7 Types of Creatine: Which One Is Right for You?

Creatine is a chemical compound stored in your muscles and in smaller amounts in the brain, liver, kidneys, and testes. Your muscles convert creatine to phosphocreatine, which helps generate rapid energy for short, intense efforts required in activities like weightlifting, sprinting, and team sports.

The body produces small amounts of creatine in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, and you can obtain creatine through foods like red meat, poultry, fish, and milk. You can also take creatine supplements to increase muscle creatine further, which may improve sports performance and recovery.

Creatine monohydrate is the most common form of creatine, but many other forms are available. Each creatine form may provide different benefits and downsides regarding bioavailability (ease of absorption), effectiveness, safety, and cost.

1. Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate increases muscle mass, strength, and recovery. It is the most studied form of creatine, making its effects and safety more well-known than any other form. It also costs less than alternatives, like buffered creatine and creatine hydrochloride.

Creatine monohydrate is considered safe at recommended doses. Studies indicate no safety concerns in long-term use up to five years. However, all forms of creatine supplementation have potential side effects, including dehydration, muscle cramps, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

2. Magnesium Creatine Chelate

Magnesium creatine chelate is marketed as a more effective creatine form for athletic performance. Magnesium levels decrease during exercise, and magnesium is needed to produce energy. A mix of magnesium and creatine may support stamina during exercise.

A study found that supplementing with magnesium creatine chelate for 16 weeks improved soccer players' repeated sprints, increasing speed and power outputs. This suggests magnesium creatine chelate can improve sports performance. Research is still limited.

No evidence indicates that magnesium creatine chelate is more bioavailable than other forms. However, it costs almost five times more than creatine monohydrate per serving.

3. Creatine Citrate

Creatine salts have been on the market since the early 1990s. They are made by adding an acidic compound to creatine to help creatine absorb better and provide other nutrients that support sports performance. However, the acid formulation lowers the pH, making creatine citrate less stable than creatine monohydrate.

Some studies have found that creatine citrate can help improve sports performance. In one study, researchers gave 10 grams of creatine citrate or placebo to participants doing high-intensity interval training for 30 days. The participants who took creatine had better aerobic capacity—the body's threshold for oxygen use during intense exercise. However, the study only involved 10 participants.

4. Creatine Nitrate

Research has shown beetroot juice can enhance sports performance. The effects come from the nitrate content of beetroot. Some evidence suggests creatine nitrate is more bioavailable than creatine monohydrate, meaning the body can absorb and use it more easily. Lower doses of creatine nitrate may be enough to improve creatine stores.

In one study, participants took either 1.5 grams of creatine nitrate (low dose), 3 grams of creatine nitrate (high dose), or 3 grams of creatine monohydrate for four weeks. After the seven-day loading period of 20 grams daily, muscle creatine stores increased in the high-dose nitrate and monohydrate groups but remained high only in the monohydrate group.

Only the high-dose creatine nitrate group showed significantly improved performance compared to the placebo group after four weeks. The nitrate group had a higher bench press weight and higher average and peak power outputs.

Another study compared the effects of creatine nitrate and creatine monohydrate. Participants took either 3 grams of creatine nitrate or creatine monohydrate. Both groups showed increased muscle creatine stores, but creatine nitrate contributed to higher muscle creatine.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved creatine nitrate as safe for use in doses of up to 750 milligrams, though this is lower than the doses used in research shown to increase creatine muscle stores. Nitrate may cause low blood pressure, especially during intense exercise or at high doses.

5. Creatine Ethyl Ester

One study examined the effects of creatine ethyl ester combined with resistance training. Participants took either 5 grams of creatine ethyl ester or creatine monohydrate for 37 days after five days of loading (20 grams/day). Results showed that creatine ethyl ester supplementation increased leg press strength.

Creatine ethyl ester is marketed as more bioavailable, claiming you can use less and get the same results. However, in the study above, the dosage used was as high as the recommended creatine monohydrate dose.

Another study compared the effects of creatine ethyl ester and creatine monohydrate on muscle creatine content. Participants took either 5 grams of creatine ethyl ester, creatine monohydrate, or a placebo for 42 days after five days of loading (20 grams/day).

Creatinine (a waste product of creatine) was twofold higher in participants who took creatine ethyl ester, which means they did not benefit from the supplements as much as the group who took creatine monohydrate. Both creatine groups had significantly increased muscle creatine content by the end of the study, but the results were greater with creatine monohydrate supplementation.

6. Creatine Hydrochloride

Creatine hydrochloride is marketed as over 30 times more bioavailable than creatine. Some studies showed that creatine hydrochloride can boost sports performance, but no studies support its superiority to other forms.

One study compared the effects of creatine hydrochloride and creatine monohydrate. The participants were given either 1.5 grams of creatine hydrochloride, 5 grams of creatine hydrochloride, or 5 grams of creatine monohydrate for a month. Both the creatine hydrochloride and creatine monohydrate groups gained fat-free body mass. The most significant increase was in the group taking creatine monohydrate.

7. Buffered Creatine Monohydrate

Buffered creatine monohydrate is marketed as having better absorption than other forms. However, research on this is limited.

In one study, a group of participants was given 1.5 grams of buffered creatine monohydrate (the recommended dose from the manufacturer) for four weeks. Two other groups were given 5 grams of buffered creatine monohydrate or 5 grams of creatine monohydrate for three weeks, following a loading phase (20 grams/day) for a week.

Although a high dose of buffered creatine monohydrate increased muscle creatine, the increase was less than that caused by creatine monohydrate.

How To Choose a Creatine Supplement 

Having many options can make choosing a creatine supplement harder. These tips can help you choose the right supplement for you:

• Choose certified products: The FDA doesn't regulate dietary supplements. Some products use third-party testing to ensure purity, quality, and safety. You can check the manufacturer's website for certifications from trusted organizations like NSF, Consumer Lab, or U.S. Pharmacopeia.
• Check the ingredients: Creatine supplements may be combined with other ingredients. Check the product label to ensure the supplement contains only the ingredients you need or want.
• Cost: Creatine supplements are available at a wide price range. Calculating the price per serving is one way to evaluate cost. Alternative creatine forms generally have higher prices.

A Quick Review

Creatine is a chemical compound stored in the muscles. The body uses creatine for energy, typically during intense exercise. You can get creatine through foods like meat and fish, as well as dietary supplements.

Many forms of creatine are available. Creatine monohydrate is the most popular and well-studied form, with evidence backing its benefits and risks. Other forms, like magnesium creatine chelate and creatine nitrate, also show promise for athletic performance. There is insufficient evidence to prove that other creatine forms are better, more effective, or safer than creatine monohydrate.