keeps the creatine from sticking to the machines and equipment in the processing facility. The additional nourishment is merely a bonus.
Thorne Creatine
Thorne Research Creatine prides itself as the best creatine pre-workout as well as during workout sessions. The price tag is higher when compared to competitors, but that is because they use pure creatine. Taking creatine powder is also very elementary— you make a smoothie, add it in, and you are good to go.
- Increases lean body mass
- Improve energy levels
- It uses Creapure, a type of creatine that has been extensively studied and proven to be extremely safe
- Easy to mix into a shake or smoothie
- Quite expensive
Thorne tests all of their supplements four times in-house for value, pureness, and consistency. This creatine supplement is also NSF Certified for Sport, one of the most prestigious third-party supplement certifications.
This symbol indicates that the substitute does not encompass any banned substances. The information on the tag corresponds to what is genuinely in the commodity.
Thorne also uses Creapure as the primary ingredient, ensuring that the creatine is high quality and easy to mix. Another major ingredient is Monohydrate creatine.
Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
BulkSupplements.com took a different take and just used only one product, the best Creatine monohydrate.
- Affordable
- A variety of products
- Contain pure raw ingredients
- No preservatives, artificial flavors, or fillers
- Free shipping for US orders over $49
- Some ingredients lack enough scientific studies.
No synthetic or organic sugars, flavorings, or colors are used in this recipe. Creatine micronized is the primary component, which means it has a fluffier texture and dissolves quite easily in water than standard creatine.
Creatine monohydrate is by far the most widely used and well-studied ingredient in this product. It has close connections to enhanced muscle strength, stamina, size, and some possible psychological perks[11].
This means that besides the physical medical benefits when you use it, you may also gain mental clarity and boost your mood as you work out.
It is a decent micronized creatine powder, but the lack of third-party testing brings it further down on the list. All in all, it is a reasonable creatine product and the most affordable muscle gain supplement.
What Is Creatine?
Creatine is a muscle-building amino acid molecule that the body makes naturally. It is the substance that fuels your muscles and tissues as an energy source. Creatine is also found in certain foods, including meat, eggs, and fish.
Creatine aids in producing cellular energy by boosting the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule necessary to get through a strenuous workout. ATP provides the energy required for cardiovascular and brain health.
Creatine supplements may work to help anyone taking them to get ripped because of the chemistry of increasing water content in muscle cells, assisting protein breakdown, and triggering muscle-building hormones.
Here are the types of creatine supplements:
- Creatine Monohydrate
- Creatine Ethyl Ester[12]
- Creatine Hydrochloride
- Buffered Creatine
- Liquid Creatine
- Creatine Magnesium Chelate[13]
So if our body makes creatine, why does anyone need to take it as a creatine supplement?
Well, for one, adding a micronized creatine product to your diet shoots up the level[14] of creatine in the muscles by a whopping 40 percent. Micronized indicates that the creatine compounds have been split or chopped up. This 20-fold increase in the surface area improves permeability and reduces stomach discomfort. A 40% dose helps your muscle cells perform better during exercises, which can promote muscle gain.
Furthermore, creatine boosts the intensity of your workouts, allowing you to gain more muscle mass than when not using it. This extra strength encourages you to go above and beyond while remaining safe and effective.
This extra power boost is supported by a few studies[15] that claim that creatine improves muscle gain[16] and strength[17]. So much so, it proves to be effective in your workouts. This implies that if you have more drive and motivation to exercise, you will be able to gain more muscular strength all through your longer workouts.
But that is not the only thing that creatine supplementation offers you. Your cells also significantly increase in water content. When this increase in water content occurs, you appear bulked up[18] faster.
Creatine may also increase the levels of hormones[19] such as IGF-1, which are in charge of muscle growth. It also claims that creatine is one of the perfect substances to help synthesize your muscles’ proteins to aid in better recovery and muscle regrowth.
In cultures of specific skeletal muscle, creatine has been shown to enhance[20] the frequency of synthesizing two central elastic protein fibers, actin, and myosin heavy chain. However, only the speed of synthesis is affected by creatine, not the frequency of degeneration. Creatine and amino acids like arginine and glycine are not as effective at promoting muscle protein synthesis as several creatine analogs seem to be.
According to many gym-goers who attest that it works, creatine supplementation is safe with little to no side effects and is one of the best workout supplements.
How To Choose The Best Creatine Supplement?
Selecting the best creatine supplement is dependent on:
- The intended goal you want: muscle growth, bulking up, weight loss, fat loss, and performance enhancement.
- The ingredients available: the best to go with are the ones that have monohydrate creatine, which is common in all seven brands.
- Diet habits: If you are vegan, vegetarian, or have any food allergies, ensure you get a supplement without any substance that might cause any digestive system discomfort.
- The flavor and how to ingest: this is a personal preference as some people might like the unflavoured creatine and others might gravitate towards the flavored ones. Ingesting means either pills for swallowing or creatine powder for mixing with drinks or foods.
Potential Side Effects
Is creatine safe? Creatine is generally safe when taking the recommended dose, as long as you are not allergic to the ingredients. You also have to ensure that you purchase your selected creatine supplement from a trusted source, one that ideally has been third-party tested for quality and purity.
Side effects may occur with taking creatine, possibly due to interactions between different ingredients present. Another potential cause of side effects that may result is if one takes more than the maintenance dose. Some of the most common side effects[21] are:
- Dehydration
- Weight gain
- Kidney damage
- Kidney stones
- Gas
- Muscle cramps
- Digestive system problems
- Liver damage
Recommended Dosage
The recommended dose will vary from brand to brand. And also, the form of creatine is a determinant. This is because different brands include varied servings of the ingredients, so there is really no one-dose-fit-all. But in general, 3-5 grams daily would suffice.
All in all, ensure that you always confirm the recommended serving size on the package label to avoid taking too little or too much.
Final Thought
Creatine supplements may result in weight loss, boost performance, improve vitality, boost stamina. Perhaps most importantly, if you are a gym-goer or athlete, creatine may stimulate muscle growth.
You may purchase any of the above creatine supplements, but first, consult your medical doctor to see which may be best for you. This way, they will do a thorough evaluation to ensure that it is the best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ideally, no. You still need to work out to gain better.
Creatine is believed to increase resilience, lean muscle mass and help muscle cells recover faster during a workout. This athletic boost could aid sportspeople in achieving surges of speed and power, particularly during brief bouts of high-intensity activities like lifting weights or running fast.
We recommend that you take creatine regularly. The daily dose should be somewhere around 3 and 5 grams, but confirm with the brand’s regulations. Consistent creatine consumption improves performance and muscle growth, both on exercise and training days and non-training days.
Creatine can benefit many people, including inactive people, senior citizens, and pro athletes.
The best place is the official creatine brand’s website. You may be able to purchase certain creatine brands from a third party, but read customer reviews to verify that they are a trusted supplier. Sometimes, a third-party company may sell a product that doesn’t actually contain the ingredients it says it does, and so doing your research on third-party companies is key.
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Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
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Written by:
Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
