Best Creatine for 2022
Beyond Raw Creatine HCI
Muscletech Elite Creatine
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine
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No matter what decade we are in, creatine is always going to be a hot topic sparking controversial discussions.
You might have heard from your friends or from a TV doctor that creatine isn’t safe, but I’m quickly going to dispel that one and say it’s not true.
Creatine is completely safe to use and there is science behind it to back it up. There have been constant studies regarding this supplement and they all have come back with zero negative effects.
Before I jump into the science however, I want to first talk about what creatine does to inform you of the benefits of this supplement.
Benefits of Creatine
Creatine when taken as a supplement has the ability to increase how much energy your muscles can exert down to a cellular level and increase the endurance of those same muscles.
Taking a casual look at the basic explanation of creatine, it's understandable that many people might assume it to be a steroid, however, creatine just improves the natural energy cycle in our cells allowing for greater workout intensity.
Creatine can additionally be used by the body as a fuel source itself, in fact, if available, creatine phosphate is the go-to source of energy for the body when performing anaerobic exercises.
One of the most popular benefits that creatine provides is that it has the ability to hydrate muscle cells. The hydration of muscle cells leads to an increase in protein synthesis which is always a welcome effect and since the muscle cells are hydrated they expand.
This expansion of cells makes the muscles look bigger and fuller which is what most weightlifters are looking for. Everybody loves a good pump and creatine just swells those muscles up even more.
Best Creatine Supplements
#1. Beyond Raw Chemistry Labs Creatine HCl - Best Overall Creatine Supplement
There are a few reasons why I love Beyond Raw.
The most important thing to point out is that it is lab grade and sold by a trusted brand like GNC.
I'm very fond of the lab grade certifications as it means the level of purity is kept to a much higher standard than what the average consumer supplement brand might settle for.
The main reason why I ranked this product number one is quality. There are plenty of creatine supplements out there on the market that claim to work wonders but fall short.
This is without a doubt one of the best creatine supplements out there and I have been feeling stronger and progressing faster than I ever have.
#2. MuscleTech Cell Tech Elite Creatine - Best for Energy
MuscleTech comes in a variety of flavors such as orange, grape, and fruit punch and it is guaranteed to help give you that extra kick in your workout that you are looking for.
It comes with a lot of additional sugar to help give you that rush of energy along with some BCAAs. Those on a caloric strict diet should consider this before pulling the trigger on this specific product.
This is to help give you that energy that you need to get through your workouts. MuscleTech also comes with taurine, a prominent ingredient in energy drinks that helps boost your mental cognition.
When I took MuscleTech, I could see why people were raving about this product. The combination of creatine and bcaa's cut out extra steps in my day of just mixing those 2 supplements together, as I usually take both during my workout.
The 5g of creatine per serving is great, but the energy it gives you makes it one of the best creatine supplements out there.
If you are feeling exhausted before your workout, this may give you the push you need without any caffeine added.
#3. Optimized Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder - Best for Mixing
As the name of the brand implies, their supplements are attempting to optimize your nutrition and the creatine doesn't fall short in that aspect.
The best aspect of their supplements is not only that they've been trusted for so long as a good middle-ground for quality, but they're very affordable as well.
It’s a plain creatine, so it has the benefit of no extra calories to add to your daily intake.
Containing 5g of creatine, I bought a large amount of it and was not disappointed. I still have some lying around my house and for the cost, I can’t complain at all. It also comes in capsule form for those who may prefer the simplicity of that method.
It’s going to do what your standard creatine does and while other products might have fancier formulas or additives, this is going to provide you with the best experience out there cost wise.
#4. GHOST Size V2 - Best for Muscle Retention
What I found with this creatine was that it was one of the best creatine supplements out there when it came to muscle retention.
This is due to the mixture of ingredients. GHOST Size isn't a traditional pure creatine, it's also intended to energize and increase mass.
If taking a break from the gym but don’t want to worry about losing muscle, this is a creatine you should consider taking.
It has a few interesting flavors, especially the green apple. I’ve mentioned before that I prefer my supplements to not be flavored, but this is an exception as it has incredible taste.
This creatine also does contain pre-workout ingredients so it can function in that sense as well.
Overall this is one of the best creatine supplements out there like all of the products I have on this list.
How does Creatine Work?
The energy in question is called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). ATP can be viewed as a battery or the "energy currency" of cells. When the body utilizes carbs, protein, and fat, for fuel they get turned into ATP. This organic compound provides the energy for your body to drive nearly all body processes including muscle contractions, nerve impulses, and chemical synthesis.
ATP generates energy within a cell by splitting off one of three phosphate molecules. This turns the ATP into something called ADP(adenosine di-phosphate) and the energy holding the phosphate molecule in place is released to perform "work" such as a muscle contraction.
When the cells have extra energy available which is gained through the consumption of food or supplements the ADP molecule will reattach a free phosphate molecule to itself becoming ATP again. The body will constantly cycle between using ATP for energy and charging ADP back into ATP to produce more energy.
To simplify, think of ATP as a fully charged battery and ADP as a depleted battery. Phosphate is the electrical charge that will recharge or perform work depending on the needs of the cells. This is where creatine finally comes into play. Creatine is able to "donate" phosphate molecules to ADP molecules turning them back into usable ATP energy.
While the process is a bit complicated and requires lots of Biochem knowledge the gist of the explanation is that creatine when broken down in the body is able to boost the ATP and ADP cycles essentially speeding up the replenishment of energy in the cells.
This shouldn't take much effort to extrapolate why this is beneficial for your workout. Having more energy for your muscles to perform contractions means you can push harder, lift heavier and maintain higher energy levels throughout it all.
Is Creatine safe?
Now that brings me to talking about the best creatine supplements. Walk into any drugstore or supplement store and you’ll find tons of different creatine out there for you to choose from.
Each uses a different formula along with other chemicals to help your body achieve greatness.
When it comes to creatine, most of the time you are taking a powder that you have mixed in with a drink. In terms of reviewing the best creatine supplements, I’m going to talk about the results I got with each one and how they tasted.
Keep in mind that your opinion on taste might differ from mine.
Without further ado, let’s talk about some of the best creatine supplements out there to help you bang out some monster sets at the gym and get you back in there as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
When looking at all of these products, I can confidently say that these are some of the best creatine supplements out there.
It is all about finding what you want out of your supplement and then pushing yourself to get results.
Creatine isn’t a magical substance that is going to make you strong or make you lose weight instantly. It’s going to help you, but only if you are getting to the gym and working out as you should.
I love pounding out a workout after I’ve taken creatine and you should get into the habit of doing it well. Find the best creatine supplement for yourself and see what personal records you can break.
