Creatine is a supplement that has been getting a lot of attention lately. When used correctly, it can help with muscle gain and fat reduction. However, there are "miracle" blends on the market that contain 90% simple carbohydratesthat supposedly increase creatine absorption and contain only 10% creatine itself. In order to distinguish the best supplements from the lesser ones, we have prepared the following comparison of the 10 best creatines on the market.
The 10 best creatines based on testing
| Ranking | Image | Product | Main advantages | Price | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
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Reflex Nutrition Creapure Creatine | /100g, Three available pack sizes, 100% creatine content | $19,96 | Best price More information |
| 2. |
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Protein&Co Creatine monohydrate | /100 g, 2 available pack sizes, 100% creatine content | Best price More information | |
| 3. |
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Czech Virus Creatine Creapure | /100g, 100 doses per pack, 100% creatine content | $18,90 | Best price More information |
| 4. |
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Vilgain Creatine Creapure® | /100 g, 100% creatine content, 60 doses per pack | Best price More information | |
| 5. |
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Extrifit Creatine Creapure | /100g, 100% creatine content, 60 doses per pack | $12,76 | Best price More information |
| 6. |
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Prom-IN Creatine HPLC | /100g, Excellent solubility and digestibility, 99% creatine content | $15,60 | Best price More information |
| 7. |
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SmartFuel Creatine Monohydrate | /100 g, 100% creatine content, 100 doses per pack | Best price More information | |
| 8. |
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Scitec Nutrition 100% Creatine | /100g, 4 pack sizes, 100% creatine content | $13,28 | Best price More information |
| 9. |
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Amix Creatine Monohydrate | /100g, 2 pack sizes, 100% creatine monohydrate | $21,16 | Best price More information |
| 10. |
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Extrifit Crea Monohydrate | /100g, 1 pack size, 100% micronized creatine monohydrate | $11,48 | Best price More information |
| 11. |
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Nutrend Creatine Monohydrate Creapure | /100g, 100% pure creatine, 1 pack size | $17,64 | Best price More information |
| 12. |
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Kevin Levrone LevroCrea | / 100g, 2 different flavours, 4 different forms of creatine | $13,56 | Best price More information |
| 13. |
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BiotechUSA 100% Creatine Monohydrate | /100g, 100% micronized creatine, 1 pack size | $10,76 | Best price More information |
Detailed comparison of creatine supplements
The winner of our ranking of the best creatines on the market is Creapure Creatin from Reflex Nutrition. This great supplement contains only the highest quality creatine monohydrate, as evidenced by the Creapure brand.
Unlike all the other creatines on the market, this one is tested for all the undesirable substances that can be found in these supplements (creatinine, dicyandiamide and others).
Benefits:
- Three available pack sizes
- Contains no additives
- Maximum cleanliness, effectiveness and safety guaranteed by the manufacturer
- Product complies with ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 standards
Disadvantages:
- High price
About Reflex Nutrition Manufacturer:
Reflex Nutrition has been in business since 1996 and from the very beginning, the company has built all of its supplements on quality first. Their supplements undergo independent testing for banned substances and actual protein content in every batch.
All of the company's manufacturing technologies and pharmaceutical facilities are of the highest standard and therefore can be it is no exaggeration to say that Reflex Nutrition is the absolute top among sports nutrition manufacturers.
As most of us have probably already got used to, Reflex Nutrition offers first-class supplements at a price that absolutely matches their high quality.
If you are willing to pay extra and have a guarantee of the highest product purity and usability, this supplement is the right choice for you. But if you don't want to invest your entire paycheck in supplements, choose another product instead.
The next position in our ranking belongs to creatine from Protein&Co. The main reasons are the 100% pure ingredients, the licensed Creapure® trademark and above all the very low price compared to the competition. Since the ingredients of the best products on the market are identical, price plays a very significant role in the decision of which product to buy.
Advantages:
- Very competitive price
- 100% pure composition
- Licensed Creapure® trademark
- Choice of two pack sizes
Disadvantages:
- Raspberry flavor didn't appeal to us much
About the Protein&Co. brand:
Protein&Co is a Czech brand focused on the production and sale of dietary supplements. The company's founding comes with a story that is not particularly unusual among sports supplement manufacturers. The founders of the brand were simply unable to find quality but affordable supplements for so long that they decided to take matters into their own hands. And so they laid the foundations for a company that today, in addition to protein, produces everything from vitamins to joint nutrition to healthy pancakes. You may have come across Protein&Co products in our comparison of the best vitamins, for example.or in our ranking of the best whey proteins.
Final review:
For anyone considering buying creatine, Protein&Co Creatine monohydrate (Creapure®) is undoubtedly a great choice. It has the highest quality available on the market, plus it will set you back a lot less than most competing products. As a result, this product boasts an absolutely excellent price-performance ratio.
The second place in our ranking was rightfully taken by Creatine from Czech Virus.
For this company, it offers a surprisingly good price, has 100% creatine content, and every new batch is tested for its content.so you can be almost 100% sure that you are not getting any harmful substances into your body.
Benefits:
- 100% creatine monohydrate
- Good price
- Contains no impurities or additives
- Excellent solubility
Disadvantages:
- Only 1 pack size
About Czech Virus Brand:
Creatine Creapure is manufactured by Czech Virus, a well-known company made famous by the controversial bodybuilder Filip Grznár and his former sparring partner Pavel Beran.
Ever since 2012, when the first idea was born in the minds of the creators, the company has prided itself on quality products without unnecessary chemistry. Among the sponsored athletes, besides Filip and Pavel, there are also Aleš Bursa and Jiří Tkadlčík.
All raw materials used by Czech Virus in the production of its products originate in the EU.
If you are thinking about buying creatine, Creatine Creapure from Czech Virus is a really great choice.
Unlike many other supplements from Czech Virus, it doesn't cost too much money and is really high quality. A minor drawback though is only one pack size, as 500g of creatine is too much for one cycle.
Vilgain Creatine Creapure® is another product in which you will find only pure creatine. It is also a licensed trademark of Creapure®, which is further proof of the premium quality of the product. In terms of quality and maximum effectiveness, this is therefore the obvious choice for anyone where they have decided to include creatine in their supplementation pyramid.
Benefits:
-
Completely pure formula without any additives
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Fair price
-
Ideal pack size
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Perfect absorbability
Disadvantages:
- Only one pack size
About Vilgain Brand:
The company behind the Vilgain brand is Aktin, who decided to give their products a new name due to their expansion abroad. Although the packaging of all the supplements has been dominated by different wording for some time now, the quality has remained the same. It is the emphasis on quality ingredients and affordable price that is behind the success that has accompanied Aktin in recent years. Not for nothing is it one of the most popular manufacturers and suppliers of sports supplements on the Czech market.
At this point, there is probably not much need to comment. The 100% pure composition is an undoubted advantage, as is the Creapure® brand creatine. Considering that the price of this creatine from Vilgain is quite similar to previous products, there is no doubt that this is a great choice that you simply won't go wrong with. So if you are considering buying this supplement, we can highly recommend it.
The third place in our ranking is occupied by Creatine Creapure from Extrifit.
This supplement also offers good value for money, contains no additives or fillers and really works. It is 100% creatine monohydrate, which is of the highest possible quality, as evidenced by the Creapure trademark.
Benefits:
- 100% creatine content
- Good price
- Optimal number of doses per pack
- Very pure and effective form of creatine
Disadvantages:
- Poorer solubility
- Only 1 pack size
About the manufacturer Extrifit:
Extrifit has been on the market since 2007 and in that time has grown to become the leading sports nutrition manufacturer in the country.
All of the supplements offered are specifically tailored for all strength athletes and bodybuilders. The company's vision is to produce supplements that will effectively support the growth of muscle mass and strength and effectively fight subcutaneous fat.
All the supplements are tested by sponsored athletes - the absolute top of the sport -before they are launched.Vojtěch Koritenský, Tomáš Kašpar, Vlastimil Kužel and others.
Another very good creatine is Creatine Creapure from Extrifit.
One pack contains 300g of creatine, which is the ideal dose you need for a cycle. However, a minor problem arises for heavier athletes who want to take advantage of the saturation phasethen one pack of the supplement may not be enough (we've discussed the issue of creatine dosing below the rankings).
Prom-IN Creatine HPLC is a really great creatine monohydrate that offers great performance, solubility and digestibility at a very good price.
In 100g of the product there is 99g of creatine of the highest purity. If you are looking for the ideal supplement for volume training at a great price, Creatine HPLC is the right choice.
Benefits:
- Pure and high quality creatine monohydrate
- Really good price
- Great solubility and digestibility
- Ideal supplement for volume training
Disadvantages:
- Not very good taste
About the manufacturer Prom-IN:
Creatine HPCL is manufactured by the seasoned company Prom-IN, which has been on the Czech market since 1976.
Their products have undergone many reforms to suit all athletes and contain no unnecessary or ineffective substances. In the sales you can get all the products of this company for really great prices.
Creatine HPCL is a really good quality supplement that doesn't cost a lot of money.
It is definitely a good choice for anyone who does not want to spend their entire paycheck on supplements, but at the same time demands high quality. One pack contains 500g of creatine, which will easily last you a whole cycle.
Creatine monohydrate from SmartFuel contains only pure active ingredient without any additives. Compared to the competition, however, it offers nothing extra, which, combined with the absence of knownCreapure's quality label means it can't rank higher in our rankings. On the other hand, its relatively low price should be highlighted, making this product a very good value for money.
Advantages:
- Pure composition without unnecessary additives
- Problem-free solubility
- Up to 100 servings per pack
- Great value for money
Disadvantages:
- Does not carry the Creapure quality mark or HPLC certification
About SmartFuel:
SmartFuel is a relatively new Czech brand of sports supplements, backed by the online store Fitness007. SmartFuel supplements are usually one of the cheaper products, but their ingredients often compete with the leading products on the market. Thanks to the excellent price-quality ratio, their popularity is growing and the brand is gradually building its firm place on the market. You may have already come across supplements from this manufacturer in our comparison of the bestwhey proteins or in our ranking of the best protein bars.
Creatine monohydrate from the SmartFuel brand is a quality supplement, which is basically nothing to complain about. The problem is that many competing products have the widely recognized Creapure quality mark, whichwhich gives the end customer the assurance that they are buying a completely pure and high quality product. In this case, however, we can say no such thing. On the other hand, we appreciate the very pleasant price, which gives this creatine an excellent price-quality ratio.
The fifth place in our ranking is occupied by 100% Creatine from Scitec Nutrition. Similar to the previous supplements, it contains 100% creatine monohydrate at a really good price.
However, the big drawback is the poor solubility, which most users complain about. From our own experience we have to agree, because we were not able to dissolve the creatine even in lukewarm water.
Pros:
- 4 different pack sizes
- Really good price
- High quality ingredients
Disadvantages:
- Poor solubility
About Scitec Nutrition:
100% Creatine is manufactured by Scitec Nutrition, a seasoned company that has been in the European market for over 15 years.
It bases all of its products on real scientific studies, not just false promises. Thanks to this fact, it is one of the world's top sports nutrition manufacturers.
100% Creatine is a pretty good supplement, which unfortunately has a very poor solubility. If you are willing to overlook this shortcoming, then it can be a really effective supplement with a great price-quality ratio, especially suitable for students.
It also has the advantage of 4 different pack sizes to choose from for athletes of all weight and performance categories.
Creatine monohydrate is an ultra-micronized, pure and maximally usable supplement from Amix.
Thanks to this supplement you will accelerate the growth of muscle mass and strength, support anaerobic performance and muscle recovery. It ranks 6th in our ranking mainly due to its good price/quality ratio, composition, purity and usability.
Benefits:
- 2 pack sizes
- Pure creatine monohydrate without any additives
- Good price/quality ratio
- Supports recovery and muscle growth
About Amix Nutrition:
Amix is one of the absolute leaders in the field of sports nutrition not only in the Czech Republic, but also throughout Europe.
The basic criterion in the production of new supplements is quality, which is why The company has earned the trust of many professional and amateur athletes. Amix also sponsors the leading Czech bodybuilder Milan Šádek or the great Slovak bikini Timea Trajtelová.
Creatine monohydrate is a great choice, especially thanks to its good price-performance ratio, pure formula without additives and two different pack sizes.
Extrifit Crea Monohydrate is a great supplement with 100% micronized creatine monohydrate.
Thanks to this supplement you will increase your physical performance, strength and growth of additional muscle cells. Especially because of its good composition and price/quality ratio, Crea Monohydrate has also earned its place in our ranking.
Benefits:
- Great price/quality ratio
- 100% micronized creatine
- Increases strength and performance
Disadvantages:
- Only one pack size
About Extrifit:
Extrifit has been one of the leading manufacturers of sports nutrition in the Czech Republic since 2007, when it first appeared on the market.
The company tailors all products in its repertoire to elite strength athletes. Extrifit's vision is to produce supplements that will effectively support the growth of muscle mass and strength and effectively fight subcutaneous fat.
All supplements are tested by sponsored athletes - the absolute top of the sport -before they are launched.Vojtěch Koritenský, Tomáš Kašpar, Vlastimil Kužel and others.
Although some reviewers complain about the lower solubility of the product, we found it absolutely fine and we recommend Crea Monohydrate.
Creatine Monohydrate Creapure from Nutrend has its place in our ranking without a doubt.
This supplement offers 100% creatine monohydrate of the highest purity, making it a suitable choice for muscle gain, greater strength and performance.
Benefits:
- Good solubility
- 100% creatine monohydrate
- Acceptable price
Disadvantages:
- Only one pack size
About Nutrend:
Nutrend is one of the largest Czech manufacturers of supplements and sports nutrition.
It is also a proud sponsor of Czech Olympians - Martina Sáblíková, Jaromír Jágr and others. Unlike most companies, it does not specialize only in bodybuilding and strength sports, but also in endurance sports. Just from the size and popularity of this company, it can be concluded that it produces supplements of first-class quality.
Creatine Monohydrate Creapure is a very good supplement at an affordable price. A minor drawback here is the single pack size.
Some reviewers of the product also complain about excessive bloating, however, this is only in rare cases.
The ninth place in our ranking belongs to LevroCrea creatine, which is available in two flavours (blue raspberry and orange).
In one serving (7.8g) you will find 7g of creatine, which is represented in 4 different forms: creatine hydrochloride, creatine monohydrate, tricreatine malate and creatine nitrate in a 2:2:2:1 ratio.
Benefits:
- 2 great flavours
- 4 different forms of creatine for maximum effect
- Increases both strength and muscle mass growth
Disadvantages:
- Contains dyes, sweeteners and anti-caking agents
- Only one insufficient size
- High price
About the manufacturer Kevin Levrone:
LevroCrea is manufactured by a company very closely associated with one of the best bodybuilders in history - Kevin Levrone.
They specialize primarily in powerful gainers, effective fat burners as well as premium pre-workout stimulants. The most important criterion is, of course, quality, which is why you won't find any ineffective products in the offer of this company.
LevroCrea is the only representative of our ranking that offers flavored flavors. On the one hand, it contains added substances (sweeteners, dyes,...), on the other hand, you no longer have to deal with the taste of creatine, which some may not do very well and may have problems with taking it.
The combination of 4 different forms of creatine is also interesting. Personally, I would recommend this creatine to people who have not felt any positive change only whenI supplementation with plain creatine monohydrate, because for them this blend can be a really good alternative.
Our ranking of the best creatines is rounded off by 100% Creatine Monohydrate from BioTech.
This product contains only creatine monohydrate of the highest purity, so it is a really effective product at a good price.
Benefits:
- Great price
- High quality
- 100% micronized creatine
Disadvantages:
- Only one pack size
About the Manufacturer BiotechUSA:
BioTech is one of the largest distributors of supplements ever.
This company relies on multi-phase product testing to ensure its customers In addition, the company uses a multiple-step process to ensure that all of its products are of high quality and free of harmful additives. Products pass both European and American testing conditions so you can fully rely on the results.
Even though 100% Creatine Monohydrate is in the last place of our ranking, this by no means means means that it is of poor quality.
For a really nice price, this supplement offers quality and maximum effectiveness, which is why we think it's a great investment.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a nitrogenous macronutrient compound that is most abundant in muscle tissue. Its main and most important role is to supply muscle and nerve cells with energy when runningduring a short period of time, a large amount of ATP has to be expended - for example, during intense training in the gym.
Creatine test and reviews
Our tests and reviews are not just randomly compiled creatines that we try to recommend for profit. We've tested all of the items in our rankings and thoroughly looked at the criteria that are important to each consumer:
- Ingredients
- solubility
- taste
- price/quality ratio,...
At the end of this process, you have a completely objective ranking that should really help you make your decision. We are not a supplement manufacturer that is just trying to promote our brand, nor are we sponsored by anyone, so we can afford complete objectivity.
What is creatine used for?
Creatine is a supplement proven by many scientific studies that have shown its effectiveness in increasing physical and strength performance.
Creatine monohydrate, which is considered to be the most effective form, has been proven to retains small amounts of water in the body while improving protein synthesis. Taking creatine for 5-7 days at a dose of 25g has been shown to increase bodyWeight gain of exercisers by 0.7-1.5kg depending on diet, training intensity and recovery rate.
Who is creatine suitable for?
The use of creatine is most justified in speed-training athletes such as hockey players or sprinters. It is also appreciated by all strength athletes, whether they are powerlifters, crossfitters or bodybuilders.
Many exercisers are of the opinion that creatine is only suitable for volume, as it makes the body retain more water. However, it is also very useful in the diet as it ensures the release of ATP and therefore you will have enough energy for training even with a limited calorie intake.
I personally know several competitive bodybuilders who use it even during pre-contest diets and they can't praise it enough.
Which form of creatine is best?
We consider monohydrate to be the best form of creatine, which is also (with one exception) represented in our ranking.
This form is the oldest, most researched, and also the most effective possible choice for all athletes, regardless of industry. Due to its ability to positively influence contractile (contractile) proteins in muscle fibers, regular supplementation with this type of creatine leads to brutal increases in muscle mass and strength. At the same time, creatine can also stabilize cellular phospholipid membranes, which limits damage to muscle tissue.
So, simply put, creatine monohydrate also contributes very significantly to post-workoutmuscle recovery.
Is creatine harmful?
Various rumours circulate around the dangers of creatine on the internet, but its harmfulness has never beenIt has never been conclusively proven and side effects have always been rare.
Creatine and cramps
It is widely believed that creatine causes muscle cramps. However, several studies have been conducted to disprove this.
In the first, creatine was given to American football players for three for three years and showed that creatine had no effect on injury or increased incidence of cramps.
Similarly, the second study studied a group of 26 athletes for 4 years, where one group was given a placebo and the other was given creatine. No difference was found between the two groups.
Long-term use
The long-term use of creatine has also been the subject of several scientific studies. For 3 years, athletes were given 14g of creatine per day and no deleterious effect on the kidneys or liver was found.
Possible dangers of creatine
It is indeed rare that kidney problems may occur when taking creatine, and these occur only in people susceptible to liver or kidney disease. So if you are one of these people, consult your doctor about creatine supplementation.However, for the general population, creatine use (even long-term) should be perfectly safe for the liver and kidneys. You can read more about this in our article titled Is Creatine Damaging to the Liver and Kidneys?
When and how to take creatine?
We have published a whole article about creatine dosage on our website, so we will explain this issue very briefly here.
Creatine should be taken especially before training, when it will release ATP, which further serves as a source of energy. For this purpose, even 5g is sufficient.
It is also possible to dose creatine with glucose, which will increase the secretion of insulin and therefore the creatine will be better absorbed.
So how much creatine will I need?
Before buying creatine , it's a good idea to think if you want to do a saturation phase or if you will be taking 5g a day before training. This will determine how many grams you will need in one such cycle:
If you are planning a saturation phase, you will take 25g of creatine in 5 daily doses for the first week. This means that in the first week you will consume 175g. After that time, you should take 5g of creatine for the next 2 months(for more advanced athletes the dosage can be doubled). So in total you will get to 315g in this maintenance phase. Well, if we add the two phases together, we get to 490g of creatine.
If you want to avoid the saturation phase, you can take 5g of creatine consistently for at least 3 months. That means you will consume about 450g of creatine.
As a result, this means that if you want to embark on creatine supplementation, it would be most ideal to buy a half-pound pack.
What to mix creatine with?
If you want to maximize the use of creatine in the body, it is good to combine it with other supplements, especially glutamine, about which you can read the whole article on our website. These two substances act synergistically with each other, which means that one enhances the effectiveness of the other.
You can also mix creatine with sugars with a high glycemic index (e.g. maltose, dextroor glucose), as these can increase creatine absorption by up to several tens of percent through insulin reactions.
Is it better to combine creatine with water, milk or juice? And is it possible to combine it with other supplements? Find out in our article What to mix creatine with for maximum use.
Personal experience
Personally, I take creatine monohydrate without a saturation phase for 3-4 months, then discontinue it for the same period. I have to say that it is one of my favorite supplements and I feelI feel both much higher performance and better recovery when taking it.
On the other hand, there are some people who don't feel any effect at all when taking monohydrate. In that case, I would try another form of creatine, such as micronized creatine, which is comparable to monohydrate in terms of effectiveness.
Sources of text
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Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health - PubMed. PubMed [online]. Available from: https: //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35267907/
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Orth, Peter. sport and good nutrition. Prague: Ikar, 2002. ISBN 978-80-249-0124-4.
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Creatine: Side Effects, Interactions, and What You Should Know. Healthline: Medical information and health advice you can trust [online]. Copyright © 2005. Available from: https: //www.healthline.com/nutrition/creatine-safety-and-side-effects
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CLARK, Nancy. Sports nutrition: Meal plan, nutritional supplements, pre- and post-exercise diet, specific nutritional needs, weight loss without starvation, recipes. 4th ed. Translated by René SOUČEK, translated by Monika SOUČKOVÁ. Prague: Grada Publishing, 2020. ISBN 978-80-271-1030-8.
Long-term use of creatine
Creatine can also be used long-term without adverse effects, in which case we would recommend setting the dosage to 3-5 grams per day. On training days it is ideal to use creatine before training, on non-training days you can use it at any time. However, it's worth considering whether it makes sense to supplement with creatine on a long-term basis at all. If you stop taking it, it will definitely and demonstrably not lead to muscle loss and you will only lose retained water. The only potentially problematic point may be if you take a large amount of creatine suddenly. This is because as we discussed in more detail in our article entitled Can I Overdose on Creatine?, you may experience diarrhea, bloating or abdominal pain when taking large amounts of this supplement. However, this effect should be rather short-lived and should go away fairly soon.