It's often said that creatine doesn't work. At the same time, people do not understand that there are many of its forms. How to choose the right creatine? Find out now! All athletes know that the most effective and safe bodybuilding supplement is creatine. With its help, the mass gain is noticeably accelerated. Some athletes are even familiar with the mechanism of action of creatine on the body. The fact that creatine is very effective and completely safe is beyond question. However, people always strive to achieve the best. Scientists are constantly working to improve the quality of creatine. To date, many different forms of matter have been created. Now we will try to answer the question, which of the 15 forms of creatine are right for you?
Creatine monohydrate
Monohydrate is by far the cheapest and most readily available form of creatine. It is also better studied than other types of substance. Monohydrate is a powder that also contains about 12 percent water. For a large number of athletes, this form is very effective.
The first sports supplements containing creatine monohydrate were a very coarse powder. This negatively affected the functioning of the digestive system. Modern monohydrate is similar to flour and has no such problems. The fine powder dissolves quickly in water and is then absorbed faster in the intestines.
Creatine anhydrous
This type of creatine differs from the usual monohydrate by the absence of water in its composition. The amount of active ingredient also increased slightly, by about 6 percent compared to monohydrate. According to their properties, these forms are completely identical and do not differ in any way.
Creatine Citrate
Creatine citrate was created almost simultaneously with monohydrate and has become quite popular. The citrate molecule, in addition to creatine itself, contains a citric acid molecule. As you probably know, citric acid is involved in the Krebs cycle. This is the name of the metabolic process through which the muscles receive energy of the aerobic type.
Simply put, thanks to the presence of the citric acid molecule, the body can produce more energy for the muscles to work in comparison with pure creatine. At the same time, this fact has not yet found scientific confirmation and is theoretical. There is less creatine in citrate, but the powder dissolves better.
Phosphate creatine
A little later than the first supplements containing creatine, the phosphate form of the substance appeared. It is distinguished by the presence of a phosphate molecule combined with creatine. It is in this form that creatine is found in muscle tissues and thanks to phosphate, the desired effect is achieved.
Thanks to phosphate, the harmful effects of lactic acid on muscle tissue are neutralized. This type of creatine was very popular for a certain period of time, but then it was scientifically proven that monohydrate is more effective. It is understood that after this, the athletes' interest in creatine phosphate quickly disappeared. The fact is that the presence of phosphate makes it difficult for the body to absorb creatine.
Malate creatine
It is a new form of creatine that also contains malic acid molecules. This substance also takes an active part in the Krebs cycle, like citric acid. To date, creatine malate has been largely unexplored, as has citrate. Thus, there is no scientific evidence to date that the supplement is more effective than monohydrate. Creatine malate also dissolves very quickly in water.
Creatine tartrate
By analogy with malate and citrate, tartrate adds tartaric acid to the creatine molecules. This form is most commonly used in solid supplements such as capsules. Its only advantage over monohydrate is the ability to retain its solid properties for a longer period of time.
Magnesium creatine
Already from the name it can be understood that magnesium is added to the creatine molecule. Thanks to this, creatine is not destroyed so much in the stomach and is better absorbed by the body. Magnesium is also used to convert creatine phosphate to ATP, one of the main sources of energy for muscles. Studies have been conducted comparing the effects on the body of magnesium creatine and the use of these substances solo. The best results have been achieved with magnesium creatine.
Creatine Taurine Glutamine
By creating a supplement that combines creatine with taurine and glutamines, the goal was to provide faster delivery of creatine to muscle tissue. This hypothesis was based on the fact that both substances (glutamine and taurine) contribute to an increase in cell size and, when they act simultaneously, this effect can be doubled. Also, scientists have proven the ability of taurine to increase strength.
HMB creatine
This supplement contains creatine and the HMB metabolite leucine. This substance accelerates the recovery of damaged muscle tissue and accelerates their growth. Note that this form of creatine has the highest water solubility and is less irritating to the digestive tract than others. Once ingested, creatine and HMB are separated and transported to the muscles separately from each other. This is the newest form of creatine and has not yet been researched on its effects on the body. At the same time, it should be noted that quite a lot of positive reviews about it have already appeared on the network.
Ester of creatine
This is the most recent form of aether created quite recently in the United States. Even in the specialized press, there is practically no information about creatine ester. Due to the presence of esters in the additive molecule, creatine penetrates the cell membranes faster. In theory, this type of supplement should be absorbed as quickly as possible and be more effective in comparison with other forms of the active substance. For obvious reasons, studies on creatine ester have not yet been conducted.
Effervescent Creatine Tablets
In most cases, companies use creatine citrate or bicarbonate monohydrate in their effervescent tablets. When using the supplement, the active ingredient is practically not destroyed in the stomach and is better absorbed by the body. Note that in the course of research on the substance, it was proved that after dilution, this form retains its properties for a longer time than the monohydrate. If you are not using diluted creatine right away, then the effervescent tablets are worth looking at.
Liquid creatine
The effectiveness of this form of creatine has been debated since its inception. Liquid creatine should be better absorbed by the body, since it is completely dissolved. The whole problem lies in the stability of the solute. The first liquid creatine supplements were completely ineffective, but now there are positive shifts in this matter. Thanks to the use of various substances, for example, soy oil or aloe vera gel, creatine can maintain its properties in liquid form throughout the year.
How to choose creatine
As you can see, there are many different creatine supplements available today. For many athletes, the question of choosing a form of supplement is very relevant, and for this reason, it is necessary to find out which of the 15 forms of creatine are right for you.
Test the monohydrate first. If everything suits you and you get the expected effect from taking it, then you should not change this form to another. If something is still not satisfied with monohydrate, or you really want to experiment, then try magnesium creatine.
This supplement has already been researched and scientifically proven to be effective. Other forms of creatine are currently being tested and some of them may be very effective in the future.
For information on how to take creatine, see this video:
