WHAT IS CREATINE ?
5 Reasons Why Creatine Monohydrate Is the Best
Creatine has been studied extensively as a dietary supplement for many years.
In fact, more than 1,000 studies have been conducted, which have shown that creatine is a top supplement for exercise performance
Almost all of them used the same form of the supplement — creatine monohydrate.
What’s more, most scientists who study supplements believe that monohydrate is the best form. Here are five science-backed reasons why this form is the best.
Many studies have shown that creatine monohydrate is very safe to consume.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition recently concluded, “There is no compelling scientific evidence that the short- or long-term use of creatine monohydrate has any detrimental effects”
Studies have reported that consuming monohydrate for two to five years appears to be safe, with no adverse effects documented
This supplement appears to be safe at higher doses, too. Although a typical daily dose is 3–5 grams, people have taken doses of up to 30 grams per day for up to five years with no reported safety concerns
The vast majority of the more than 1,000 studies on creatine have used the monohydrate form.
Besides this form, the other main forms of creatine on the market are:
- Creatine ethyl ester
- Creatine hydrochloride
- Buffered creatine
- Liquid creatine
- Creatine magnesium chelate
While each of these forms has a handful of studies examining it, the information on the effects of these forms in humans is limited
SUMMARY:Several forms of creatine are used in supplements. However, most of the known benefits can be attributed to creatine monohydrate, since most studies have used this form3. Improves Exercise Performance Just as Well or Better Than Other Forms
Creatine monohydrate exerts a variety of effects on health and exercise performance, including increased strength, power and muscle mass
Some new forms of creatine are only available in multi-ingredient products, such as pre-workout supplements.
If you buy these, you’ll be paying for a handful of other supplements besides the one you actually want.
Not only is monohydrate the easiest form of creatine to find as a single ingredient, it is also the cheapest.
There are a few possible reasons why.
Since monohydrate has been available for longer than other forms of creatine, it may be cheaper to produce.
Additionally, since many companies make this form of the supplement, there is more competition to keep prices low.