In 2025, Creapure® certified creatine monohydrate will set the standard. This pure form, with no additives or sweeteners, is produced in Germany under strict quality control.
Creatine is used by many athletes. Scientific studies demonstrate its effectiveness in improving strength and power, by increasing muscle energy stores. But not all creatines are created equal. With so many brands and forms of creatine on the market, let's take a look at how to make the right choice.
Contents
What is creatine and why use it?
Creatine in the body
Creatine is a natural compound synthesized daily by the body from three amino acids: glycine,arginine and methionine. It is mainly produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas, to the tune of around 1 gram a day.
Our bodies also obtain creatine from our diet, through creatine-rich foods such as red meat and fish. It is estimated that a balanced diet provides around 1 extra gram of creatine per day.
Please note: Vegetarians and vegans naturally have lower creatine levels due to their diet.
Creatine plays a fundamental role in our cells' energy metabolism. It is stored in our muscles in the form of phosphocreatine, acting as a rapidly mobilizable energy reserve. Here's how it works:
- Phosphocreatine enables rapid regeneration ofATP (Adenosine TriPhosphate) during high-intensity, short-duration efforts
- ATP is the maincellular energy source for physical effort
Creatine storage in our muscles is limited. Without supplementation, our reserves enable us to maintain maximum effort for only 8 to 10 seconds. This is why many athletes seek to optimize their creatine levels through appropriate supplementation.
Max effort
Creatine as a dietary supplement
Creatine supplementation has become increasingly popular over the years, becoming one of the most studied dietary supplements after protein powder.
Important: creatine is not a doping product, but a nutrient. It is authorized by all sports federations and is not on any list of banned substances.
The effects of creatine are numerous:
- Increased muscular strength for short efforts
- Increased training volume
- Optimizing muscle recovery
- Long-term support for muscle development
But a complement for whom?
Creatine optimizes performance for efforts lasting less than 30 seconds. For this reason, creatine is mainly used in sports requiring intense, short-duration physical effort :
- Team sports (soccer, rugby, handball)
- Contact sports (boxing, kickboxing, wrestling)
- Bodybuilding and weightlifting
- Sprints
- Crossfit, hyrox
In other words, all explosive exercises and activities requiring rapid pace changes and/or including sprint phases in an overall endurance effort.
Creatine really comes into its own once you've reached a certain level and your nutrition and training are already optimized.
Practitioners ofpure endurance sports (marathon, long-distance cycling...) will derive less benefit from creatine. The potential water retention effect may even be counter-productive for their performance.
What type of creatine should I choose?
With the explosion of the dietary supplements market, numerous forms of creatine have appeared in recent years.
Creatine monohydrate: the scientific benchmark
Creatine monohydrate is the technical form most studied and validated by research. It has an optimal blood absorption rate and remains the benchmark in terms of quality.
What varies from one form to another?
What changes is the linker molecule associated with the main creatine molecule! This additional grouping can vary the compound's solubility. The chemical formula for creatine monohydrate, for example, includes a molecule of creatine linked to a molecule of water.
Studies show that supplementation promotes a significant increase in the creatine available to muscles, and confirms its effects on sporting performance. The monohydrate form is the most widely consumed by professional athletes.
Let's see the others...
The different forms of creatine1
Despite the proven efficacy and safety of monohydrate, other forms of creatine have been put on the market to compete with creatine monohydrate, claiming to be more effective.
The purpose of this table is to summarize what will emerge from the studies in 2024.
| Creatine type | Description | Advantages/disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | Creatine molecule bound to a water molecule | ✓ Optimum stability ✓ Excellent bioavailability ✓ Native form closest to natural creatine |
| Kre-alkalyn | Creatine monohydrate buffered with alkaline salts (pH 7-14) | × No proven added benefit × Misleading marketing on stability in the stomach2 |
| Creatine HCL | Hydrochlorinated form bound to hydrochloric acid | ✓ More water-soluble × No proven absorption benefits |
| Creatine ethyl ester × Avoid | Esterified creatine (C4H9N3O2-CH2CH3) | × Rapidly degrades to creatinine in the stomach × Misleading marketing about the efficacy of this form3 |
| Creatine citrate/malate/nitrate | Creatine bound to citric (C6H8O7), malic (C4H6O5) or nitric (HNO3) acids | ✓ More soluble × More expensive × No proven additional benefit |
| Liquid creatine × Avoid | Creatine in aqueous solution | × Least stable form × Degrades to creatinine |
| Creatine phosphate | Phosphorylated form (PCr) | × Highly unstable × Rapidly degraded × Naturally phosphorylated in muscle × No proven benefit |
| Creatine pyruvate | Pyruvic acid-bound creatine | ✓ Better solubility suggested × No benefit in bioavailability × No gain in efficacy |
| Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is not to be confused with the other forms! This enzyme, naturally present in the body, enables creatine to be converted into phosphocreatine in the muscle. It's this enzyme that enables the rapid regeneration of ATP during intense effort, linking the creatine we consume to cellular energy production. | ||
Which creatine is most effective?
Many forms of creatine are marketed as being more effective than creatine monohydrate thanks to their higher solubility. However, there are no studies demonstrating that equivalent intake of other forms of creatine increases muscle creatine storage capacity more than intake of creatine monohydrate.4
On the contrary, research shows that other forms of creatine generally have a lower physiological impact than creatine monohydrate on intramuscular reserves and sports performance. When performance differences are observed with other forms, they are mainly attributable to the ancillary nutrients to which the creatine is bound or the associated ingredients in the formulations, rather than to the form of creatine itself. 1
Creatine monohydrate contains the highest amount of creatine per gram, with no additives or sweeteners!
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and scientifically validated form. Scientific studies have not demonstrated any significant benefits from other forms of creatine, despite their generally higher costs and attractive marketing promises.
In conclusion, after years of research,creatine monohydrate remains the benchmark in terms of efficacy and safety among all forms of creatine available on the market.
How to choose a quality creatine?
The Creapure® label: a guarantee of quality and controlled German production
Daily creatine intake requires a high-quality product. As creatine is synthesized in the laboratory, it is essential to ensure the quality and purity of the product. Today, the Creapure® label is the global benchmark for quality creatine monohydrate.
Creapure® is manufactured exclusively by Alzchem Trostberg GmbH in a dedicated plant in Germany. Their unique manufacturing process is subject to stringent quality controls:
- Regular internal and external quality controls
- Purity tests on each batch
- Cologne List® certification(minimizing the risk of doping)
Creatine Creapure®
The best for maximizing muscle power in a healthy way and optimizing intensive performance
- Standardised without doping substances
- No additives, no sweeteners
- Made in Germany, packaged by Protéalpes in Albertville
Unlike generic creatines, which are often produced in China with few controls, Creapure® guarantees :
- Minimum level of undesirable by-products (DCD and DHT)
- No creatinine (degradation product)
- Absence of hazardous contaminants
- No traces of steroids or doping substances
⚠️ Warning! Degradation of creatine monohydrate during manufacture or storage produces creatinine. Analyses carried out on several commercial creatines on the market have revealed a rate of over 1%, indicating poor quality production.
The Creapure® logo on a packaging guarantees :
- Certified German origin
- Full traceability of the manufacturing process
- Transparent quality
- Maximum consumer safety
The importance of packaging
The packaging phase can have an impact on the final quality of your creatine, and is just as important as the manufacturing phase!
There are two types of packaging:
Internal packaging:
- Made directly by the manufacturer (like Protéalpes)
- Total control of the production chain
- Minimal risk of contamination
External packaging:
- Subcontracted to conditioners
- Break in the traceability chain
- Risks of cross-contamination
- Less control over handling conditions
Cross-contamination can occur when several types of supplement are packaged on the same lines, when cleaning procedures are not strictly adhered to and/or when quality standards are less rigorous.
Good packaging must be able to justify :
- Batch number
- Production date
- Minimum durability date
- Packaging conditions
- Storage conditions
- Name of manufacturer and conditioner
Protéalpes guarantees the traceability of the entire production chain: from the synthesis of a Creapure® creatine in Germany to the final packaging on our premises!
Powder or capsules: which form to choose?
Creatine comes in two main forms on the market: powder and capsule.
The powder form is the most versatile solution. It makes it easy to adapt the recommended dose according to the protocol followed:
- Protocol with loading phase: 20g/day divided into 4 doses for 5 days, then 3-5g creatine/day
- Protocol without loading phase: 3-5g/day directly
The powder can also be easily mixed with other dietary supplements. A dose of creatine can easily be combined with whey protein and carbohydrates in your post-workout shaker for example!
Capsules, while convenient at first glance, have certain limitations. Their fixed dosage makes it difficult to adapt protocols, and their cost is generally higher for the same quantity. Capsule shells may also contain superfluous additives or unnecessary compounds.
Conclusion
Creapure® creatine monohydrate powder is the scientific reference for optimizing creatine supplementation.
The numerous studies carried out on this form of creatine not only attest to its effectiveness in building muscle mass and improving performance, but also confirm the absence of risks when consumed regularly at recommended doses.
Although other types of creatine exist on the market (creatine HCL, creatine nitrate, liquid creatine), no scientific study has demonstrated their superiority to creatine monohydrate, which remains the most documented and research-validated form.
The Creapure® label guarantees purity and controlled manufacturing, ensuring optimum quality for your supplementation. This certification, combined with the powder form, ensures maximum absorption and total dosing flexibility, whether in the loading or maintenance phase.
Frequently asked questions
Which creatine should I choose for my sporting goals?
Whether you're building mass or leaning out, Creapure® creatine monohydratewill help you achieve your goals by promoting more intense training. The important thing is to remain consistent in your supplementation, and to follow a suitable training program and diet.
For mass gain: use Creapure® creatine monohydrate with a loading phase (20g/day for 5 days, then 5g/day). Choose a high-calorie diet, remember to increase your carbohydrate intake and combine with strength and hypertrophy training.
For muscle drying: Opt for the same creatine but without the loading phase (3-5g/day), this time following a slightly low-calorie diet. Increase protein and reduce carbohydrates. Creatine helps maintain strength and muscle mass despite the caloric deficit.
In both cases, the important thing is the energy balance between your nutrition and your training!
Which creatine for running?
Creatine is not particularly suitable for pure endurance running. It can, however, be beneficial for sprinters and interval trainers, boosting muscular power for short, intense efforts.
Which creatine to choose for rugby?
Rugby, a high-intensity sport, requires explosiveness and power. Creatine monohydrate is particularly suitable, with a loading phase in pre-season and maintenance during the season to optimize match performance.
Which type of creatine is best for weight loss?
Creatine is not a fat burner. It can, however, indirectly support weight loss by enabling more intense workouts and preserving muscle mass during a low-calorie diet.
Can creatine and whey be mixed?
You bet! In fact, it's an excellent combination for athletes. Whey protein provides the amino acids needed for recovery, while creatine helps you train harder and more intensely!
Does creatine make you fat?
A common myth is that creatine makes the belly fatter. Depending on the individual, creatine can sometimes cause an initial weight gain of 1-2 kg due to intracellular water retention. This is not fat gain, but a natural increase in muscle volume. This retention is totally reversible when supplementation is stopped.
Is creatine dangerous for the brain?
No, creatine is not harmful to the brain. On the contrary, scientific research suggests that it may have neuroprotective and beneficial effects on cognitive functions. Creatine, naturally present in the nervous system, plays an important role in cerebral energy metabolism. Studies even suggest that creatine supplementation may be beneficial in cases of concussion or cognitive impairment. Far from being harmful, creatine appears to support optimal brain health and function when consumed in recommended doses.
