Creatine is one of the most widely used and researched sports supplements available. There have been loads of studies carried out on the performance effects of using creatine. The results have shown the positive benefits that can be achieved.
There is a large variety of creatine supplements available in different forms. Due to being so popular, they are available relatively low cost compared to other supplements. In this post, we will dig deeper into creatine and I will share five of my favourite creatine supplements.
The benefits of using creatine
Supplementing with creatine can help your muscles produce more energy. This is due to creatine increasing your muscles phosphocreatine stores. This allows you to produce more ATP energy to provide fuel to your muscles during high intensity training in the gym. There are multiple factors that can be drastically improved by creatine including strength, power and endurance.
In real life this is going to convert into squeezing out them last reps in the gym or being able to increase the weight slightly during your workout. That extra push is where you are going to really working your muscles and building mass. This is why creatine is so good for bulking, as it allows you to lift more which encourages you to build more muscle.
Creatine is also used a lot when people are cutting. When cutting there is usually less energy available to maintain your workouts. Creatine helps to maintain energy and keep your strength.
There are also numerous additional benefits of using creatine. It can help stimulate additional biological processes in the muscle that contribute to building muscle mass when bulking [1]. Overall, creatine is a well researched, low cost proven supplement to be included in any bulking regime.
Creatine comes in different forms…
Creatine comes in both power and pill form factors. The most popular option tends to be the powder. A creatine power can be mixed with water and consumed. Its important to make sure you mix it properly as it will often just sink to the bottom of the glass.
I like to mix creatine in a whey protein shake rather than water alone. I find it mixes a lot better and is less likely to stick to the bottom. Creatine powders come in a variety of flavours including fruit flavours. However, it is often best to get the unflavoured version. This will allow you to mix it easily with other supplements.
Creatine pills are convenient and easy to consume if you don’t like the powdered option. There are also some creatine pills that are designed for a delayed release. this allows your body to be slowly supplied with creatine over several hours, rather than all at once.
…and different types
There are actually different types of creatine available. The most popular is creatine Monohydrate. This is the creatine that is most widely researched and proven to deliver results. Creatine supplements also sometimes list how pure they are. The most pure form is Creapure creatine which is 99.95% pure creatine. Creapure tends to be slightly more expensive due to its higher purity.
Below is our favourite creatine supplements for 2022.
Best Value: MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate
I often purchase supplements from MyProtein as they offer great value and quality. Based in the UK, MyProtein is one of the most recognisable supplement brands online. Thanks to their huge social media presence, they often come to mind first when looking for whey protein and similar supplements.
With MyProtein, you can order all the supplements you need from one place. There is a huge range available with everything from protein to pre-workout.
MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate combines both a great price point and recognisable brand. You can get a 500g pouch of creatine for £7.99. There is also a 1kg pouch available for £12.99 but I would recommend the small pouch as it tends to last a while.
This is a great choice for both new and regular users of creatine. The MyProtein website also regularly has offers on so you may be able to get it for less.
No products found.
Best Creapure: BULK POWDERS Creapure Creatine
As we mentioned earlier, Creapure is the highest purity creatine available. If you are looking for Creapure then this pouch from Bulk Powders makes a great choice. Bulk Powders started selling supplements online in 2005. Since then they have expanded to offer one of the largest supplement choices available.
As well as supplements, there is also a wide variety of protein foods available. You can purchase all the Bulk Powder supplements from their website and also collect points towards your next purchase. If you spend over £49 you can also get free delivery so it may be worth ordering all your supplements together to save.
The Bulk Powders Creapure Creatine Monohydrate makes a great choice for those looking for high purity creatine. You can get a 500g pouch for £12.49. This is higher than standard creatine monohydrate as Creapure comes at an additional cost. This supplement promises the highest quality and easy mixing.
No products found.
Best Premium branded creatine: Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine
Optimum Nutrition is one of my favourite supplement brands. They are most well known for their Gold Standard Whey Protein Powder. This popular supplement is often favoured by bodybuilders as the best whey protein powder for bulking. However, Optimum Nutrition also has a wider range of supplements available and creatine is one of them.
This creatine has been micronised which allows it to dissolve easier in water. If you don’t like the bits at the bottom of the water glass, this micronised creatine makes a great choice. Due to being easy mixing, you can have it with more than just a protein shake and not have to worry about how well it mixes.
You can purchase Optimum Nutrition Micronised creatine from both shops and also online. The price tends to be roughly £20 for a 634g tub.
Best Blend: The Protein Works Creatine Extreme
The Protein Works are one of the most popular supplement brands in the UK. Despite not being as well known as some others, they offer some really unique and exciting supplements. You can purchase their full range from their website and there is some unique and interesting blends.
Creatine Extreme contains a unique multi-functional five creatine blend. There is also updtake agents to help increase the absorption of creatine once it is consumed. Per serving there is a huge 7g of creatine to increase the size and strength of your muscles. If you are looking to take your creatine supplementation to the next level, this could be a great option. You can purchase a 400g pouch for £22.99 from The Protein Works website.
No products found.
Best Pills: MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate Tablets
As I mentioned previously, MyProtein offers a huge range of great value supplements. All of these are available from their website. As well as creatine in powder form, MyProtein also produces creatine in tablet form.
Creatine tablets are super convenient and great to take on the move without any mixing powders. You still get all the same benefits of creatine, just in a convenient form factor. There is not as much choice when it comes to creatine tablets as most people prefer the powder.
However, MyProtein creatine tablets tick all the boxes. They are both from a reputable brand and also at a great price. You can get 250 tablets from the MyProtein website for £14.99. I have also seen them regularly on offer at a slightly lower price.
We hope you found our list of our favourite creatine supplements useful. Creatine is also found naturally in foods. It is most abundant in red meats, poultry and fish. However, the cooking process degrades creatine which means a lot of it is lost by the time you have finished cooking.
