Creatine Monohydrate Benefits

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Creatine monohydrate has other benefits outside of muscle recovery when lifting. I've been taking 5g daily since I'm perimenopausal. And, it really does help with brain fog. I think if I knew, I probably would've started earlier.

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Hi all. I’ve been taking about 2.5g of the Thorne Creatine MH for about 2 weeks. Unfortunately it seems like I am one of the people who get the GI symptoms and bloating even on such a low dose. I really don’t feel like myself. Wondering if anyone else experienced this issue and if it’s better to switch to a Creatine HCL product instead or keep going until my body adjusts? I really don’t want to be feeling like this in a few weeks but everyone keeps talking about the benefits of creatine so I don’t want to give up. Thanks for any advice! submitted by /u/jac5087 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

I tried creatine monohydrate but I’m not happy with this type. Do you had some experiences with creatine hcl? submitted by /u/Mental-While3073 to r/Biohackers [link] [comments]

What is your guys experience? Anyone notice a benefit from it? strongest benefits in vulnerable groups; results are mixed/null in unstressed healthy young adults. I think it worth doing for the days when you are sleep deprived etc. Here is a summary of studies from AI of why you should get cognitive benefits. High-dose creatine for brain health (summary): Creatine monohydrate at ≥10 g/day (especially 20 g/day loading or acute ~0.3–0.35 g/kg) reliably raises brain phosphocreatine (PCr) by 8–11% due to blood-brain barrier kinetics, improving memory, processing speed, attention, and cognition—most consistently under metabolic stress (sleep deprivation, hypoxia, aging, disease). 10 g/day is emerging as a practical “brain-targeted” dose with good tolerability; lower maintenance doses (3–5 g) are often insufficient for brain saturation. Benefits are dose-dependent and strongest in vulnerable groups; results are mixed/null in unstressed healthy young adults. All mentioned studies/evidence: Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (n=492 adults, 2024): Significant gains in memory (SMD 0.31), attention, and processing speed. Many trials used 10–20 g/day; stronger effects in diseased, 18–60 yo, and female subgroups. Moderate certainty for memory. Gordji-Nejad et al. (2024): Acute single high-dose (0.35 g/kg ≈20–25 g) during sleep deprivation raised brain PCr/ATP/tCr, prevented pH drop, and improved cognitive performance/processing speed (peak ~4 h, lasted to 9 h). Alzheimer’s pilot (20 g/day × 8 weeks, 2025): Increased total brain creatine ~11% (MRS); improved global/fluid cognition, working memory, and executive function. Safe and feasible. Turner et al. (hypoxia model, 20 g/day × 7 days): Raised brain creatine ~9%; fully restored cognition impaired by oxygen deficit. Kondo et al. (2016, MDD women, dose-response RCT): 10 g/day × 8 weeks raised frontal-lobe PCr 9.1% (nearly double vs. 2–4 g doses); higher PCr correlated with better depression scores (mood/cognitive proxy). Chun et al. (2025 RCT): 10 g/day × 6 weeks significantly enhanced cognitive function in healthy adults; authors recommend ≥10 g/day for brain benefits. Xu et al. 2024 meta (subgroups): Included 10 g/day trials (e.g., Li et al.: 10 g/day × 18 months improved MoCA in older adults; Moriarty et al.: 10 g or 20 g × 6 weeks). Atassi et al. (ALS patients): Escalating doses up to 30 g/day (sequential 10→20→30 g, including ~15 g phases); highest dose raised frontal-cortex total creatine ~8%. Practical notes & caveats: Split doses, stay hydrated. 10–20+ g/day (or 0.3 g/kg for ≥4 weeks) needed for meaningful brain uptake vs. muscle. Strongest evidence in stressed/vulnerable populations; more long-term head-to-head dose data still required. submitted by /u/FatMonkeyMilk to r/Biohackers [link] [comments]

I’ve been taking regular creatine monohydrate, 5g daily, for over a year now and I think it's worked pretty well. Gym sessions have been good, definitely put on a bit of muscle. That said, I keep seeing more “advanced” formulas that add extra things like HMB. For example, Creatone from BrickHouse Nutrition has 4 ingredients, the creatine, HMB, Magtein, and ElevATP. Has anyone here noticed any real benefits from adding HMB or ATP-type ingredients? Or is creatine monohydrate good enough? submitted by /u/MylesGrimard to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

felt slight brain fog. Is the previous 4 weeks at 10g per day (with massive foggy brain and even blurred vision) still 'in me' and causing affects? Am I hyper sensitive to creatine, if so would HCL make a difference? It's not dehydration, especially not at 2g. Any one else feel like the world and their brother and sister are reaping the benefits, yet you get the opposite? submitted by /u/ArtichokeDesperate68 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

I've been seeing some posts about how creatine is great for women looking to gain muscle/bone density, and especially for menopausal women because of cognitive benefits. Anyone taking creatine as part of their supplement routine? Pros and cons, how much did you take for how long? submitted by /u/clawclipgal111 to r/POFlife [link] [comments]

Anybody else get this? I've upped my dose since seeing that supposedly larger doses can improve cognition and brain health. I'm currently on 10g per day, and since doing so I've had foggy head/borderline headache - especially in the morning and it tends to fade as the day goes on. I've upped my drinking water amount (typically 3l-3.5l per day) moderate excercise each day - 30-45 mins. Anybody else found this? Any way of resolving it without cutting the dose? I was 'fine' on 5g per day, have tried 10g for 4 weeks, upped it to 15 for one week, but no improvement. I'm going back down to 5g to see how it goes, but with the many benefits of it I would like to if possible take higher doses again. submitted by /u/ArtichokeDesperate68 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

Latest study of interest on creatine: Compared to placebo, creatine supplementation improved subjective sleep quality and was associated with an earlier in-bed time during the loading phase. After supplementation, creatine significantly enhanced cognitive performance on a digit cancellation test and increased total and best distance in a high-intensity shuttle run test. Participants also reported reduced muscle soreness (Hooper index) following creatine loading. The study found no significant changes in ActiGraph sleep measures (sleep latency, efficiency, total sleep time) or in most recovery markers up to 72 hours post-exercise. The researchers conclude that short-term creatine loading may offer additional benefits beyond physical performance, including improved perceived sleep quality and cognitive function, making it a valuable strategy during intense training periods "Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Loading on Sleep Metrics, Physical Performance, Cognitive Function, and Recovery in Physically Active Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial” Abstract Background/Objectives: Creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation is well-established for enhancing physical performance and accelerating recovery in several sporting contexts. However, beyond these traditional performance benefits, its effects on sleep metrics and cognitive function have not been thoroughly investigated. This investigation aimed to determine the effect of a loading phase of CrM on sleep metrics, physical performance, psycho-cognitive aspects, and recovery in physically active men. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, 14 physically active men ingested 20 g/day of CrM or placebo (PL) for 7 days, during which their habitual exercise routines were maintained and standardized across both intervention phases. Sleep metrics were monitored throughout the interventions using wrist-worn actigraphy. On the day following the completion of each supplementation phase, participants rated their sleep quality using the Sleep Subjective Quality (SSQ) scale, and the Hooper questionnaire was used to monitor participants’ well-being status. Physical performance was assessed using the 5 m shuttle run test (5mSRT), which measured total distance (TD), best distance (BD), performance decrement (PD), fatigue index (FI), and the rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Affective valence was determined using the feeling scale (FS) and cognitive function was evaluated using the digit cancellation test (DCT). Recovery and muscle soreness perceptions were evaluated at multiple time points (pre-exercise, 5 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-exercise) using the perceived recovery status (PRS) and the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) scales, respectively. Results: During the supplementation, CrM improved sleep quality compared to PL, as measured with the SSQ scale (d = 0.81, p = 0.009), and was associated with an earlier in-bed time (r = 0.60; p = 0.026). However, CrM did not affect sleep latency (t = 0.98; p = 0.35), sleep efficiency (t = 0.018; p = 0.98), or total sleep time (t = 0.25; p = 0.81). After the supplementation phase, CrM resulted in significantly lower muscle soreness scores, as measured by the Hooper questionnaire (d = −0.59; p = 0.046), improved cognitive performance on the DCT (d = 0.77; p = 0.013), and enhanced TD (r = 0.88; p < 0.001) and BD (r = 0.76; p < 0.05) during the 5mSRT. However, CrM did not significantly affect other exercise-related measures such as RPE, fatigue index (FI), or performance decrement (PD) during the 5mSRT, nor did it alter other subjective recovery scales compared to PL, up to 72 h following the end of the supplementation phase (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: A 7-day CrM loading protocol improved subjective sleep quality during the supplementation phase, enhanced cognitive performance, and increased physical output during high-intensity intermittent exercise. CrM also reduced muscle soreness, but did not significantly affect objective sleep parameters, or recovery markers up to 72 h post-exercise. These findings suggest that CrM may offer additional benefits beyond its traditional ergogenic role. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/24/3831 submitted by /u/WillBrink to r/BrinkZone [link] [comments]

Hi everyone, I (F25) have had a lot of issues with PCOS in the past several years, and as of about 4 years ago, I got into working out, some weight lifting, etc. Though I have been able to work on my physique and the active lifestyle has positively affected me mentally, I have been looking into creatines for their benefits (performance, muscle rebuilding, cognitive, etc). I feel like 99% of posts about creatine are by men, and while the info is helpful, I would love to hear about any firsthand experience anyone in the PCOS community may have had, the effects of creatine, how they dealt with side effects, and especially if anyone has a preference between HCL creatine and monohydrate. From what I have gathered, Monohydrate is cheaper and more researched but is known to cause crazy bloating for the entire duration that it is being taken, while HCL is more expensive, less researched, but causes less bloating? Anyone have any intel on either's effectiveness? Would love any info :) submitted by /u/Away_Row2478 to r/PCOS [link] [comments]

Background: After the blunder of the FDA which approved a drug for Alzheimer's that essentially had close to zero benefits against the disease, pressure from multiple organizations has pushed research in search for other drugs that are in fact effective. In the meantime, researchers have started looking into natural aids against AD. Example: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/8/1716 As we speak, creatine is also being studied as an aid against Alzheimers disease. From the study in the title: "Our data suggest that CrM supplementation is feasible in AD and provides preliminary evidence for future efficacy and mechanism studies. Highlights Creatine monohydrate supplementation was feasible in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Creatine monohydrate was associated with increased brain total creatine. Creatine monohydrate was associated with improvements in cognition. Efficacy of creatine monohydrate in Alzheimer's disease should be studied further." submitted by /u/DoomkingBalerdroch to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

I have an interesting experience for you. I have done several experiments and found that likely due to genetics my body does benefit from creatine but only up to a point. I have done severa l weeks worth of experiments where I take one scoop per day every day thats 3.5 grams of the ON creatine monohydrate and once saturation is achieved my body wants to excreet it fast after intake so it makes me frequent the toilet at that dose with that frequency. I get max benefits with no toilet rush if I take it every other day at the same amount and if I take 5gr instead the same thing happens after a few days. Could it be that I naturally just have higher creatine levels? I dont actually know. However there is still a benefit at this dose my muscles look 25-30% pumped all the time and my weight when starting jumped by about 1kg and stayed there while I am taking it and drops if I stop. Of course the exercise performance stuff still holds etc. Does anyone else have this experience? I simply am shocked at people handling 10 - 20 grams per day its insane to me. I am 87kg / 192lbs btw if anyone is wandering at the moment not a small guy I would say not massive either ofc. And yes I am the same guy that gets something like an allergic reaction to K2 MK7 and somehow performs amazing on massive doses of Magnesium (700-800 elemental). Some crazy individual tuning apparently. submitted by /u/Confirmed-Scientist to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

I’ve been reading about creatine monohydrate lately and started wondering if it could help with the microbiome? Most of the info online focuses on muscle building, but I came across a few studies suggesting it might play a role in gut health or microbiota. So, I’m wondering if anyone here has taken creatine and noticed any effects on digestion, bloating, or energy levels? I’d also love to know where people get their creatine monohydrate. There are so many options out there, and I’m trying to figure out which ones are worth the money without compromising on quality. Any thoughts would be super appreciated! Update: after trying creatine for a while, I’ve definitely noticed some benefits like improved energy and less bloating. iHerb has been great, quick delivery and great product quality. Appreciate all the suggestions! submitted by /u/SeepersadGreimer27 to r/Microbiome [link] [comments]

So I'm finally giving in and trying creatine after reading all the benefits. Problem is, I have a wedding to be in next month and the last thing I need is to feel (or look) super puffy. I've heard some people get bad bloating and others don't. I'm looking at monohydrate because it seems to be the standard. Anyone have experience with a specific type or brand that didn't make you feel like a water balloon? Micronized maybe? I just want the pure stuff, no extra fillers. if you’ve been using one for a while and it just works without the drama, please tell me which one. i’m ready to click buy right now, just need a nudge in the right direction. thanks y’all. submitted by /u/AgitatedQuarter2233 to r/Creatine [link] [comments]

TL;DR: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now and am now thinking to increase the per day dosage. After digging into 1000+ studies, I found some wild stuff about high-dose creatine for cognitive function. Single doses of ~20g can increase processing speed by 24.5% and the effects last 9 hours. Also, vegetarians respond ~2x better than meat-eaters. Full breakdown below with sources. Why I did this: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now. Like most people, I took the standard "5g per day" advice and never questioned it. It worked fine for my training, but I kept seeing conflicting claims about creatine for brain function. So I started reading actual papers to figure out if I should increase my dosage. 3 months and 1000+ studies later, here are the findings that genuinely surprised me: The "5g for everyone" dose is based on old muscle research, not brain optimization Most dosing recommendations come from 1990s studies measuring muscle saturation. But your brain is different. A 2024 study (Gordji-Nejad et al., Nature Scientific Reports) found that a single high dose of ~0.35g/kg (~24.5g for a 70kg person) during 21-hour sleep deprivation: • Improved processing speed by 24.5% • Increased brain creatine by 4.2% • Effects peaked at 4 hours and lasted up to 9 hours • Prevented the brain pH drop that normally happens during fatigue Even more interesting: A 2025 review (Fabiano & Candow) analyzed dose-response data and found: • 2-5g/day = 4-6% brain creatine increase • 8-10g/day = 7-8% increase • 15-20g/day = 9-11% increase For cognitive purposes, higher doses appear significantly more effective. This is exactly why I am now thinking to increase my per day dosage. Vegetarians get nearly 2x the cognitive benefit Multiple studies (Rae 2003, Benton 2011) show vegetarians have much lower baseline brain creatine and see dramatic improvements in working memory and reasoning after supplementation. One study found p < 0.0001 for intelligence improvements in vegetarians, basically unheard of in nutrition research. Meat-eaters already get ~1-2g/day from food, so their brains are partially saturated. Creatine does NOT cause kidney damage, dehydration, or cramping, but the myths persist This one genuinely angered me. I found the original studies that started these myths and they're either: • Misinterpreted (one case study of someone with pre-existing kidney disease) • Actually showed the opposite (Greenwood 2003 found LESS cramping in NCAA football players taking creatine vs placebo The ISSN Position Stand (2017) reviewed 1000+ studies and concluded: zero evidence of adverse effects in healthy individuals at recommended doses. Long-term studies go up to 21 months with no kidney function changes. After 3 years at 5g/day, my bloodwork is perfect. The safety data is rock solid. Women have been underserved by creatine research, but that is changing For decades, most creatine studies excluded women or had tiny female sample sizes. Recent research (Smith-Ryan 2021) confirms creatine works for women without the "bloating" fears, benefits across the lifespan without marked body weightchanges. New 2025 studies are specifically examining menstrual cycle effects and menopause benefits. The mechanism for brain benefits is fascinating Your brain is 2% of your body weight but uses 20% of your energy. During high cognitive demand or sleep deprivation, ATP in your prefrontal cortex gets depleted. Creatine acts as a rapid-response energy buffer, literally regenerating ATP in milliseconds. A 2015 study found 20g/day for 7 days increased corticomotor excitability by 70% during hypoxia (low oxygen). Meta-analysis data is stronger than most people realize I compiled the major meta-analyses: • Chilibeck et al. (2017): +1.37kg lean mass in older adults, n=721 • Zhang et al. (2025): SMD 0.43 for strength gains across populations • Xu et al. (2024): SMD 0.31 for memory improvement, more beneficial for females Effect sizes this consistent are rare in nutrition science. Most "advanced" creatine forms are marketing Creatine monohydrate has the most research, is the cheapest, and has 95%+ bioavailability. Buffered creatine, creatine HCL, liquid creatine, none show superior absorption in head-to-head studies. The "better absorption" claims are mostly unproven. What I am doing differently now: After 3 years at 5g/day, I am now experimenting with: • For training: 5g/day consistently (works fine for muscle) • For cognitive demands: 15-20g single dose before intense mental work or when sleep-deprived • Timing: Post-workout with carbs when possible, but consistency matters most I am planning to try a month at 10g/day split into two doses to see if I notice cognitive differences, then potentially experiment with 15-20g on heavy work days. Sources and Interactive Database: I organized all the major studies into a searchable database because I got tired of PDF hunting: https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app Includes: • 50+ major studies with effect sizes, sample sizes, and direct links to papers • Interactive myth-busting (click myths to reveal the actual research) • Dose-response visualizations for both muscle and brain benefits • Safety timeline from 1832 to 2025 • Filterable by category: muscle, cognitive, safety, high-dose protocols Everything is cited with PubMed links if you want to read the full papers. Questions I still have: Why has not the high-dose cognitive research filtered into mainstream recommendations yet? The 2024 Nature study se groundbreaking. Are there long-term (5+ year) studies on 10g+ daily dosing for cognitive purposes? What is the optimal cycling protocol for high-dose cognitive use vs continuous low-dose? For those who have increased from 5g to 10g+ long-term, what subjective differences did you notice? Would love to hear if anyone else has gone deep on this research or experimented with higher doses. What did I miss? Has anyone here gone from 5g to 10-20g daily? What was your experience? submitted by /u/akmessi2810 to r/askfitness [link] [comments]

TL;DR: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now and am now thinking to increase the per day dosage. After digging into 1000+ studies, I found some wild stuff about high-dose creatine for cognitive function. Single doses of ~20g can increase processing speed by 24.5% and the effects last 9 hours. Also, vegetarians respond ~2x better than meat-eaters. Full breakdown below with sources. Why I did this: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now. Like most people, I took the standard "5g per day" advice and never questioned it. It worked fine for my training, but I kept seeing conflicting claims about creatine for brain function. So I started reading actual papers to figure out if I should increase my dosage. 3 months and 1000+ studies later, here are the findings that genuinely surprised me: The "5g for everyone" dose is based on old muscle research, not brain optimization Most dosing recommendations come from 1990s studies measuring muscle saturation. But your brain is different. A 2024 study (Gordji-Nejad et al., Nature Scientific Reports) found that a single high dose of ~0.35g/kg (~24.5g for a 70kg person) during 21-hour sleep deprivation: • Improved processing speed by 24.5% • Increased brain creatine by 4.2% • Effects peaked at 4 hours and lasted up to 9 hours • Prevented the brain pH drop that normally happens during fatigue Even more interesting: A 2025 review (Fabiano & Candow) analyzed dose-response data and found: • 2-5g/day = 4-6% brain creatine increase • 8-10g/day = 7-8% increase • 15-20g/day = 9-11% increase For cognitive purposes, higher doses appear significantly more effective. This is exactly why I am now thinking to increase my per day dosage. Vegetarians get nearly 2x the cognitive benefit Multiple studies (Rae 2003, Benton 2011) show vegetarians have much lower baseline brain creatine and see dramatic improvements in working memory and reasoning after supplementation. One study found p < 0.0001 for intelligence improvements in vegetarians, basically unheard of in nutrition research. Meat-eaters already get ~1-2g/day from food, so their brains are partially saturated. Creatine does NOT cause kidney damage, dehydration, or cramping, but the myths persist This one genuinely angered me. I found the original studies that started these myths and they're either: • Misinterpreted (one case study of someone with pre-existing kidney disease) • Actually showed the opposite (Greenwood 2003 found LESS cramping in NCAA football players taking creatine vs placebo The ISSN Position Stand (2017) reviewed 1000+ studies and concluded: zero evidence of adverse effects in healthy individuals at recommended doses. Long-term studies go up to 21 months with no kidney function changes. After 3 years at 5g/day, my bloodwork is perfect. The safety data is rock solid. Women have been underserved by creatine research, but that is changing For decades, most creatine studies excluded women or had tiny female sample sizes. Recent research (Smith-Ryan 2021) confirms creatine works for women without the "bloating" fears, benefits across the lifespan without marked body weightchanges. New 2025 studies are specifically examining menstrual cycle effects and menopause benefits. The mechanism for brain benefits is fascinating Your brain is 2% of your body weight but uses 20% of your energy. During high cognitive demand or sleep deprivation, ATP in your prefrontal cortex gets depleted. Creatine acts as a rapid-response energy buffer, literally regenerating ATP in milliseconds. A 2015 study found 20g/day for 7 days increased corticomotor excitability by 70% during hypoxia (low oxygen). Meta-analysis data is stronger than most people realize I compiled the major meta-analyses: • Chilibeck et al. (2017): +1.37kg lean mass in older adults, n=721 • Zhang et al. (2025): SMD 0.43 for strength gains across populations • Xu et al. (2024): SMD 0.31 for memory improvement, more beneficial for females Effect sizes this consistent are rare in nutrition science. Most "advanced" creatine forms are marketing Creatine monohydrate has the most research, is the cheapest, and has 95%+ bioavailability. Buffered creatine, creatine HCL, liquid creatine, none show superior absorption in head-to-head studies. The "better absorption" claims are mostly unproven. What I am doing differently now: After 3 years at 5g/day, I am now experimenting with: • For training: 5g/day consistently (works fine for muscle) • For cognitive demands: 15-20g single dose before intense mental work or when sleep-deprived • Timing: Post-workout with carbs when possible, but consistency matters most I am planning to try a month at 10g/day split into two doses to see if I notice cognitive differences, then potentially experiment with 15-20g on heavy work days. Sources and Interactive Database: I organized all the major studies into a searchable database because I got tired of PDF hunting: https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app Includes: • 50+ major studies with effect sizes, sample sizes, and direct links to papers • Interactive myth-busting (click myths to reveal the actual research) • Dose-response visualizations for both muscle and brain benefits • Safety timeline from 1832 to 2025 • Filterable by category: muscle, cognitive, safety, high-dose protocols Everything is cited with PubMed links if you want to read the full papers. Questions I still have: Why has not the high-dose cognitive research filtered into mainstream recommendations yet? The 2024 Nature study se groundbreaking. Are there long-term (5+ year) studies on 10g+ daily dosing for cognitive purposes? What is the optimal cycling protocol for high-dose cognitive use vs continuous low-dose? For those who have increased from 5g to 10g+ long-term, what subjective differences did you notice? Would love to hear if anyone else has gone deep on this research or experimented with higher doses. What did I miss? Has anyone here gone from 5g to 10-20g daily? What was your experience? submitted by /u/akmessi2810 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

I’ve been taking creatine HCL for a long time but not sure if is giving benefits because I’ve never stopped taking it. I’m wondering now if it is as effective as creatine monohydrate. Maybe I should switch it up for a little submitted by /u/tonymontanaOSU to r/Biohackers [link] [comments]

I started taking creatine about 6 moths ago based on the many recommendations here. I purchased the Optimum Nutrition "micronized" creatine from Costco in-store, so I assumed I was getting good stuff. I didn't really notice the benefits, but I finished the bottle. Since then, Costco stopped carrying ON and started carrying Orgain, so I thought I'd give it a try. I immediately noticed that the products do not look the same. The ON creatine was grainy like a fine sand, but the Orgain is actual powder like flour. After a couple months of taking the Orgain, I am actually feeling the benefits. This begs the question, what the heck was I taking before? Is there a quality control issue with ON? Is it not real creatine, or was it just not micronized? Both brands claim to be micronized creatine monohydrate. Just curious if anyone else has had a similar experience. submitted by /u/Priest_of_Heathens to r/Biohackers [link] [comments]

Considering adding Creatine Monohydrate option to build more muscle. M30, 5 months into body recomp dropped from 232 to 210 pounds. submitted by /u/True-Atmosphere-1835 to r/PlanetFitnessMembers [link] [comments]

I'm 46 and work out 4-5 days a week, currently not taking creatine. I'm afraid of the water weight gain since I'm already retaining a bunch of water thanks to peri. Also afraid of it causing breast swelling (already dealing with swollen tender breasts). Are the benefits you all are seeing worth taking on the water weight? I've read creatine HCL causes less water retention but Monohydrate is preferred. Does it really matter which one I take? submitted by /u/pooganis to r/Perimenopause [link] [comments]

Hey r/Supplements, After experimenting with different creatine forms—HCL, Kre-Alkalyn, buffered, micronized—I ran an 8-week trial using plain creatine monohydrate. I also reviewed the best available research to test whether the “premium” variants hold any real edge. Spoiler: they don’t. Here’s a detailed breakdown of personal results, peer-reviewed studies, and a few overhyped myths that need burying. Full blog post (citations, visuals, and more details): https://turbulencegains.in/why-i-switched-to-creatine-monohydrate TL;DR: Monohydrate gave the best strength/recovery gains at the lowest cost. No clinical trial has proven HCL, Kre-Alkalyn, or other forms to be more effective than monohydrate. Monohydrate has decades of safety data, including trials lasting over 5 years. Side effects like bloating, hair loss, or kidney damage are either misinterpreted or unsupported. 1. 8-Week Personal Results (Monohydrate vs Others) Metric Monohydrate (8 wks) HCL / Kre-Alkalyn / Others Bench Press Increase +8.2 kg +4.5–5 kg Deadlift Increase +10 kg +6–7 kg DOMS after Leg Days ~40% less ~20% or baseline Bloating Mild (intracellular) None, but no performance edge GI Tolerance Excellent HCL caused minor cramps Cost per 5g ₹2.6 (~$0.03) ₹6–10 (~$0.07–0.12) 2. What the Research Says Creatine Monohydrate is the most researched sports supplement in existence. According to the ISSN Position Stand (Kreider et al., 2017), creatine monohydrate consistently improves strength, lean mass, anaerobic performance, and recovery across age groups and activity levels. "No other form of creatine has been shown to be more effective than creatine monohydrate in head-to-head trials" (Kreider et al., 2017). HCL vs. Monohydrate HCL is more soluble in water, but solubility doesn't equal higher bioavailability or better muscle saturation. In controlled trials, no performance advantage was observed between HCL and monohydrate (Jagim et al., 2012). Buffered Creatine (Kre-Alkalyn) A direct study comparing buffered creatine to monohydrate found no difference in strength, muscle mass, or blood markers (Kreider et al., 2012). 3. Addressing the Common Myths “Creatine causes hair loss” This concern originates from a 2009 study involving rugby players (van der Merwe et al., 2009) which found a temporary spike in DHT after a creatine loading phase. No hair loss was measured. No replication to date. Sample size = 20. Genetic predisposition remains the dominant risk factor for MPB. “Creatine harms your kidneys” Multiple long-term trials show no adverse renal markers in healthy adults using 3–5g/day of monohydrate for years (Poortmans & Francaux, 1999; Kutz et al., 2008). One 5-year observational study on 52 athletes showed no difference in GFR, BUN, or serum creatinine vs. controls. “You need to cycle creatine” There's no clinical data suggesting cycling enhances efficacy or prevents tolerance. Saturation is maintained with continued daily dosing (Buford et al., 2007). “Take it with sugar for best absorption” While insulin can help, a regular carb- or protein-containing meal is sufficient (Steenge et al., 2000). No need for sugar loading. 4. Cost Breakdown (April 2025, India) Form Price (300g) ₹ / 5g dose Notes Creatine Monohydrate ₹800 ₹2.6 Most proven, cheapest Creatine HCL ₹1500+ ₹7.5–₹9 No added benefit Kre-Alkalyn ₹2000+ ₹10+ Scientifically underwhelming Micronized Monohydrate ₹1000 ₹3.3 Slightly improved solubility 5.Purity Differences: Not All Grams Are Equal Would you believe me if I said I used a jewelry‑weighing scale and emailed multiple supplement brands just to find out how much actual creatine I was getting per serving? It sounds obsessive (and okay, it kinda was), but it made a massive difference in how I tested each form fairly. Most people assume a gram is a gram—but when it comes to different creatine types, that’s just not true. Here’s the breakdown based on molecular composition: Creatine Monohydrate: ~87.9% pure creatine by weight. A standard 5g scoop gives you about 4.4g of usable creatine. This includes the weight of the water molecule in the monohydrate form. Micronized Creatine Monohydrate: Exactly the same compound as regular monohydrate—just ground into finer particles for better solubility. Purity and effectiveness are identical. It’s creatine monohydrate in a more stomach‑friendly format, not a new molecule. Creatine HCl: Roughly 78.2% pure creatine by weight. So that 750 mg scoop of HCl you see on some labels? It delivers only about 585 mg of actual creatine—nearly half of what you’d get from 5 g of monohydrate. Buffered Creatine (e.g., Kre‑Alkalyn): Typically contains 70–75% actual creatine, diluted by added alkaline buffers. The exact ratio varies by brand, and very few disclose the full breakdown without a Certificate of Analysis (COA)—which I did ask for (some brands responded, some ghosted me harder than my last Tinder match). Thanks to a precision scale usually reserved for weighing gemstones (or… sketchier things), I adjusted the dosage for each type so that I was always ingesting the same amount of elemental creatine. That way, I could compare performance, digestion, solubility, and overall effectiveness on a level playing field. Final Take: After 8 weeks of training and data collection—and after digging through the scientific literature—I'm sticking with monohydrate for good. Most effective Most researched Safest over the long term Cheapest per gram Zero gimmicks The newer forms are interesting to look at—but they just don’t perform better. And in some cases, they perform worse or are supported only by theory, not outcome data. Full blog post (citations, visuals, and more details): https://turbulencegains.in/why-i-switched-to-creatine-monohydrate References: References (Clickable): Kreider, R. B., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. JISSN, 14(1), 18 Poortmans, J. R., & Francaux, M. (1999). Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 31(8), 1108–1110 Jagim, A. R., et al. (2012). A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. JISSN, 9(1), 43 Kreider, R. B., et al. (2012). Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Mol Cell Biochem, 244(1–2), 89–94 van der Merwe, J., et al. (2009). Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med, 19(5), 399–404 Open to discussion—happy to be challenged. If you’ve seen better results with other forms or have clinical experience, I’d genuinely love to hear it. Let’s keep it science-first. submitted by /u/jerr9185 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/biohacker045 to r/Supplements [link] [comments]

Creatine is one of the most widely-used supplements, and for good reason. It's cheap and it has more research supporting its efficacy than any other supplement out there (except, perhaps, for protein supplements if you don't get enough protein from your diet). However, creatine does a lot of other interesting stuff beyond just helping you train a little harder and build more muscle and strength. Since there are a lot of questions about creatine on /r/fitness, I thought this article would be of interest for a lot of folks: Not Another Boring Creatine Guide: Answers to FAQs and Lesser-Known Benefits Here's the short version: Basic Stuff 1) Creatine primarily works via allowing you to train harder (since it increases the supply of readily available energy for high-intensity contractions). However, it also has direct effects on signaling pathways that contribute to growth. 2) So far, plain old creatine monohydrate seems to work as well as other fancier (and more expensive) forms of creatine. 3) Assuming you plan on taking creatine long-term, there's not much reason to do a high-dose creatine "loading" phase. Your muscles will attain full saturation in 3-4 weeks anyways. More Interesting Stuff 4) Some people are creatine "nonresponders," meaning that creatine supplementation doesn't increase muscle creatine levels. However, these people tend to be the folks who had higher creatine levels prior to supplementation anyways, so they're not really missing out on anything. 5) Creatine supplementation can actually improve bone health 6) Creatine can improve brain health and mental performance, especially when you're tired or stressed 7) Most of the benefits of creatine (especially the mental and cognitive benefits) seem to be larger in vegetarians and vegans than omnivores (since they're not getting nearly as much creatine from their diet). 8) Creatine doesn't cause dehydration. In fact, it may actually decrease incidences of heat illness and cramping when exercising in the heat (suggesting it may improve hydration status). 9) Creatine may make asthma symptoms worse, though that effect seems to be ameliorated by aerobic exercise. 10) The infamous study which found that creatine increased DHT levels (a hormone associated with hair loss) has probably been blown out of proportion. 11) The effects of creatine may be blunted by taking it with high doses of caffeine. If that's something you're worried about, just taking creatine and caffeine at different times (i.e. caffeine pre-workout and creatine post-workout) should negate that interaction. That's the VERY abbreviated version (the whole article is probably a 20-25 minute read). Full disclosure: the article is published on my website. However, I did not write it. The author, Eric Trexler, has his PhD in exercise physiology, and most of his research is in sports nutrition and supplementation (including research on creatine). So, I'm clearly biased about this article, but the author is an actual expert on the topic. If you're interested in getting into the nitty gritty details, I'd strongly recommend reading the full article, since it goes into a lot more depth than my tl;dr: Not Another Boring Creatine Guide: Answers to FAQs and Lesser-Known Benefits submitted by /u/gnuckols to r/Fitness [link] [comments]