All Creatines are NOT Created Equal!

Your new to the gym and the supplement scene, aside from protein whats the first supplement that comes to mind to aid you muscle gains and weight loss.. CREATINE! Most would think that if I just take a bunch of creatine I can lift like a god, add 50lbs of muscle and take on pro bodybuilders! Well….. not so true.. First off, what types of creatine are out there and what is really to be expected from your chosen creatine.

What types of creatine are there?

There are many different forms of creatine supplements on the market today, each with their benefits and wanted by different types of athletes and weight lifters. The 4 major types of creatine include – creatine monohydrate, creatine phosphate, creatine citrate and creatine ethyl ester.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine Monohydrate is basically creatine bound with water. Each molecule of creatine monohydrate is made up of 88% creatine and 12% water. Or to put it another way – 1 gram of creatine monohydrate has 880 milligrams of creatine. This means that if you take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate you will really be putting 4.40 grams (5 * .88) of creatine in your body. Creatine Monohydrate is by far the most common form for a creatine supplement. The majority of studies and research have been conducted using creatine monohydrate.

Creatine Phosphate

Remember that in order for creatine to be effective it needs to bond with a phosphate group and become Creatine Phosphate. For this reason, you may think that directly taking Creatine Phosphate would be better than just taking Creatine Monohydrate. The fact is – taking a creatine phosphate supplement has never been shown to be more effective than just taking creatine monohydrate. Creatine Phosphate has only 62.3% creatine and 37.7% phosphate. This means that 1 gram only produces 623 milligrams of creatine. In addition, creatine phosphate is more expensive than creatine monohydrate.

Creatine Citrate

Creatine Citrate became popular because it is more water soluble than other forms of creatine. Simply put, it dissolves better when you mix it up. The problem is that Creatine Citrate has only 400 milligrams of creatine per gram of creatine citrate. In addition, it is more expensive than Creatine Monohydrate.

Creatine Esters

Creatine ester is a creatine monohydrate that has been esterified with either the alcohol methanol (creatine methyl ester) or ethanol (creatine ethyl ester).

After being absorbed by the body, creatine esters are split into creatine and the alcohol methanol or ethanol. This conversion occurs very quickly. Ten minutes after oral administration, the ester is no longer detectable and has been broken down completely into creatine, creatinine, and methanol or ethanol.

It has been shown that this breakdown takes place before it has been absorbed into the muscle cells.

Twelve percent of orally administered creatine ester is converted into creatinine after 30 minutes, and, in addition, esterification strongly promotes the conversion into creatinine. Creatinine is excreted via the kidneys. The alcohol—in the form of methanol or ethanol—needs to be detoxified by the liver. Methanol in particular is highly toxic and even small amounts can damage the nervous system.

If you’re a creatine non-responder you may have success with the CEE

Creatine ethyl ester technology can potentially lead to improved absorption, less bloat and minimal water retention – comparative to creatine monohydrate

There are no studies that prove that creatine esters enhance performance. It is especially significant that there is no indication that these esters have an advantage over pure creatine monohydrate.

About Scott

I am currently located in Lubbock, TX where I co-own and manage Powerhouse Nutrition, a local serious hardcore no frills and thrills supplement store, just good info and great prices. I have been an NPC competitive bodybuilder since 2010 and have placed top 2 in my first two shows and recently competed nationally at the 2011 USA’s in Las Vegas. I am an entrepreneur and gym rat who loves to learn as much as possible about nutrition and supplementation and use that info to build a better me and aid others to better themselves as well. I am launching my own supplement line through Powerhouse Nutrition and am also a graphic designer and artist; a talent and hobby I have used to design everything in our store and even our products. View all posts by Scott →