How to Creatine – An Advanced Guide

Today we are going to take a look at creatine monohydrate.  Rather than a simple attempt to explain creatine, I’ll assume that you already have a decent understanding of creatine, what it does, and its underlying effects.  What form of creatine is best for absorption? What is the difference between micronized creatine and creatine monohydrate?  Can I buy the cheap stuff and still get results, or should I stick with higher end creatine products?  These questions and more answered below…

All creatine powder is not created equal! At least, not anymore – as some people are aware, you can now find creatine on the market in three forms: phosphate, citrate, and monohydrate. My feeling is that the phosphate variety is not easily absorbed by the body and for this reason will not yield effective and substantial results. The citrate variety seemed to be catching on for a time, but again the research is sketchy here. In fact, nearly all the positive clinical studies that have been done on creatine have utilized the monohydrate form, and this is the only form that I currently recommend.  Monohydrate seems to be the best creatine on the market, even to this day.

Brand names and quality do matter – especially with creatine. There’s a ton of cheap, generic creatine monohydrate on the market (especially on the web), but I’m convinced that most of it is of significantly lower quality than the reputable brand name versions. Supplement companies and distributors in the U.S. currently get their raw creatine from two primary sources: China and Germany. The creatine that comes in from China is almost always less expensive, but it’s also much more likely to be impure. Typically, it’ll be cut with the complex carbohydrate maltodextrin. This is the dirt cheap “creatine” that many wholesalers offer. No wonder some people don’t see any results. Reputable creatine suppliers prefer the German version, which is a bit more expensive but tests out at a significantly higher level of quality. With creatine you really do get what you pay for.  We highly recomend higher end products such as Muscletech Cell Tech Hardcore.

Micronized creatine has reached the market – but is it just hype or is it really better? The answer might surprise you. Micronized creatine is very interesting. Basically, it’s produced through a process that finely grinds or “micronizes” the creatine particles themselves into particles that are 10, 15, even 20 times smaller than regular creatine particles. There’s no doubt that micronized creatine dissolves better in liquid—this just makes sense. It’s also theorized that the smaller particle size leads to easier and faster digestion and uptake into the blood. Individuals who report stomach upset with regular creatine intake almost always find the problem alleviated by switching to the micronized version. Many of the top creatine monohydrate products on the market—including AST’s Creatine HSC—have already switched to using micronized particles. This trend is likely to continue and accelerate in the near future.

Quality Creatine Monohydrate Powder

The high-quality creatine monohydrate saturation formulas have quickly become “must-have” supplements for any serious bodybuilder.  These formulas have really taken the guess-work out of making solid, consistent, and CONTINUAL gains with creatine.

By combining pure creatine monohydrate powder, the high glycemic, insulin-releasing carbohydrate dextrose, and sodium from sodium phosphate (a critical nutrient for proper creatine transport), along with a few other enhancers, these products have made creatine supplementation easy, exact, and inexpensive. Those grape juice bills can really mount up.  Phosphagen Elite from EAS is one of the best creatine monohydrate drinks out there.

Creatine HSC from AST Research is a personal favorite; it mixes up easy and tastes great. I hear from a lot of people who say they never really made big gains on creatine until they started using this product. And now AST Sports Science uses only Micronized Creatine in all their Creatine HSC products. It’s definitely top notch.

MuscleTech’s Cell-Tech is an extremely potent creatine formula, with twice the usual amount of creatine per serving (a full 10 grams). Cell-Tech has a very loyal following. Combining Cell Tech Hardcore with MuscleTech’s other top products Anotesten and Nortesten (New, improved formula) makes for one hell of a Super Stack.  HDT’s creatine loading drink called CLF-5000 is made without the use of Aspartame and is an excellent choice for those seeking to avoid artificial sweeteners.

Any of these supplements will help you maximize creatine use, and more creatine in the muscles generally means more cell volume and more explosive power.