What’s the best creatine to buy?
Plain creatine monohydrate powder. No fancier form has beaten it in trials. But a label can be wrong. One maker’s lab found 5 of 12 gummy brands held little or no creatine.
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What’s the best creatine to buy?
Buy plain creatine monohydrate. Sports nutrition researchers, the ISSN, call it the most studied and effective form of creatine.
The shelf is full of other forms that cost more. None has been shown to fill your muscles better, at the same dose.
| Form on the tub | What the trials found |
|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | The most studied form. About 99% of it is absorbed into the blood. |
| Creatine salts, such as creatine HCl (hydrochloride) | No paper shows they fill muscles better than the same amount of monohydrate. |
| Creatine ethyl ester | Not shown to beat monohydrate. |
| Buffered creatine | Not shown to beat monohydrate. |
| Creatine nitrate | Not shown to beat monohydrate. |
In fact, most studies show these forms do less than monohydrate. They also hold less creatine per gram.
So the “best” creatine is the cheapest pure monohydrate you trust. Compare the price per 5 g scoop, not per tub.
How do you find pure creatine monohydrate?
One German method is reported to give 99.9% pure creatine with no contaminants. The ISSN team says creatine made other ways, especially in China, may contain unwanted chemicals and more heavy metals, like lead.
Nobody knows yet what those chemicals do to health. But most research used German-made creatine, so the ISSN team recommends it.
In the UK, supplements are sold as food. The seller must make sure they’re safe. UK Anti-Doping warns that labels can be inaccurate.
A batch test helps with one risk. It means a lab tested the batch your tub came from for banned substances.
| Words on the tub | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate as the only ingredient | You’re getting the form with the most research. |
| A batch number on an Informed Sport check | A lab tested that batch for banned substances. |
| “Clean”, “pure” or “organic” | A label word. It isn’t a test result. |
| “Approved by UKAD” or “WADA certified” (the anti-doping bodies) | UK Anti-Doping says this claim is inaccurate. |
Sources: UK Anti-Doping; ISSN 2021
Cheap tubs online can be fake. GOV.UK warns sellers to beware of counterfeits, mainly when the price is lower than elsewhere. Buy from a seller you know.
Is there a best creatine for men?
No. There’s no men’s creatine. Men and women take the same powder at the same dose.
The ISSN advises about 3 to 5 g a day for at least 4 weeks to fill your muscles’ stores. It finds growing evidence that creatine may help women too, with little to no side effects.
| Who | What the claim says | Creatine |
|---|---|---|
| Adults doing repeated short bursts of hard exercise | Better performance in repeated short bursts | 3 g a day |
| Adults over 55 doing regular resistance training | Adds to the effect of resistance training on muscle strength | 3 g a day |
Source: GB nutrition and health claims
A tub sold “for men” with added herbs isn’t a better creatine. Check the grams of creatine per scoop instead.
For women’s questions, see creatine for women. For dose detail, see how much creatine per day.
Creatine powder, gummies or drinks?
Powder. Creatine powder keeps for years without breaking down, even when stored warm.
In a drink, creatine turns into creatinine, a breakdown product. Makers have tried to make a ready-to-drink creatine with 3 to 5 g a serving. So far it hasn’t worked.
Gummies are a gamble. In 2024 a US supplement maker tested 12 gummy brands in its own lab. Five had little to no creatine, and every one that failed held creatinine.
Want to skip sweeteners? Choose unflavoured powder. Its label should list one ingredient: creatine monohydrate.
More on creatine gummies, and on how to mix and take creatine.
How to check a creatine tub before you buy
Six checks before you buy creatine
- Pick creatine monohydrate powder, not another form.
- Check the label lists creatine monohydrate as the only ingredient.
- Look for a batch-tested product, and check the batch number before use.
- If you compete in a tested sport, check the product on Informed Sport first.
- Buy from a seller you know, and be wary of prices lower than elsewhere.
- Take 3 to 5 g a day, and mix it just before you drink it.
Sources: ISSN 2021; UK Anti-Doping; GOV.UK
No supplement can be promised free of banned substances. UK Anti-Doping says athletes are solely responsible for what they take, and a positive test can bring a four-year ban.
Wondering what creatine does and doesn’t do? See creatine benefits and side effects.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to a GP if:
- You have kidney disease. Some researchers suggest you check with your doctor first, to be safe.
- You have lasting or worrying symptoms that could be kidney disease, such as swollen ankles, feet or hands, blood in your pee, or needing to pee more, mainly at night.
- You’re under 18. The ISSN accepts creatine only for young athletes in serious, supervised training. They should also eat a balanced diet, know how to use creatine and not take more than the advised dose.
- You have a kidney blood test due. Creatine can raise creatinine, so tell whoever reads your result.
See does creatine raise creatinine? before your test.