We all do our best to make time to get to the gym every week. Exercise is an important part of our overall health and wellness. It’s also necessary to achieve a fit, toned body. There are lots of different supplements that can help us make the most of our gym time.
Creatine is a popular supplement used by gym-goers to increase their performance, strength and the work they can do during a gym session. Creatine also helps the body increase muscle mass without increasing fat.
The best creatine pills can give you all of these benefits and help you get the best results out of your time in the gym.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound which occurs naturally in humans. Its primary responsibility is helping the body create and release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the substance that provides energy to the cells.
When the cells have easier access to the ATP energy stores, we’re able to perform better, faster, and stronger than before.
Also, creatine acts as a buffer for pH levels in tissues throughout the body. (source)
On average, the human body produces around 1 gram of creatine naturally per day. Most people also eat about 1 gram in this span through amino acids found in animal products.
What Does Creatine Do?
In addition to the functions creatine naturally performs in the body, as a supplement the best creatine pills can provide additional benefits.
Studies show that people who supplement creatine may experience:
- Increased strength and size of muscles
- More efficient recovery when exercising
- Faster sprint performance
- An improvement in brain function
How Does Creatine Accomplish This?
When you take creatine as a supplement, it enhances your ability to work harder for longer periods of time. (source) Studies indicated that users supplementing with creatine were able to improve their maximum power and strength, their sprint performance, and the amount of work they were able to do through repetitive sets.
These same study participants reported gains in overall strength, muscle mass, and their ability to perform high-intensity exercise. (source)
For someone like you and I, this means that we can be more productive during our workouts. If you can lift more weight or lift weights faster, you will gain strength and muscle faster and produce better results.
In a separate study, scientists wanted to understand how creatine affected recovery in endurance athletes. These athletes took a creatine supplement for five days before running a 30k (18.6 mile) race. The participants who used the creatine had lower instances of cell damage and inflammation after the race. (source)
The recovery benefit of creatine is especially exciting if you are someone who is frequently sore after a hard workout. Creatine can reduce that muscle soreness and associated recovery time, making it easy to get back to your routine the next day.
Creatine supplementation can also help protect against disease. As it is a proven neuroprotectant, creatine may help enhance cognitive ability and delay any degenerative diseases of the brain. (source)
Who Should Supplement With Creatine Pills?
Many people may benefit from taking creatine pills. Especially given the numerous performance benefits, including creatine’s ability to grow and preserve muscles, and enhance cognitive ability.
You are a good candidate to take a creatine supplement if you are:
- A bodybuilder, powerlifter, or athlete who does regular strength training
- Someone who exercises regularly and wants to make the most of your workouts
- Over the age of 40 and looking to preserve bone and muscle mass as you age
- Someone with a degenerative cognitive disease
- Vegetarian or someone who doesn’t eat much meat
What to Look for in the Best Creatine Pills
There are several different types of creatine used to make supplements. When searching for the best creatine pill, you’ll want to pay attention to the ingredients and the potency of the supplement to get the best value for the price.
You’ll commonly find creatine in one of the following forms:
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the most common form. It’s what most of the scientific studies use in testing. This version binds to water, and every molecule provides 88% pure creatine. When you take it as a dose, one gram will give the body 4.40 grams of active creatine to use.
Micronized Creatine
Micronized creatine has the same basic structure as creatine monohydrate. This type of creatine has smaller particles which make it simpler to absorb and easier on the stomach. Anyone who experiences bloating or an upset stomach when taking creatine may want to look for this version on the ingredients label.
Creatine Phosphate
Creatine phosphate is another form with a lower level of creatine per molecule (62.3%) than creatine monohydrate. It is typically more expensive.
Creatine Citrate
Creatine citrate is a bonded form of creatine designed to make for easier absorption and less stomach upset. In most cases, this comes in powder form and is significantly more expensive than other types of creatine.
Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE)
Creatine Ethyl Ester is a newer form and is designed to bolster absorption rates of the supplement. It’s suggested to have a rate ten times higher allowing it to transport more efficiently over biological membranes and into our muscles. Currently, it has not undergone any clinical testing.
Kre-Alkalyn
Kre-Alkalyn is another creatine compound believed to have higher than normal absorption rates due to processing with a higher PH level. It’s also reported to reduce the bloat commonly seen when taking creatine. In one small study, Olympic weightlifters who supplemented with this form of creatine saw a 28% gain in lift amounts over a 60-day period. (source)
Creatine’s effect on the body is a complicated process. For more details on how it works and suggestions on how to best add it into your supplementation schedule, check out this helpful video from Dr. Michelle McDonald.
Side Effects of Creatine Pills
Creatine has been proven through studies to be a safe supplement to take both long and short term. (source) It does not negatively affect gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, renal or liver functions.
Some users anecdotally report stomach upset or bloating, though these symptoms aren’t confirmed through any clinical trials.
My Pick for the Best Creatine Pills
All of the creatine supplements we reviewed have serious merit. Any of them could produce gains in muscle growth, performance, strength, fitness, and mental clarity for any user.
However, All American EFX Kre-Alkalyn EFX is my recommendation for the best creatine pill for muscle growth. It is a cost-effective option that’s produced great results for users and compares favorably to the competition. The cutting-edge pH balanced technology has also shown some impressive results in studies and trials.
Choosing a supplement that will help you build muscle and perform at your best will aid you in making the most out of every workout. Kre-Alkalyn EFX is a good bet to help reach your goals.
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