|
Creatine Products: Which Form Of Creatine Is Right For You?
There are few supplements that can boast the supporting clinical evidence that creatine does—and by creatine I mean creatine monohydrate, which is the gold standard and the version upon which all credible clinical studies have been performed (see some for yourself; J Am Diet Assoc. 1997 Jul;97(7):765-70, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Feb;34(2):332-43, Med SCI Sports Exerc. 1998 Jan;30(1):73-82 , J Strength Cond Res. 2003 Aug;17(3):425-38).
While many retailers claim to have developed forms of creatine which are both more potent (requiring lower dosing) and more effective, there is no credible clinical evidence to demonstrate that any of these new forms work better than good old creatine monohydrate.
In fact, they may not even work as well.
Case in point; creatine ethyl esther (CEE). Once enthusiastically described as the "future of creatine", evidence now shows CEE degrades quickly and is less stable in stomach acid than creatine monohydrate. Despite this, CEE remains a mainstay ingredient in many dedicated creatine products.
Thus, it is important to remain critical of retailers' advertising claims, and to choose your creatine supplement carefully. Here are some suggestions...
| Products Worth Investigating |
Study Status |
| Creatine monohydrate: Simple. Effective. Cheap. What's not to like? The gold standard in creatine, you won't go wrong here. |
 |
|
|
 |
| BSN's CellMass: Despite its seeming complexity, this is a solid, simple, and worthwhile formula. Good taste helps too! |
|
|
|
|
| Nutrex's Volu-Gro: This product combines creatine monohydrate with waxy maize to enhance muscle uptake. Some users report getting a decent "pump" when using this product, much like the one you would obtain from an arginine-based pre-workout supplement. |
|
|
|
|
| Cell Tech Hardcore: Yes, it`s from Muscle Tech. Yes, its formula is needlessly complicated and the benefits exaggerated. But the bottom line is simple; the blend of creatine, dextrose and alpha lipoic acid works. |
|
 |
|
|
Kre-Alkalyn: Take regular creatine monohydrate, and buffer it (treat it with alkaline salts to render a high pH when dissolved in water) and what you end up with is Kre-Alkalyn. There is plenty of controversy over how effective this form of creatine is, but it has garnered enough positive anecdotal evidence to suggest it is no less so than "regular" creatine monohydrate.
|
|
|
|
|
| Legend (rollover icon for explanation) |
|
HS (Human studies): Some human-based studies have been performed on this ingredient/product, or some of the ingredients in this product. This should not be considered absolute "proof" that it works as described.
Studies "vary" in credibility; while some are credible, others may be only preliminary, small, or their methodologies may be flawed (not properly randomized, double blind or placebo controlled) or they may be published in obscure or non-accredited journals.
Other studies may be conducted by people with a vested interest in a positive outcome (i.e., they are managed by the same people retailing the product), and therefore the conclusions must be viewed with skepticism.
And of course, many studies demonstrate only mild or moderate effects, which—with the help of a retailer's creative marketing department—can be made to appear much more dramatic than they are.
|
AS (Animal studies): Some animal based studies have been performed on this ingredient/product. Positive animal based study results do not always translate over to the same results in humans. However, these are a good first step, and may help to add some credence to pure anecdotal reports.
|
"In vitro" studies: Literally, these are studies performed "in glass"—basically in a culture dish, not in any animal or human model. While "in vitro" studies are usually the easiest, fastest and most cost-effective to conduct, they are also the "bottom of the ladder" when it comes to clinical evidence. Results obtained when a compound is applied directly to isolated cells or tissues may be different than those obtained when it's swallowed by a human or animal, as it must "survive" the harsh environment of the stomach and first pass through the liver. "In vitro" studies rank above anecdotal evidence, since in-vitro work can at least establish—in a controlled manner—that a supplement compound is biologically active.
|
|
AE (Anecdotal evidence): It all starts with anecdotal evidence. In general, anecdotes mean very little, as most individuals are not necessarily aware of the large number of variables that can contribute to a positive outcome for any product/ingredient. Still, when enough people consistently notice a positive effect, it cannot be completely dismissed. On the "scale" of proof that a product works, anecdotal evidence is the least reliable.
|
| |
| |
Like this article? Click the "Like" button below
to share with your friends on Facebook.
|
What do you want to do?
- UltimateFatBurner.com is proud to offer you hundreds of science-based supplement reviews. If you know the name of the product you want to investigate, or you want to browse a list of all the supplements reviewed on this site (includes vitamins, body building supplements, functional foods, fat burners etc), this is the option for you. Click the "Search Supplement Reviews" link directly to the right to be taken to a new page where you can search and/or browse listings. Alternatively, you can use the search box at the top right of this page.
-
- If don't you know the name of the product you are looking for, but are instead looking for a product recommendation based on certain preferences or symptoms, slide your mouse over the text to the right and drill down until you find the option that best suits your needs. Click on that option to continue.
-
- UltimateFatBurner.com has a growing inventory of informative videos. If you prefer getting your information in video format, this option is for you.
-
- Not sure where to begin? Why not start by investigating some of our most popular pages?
-
- Because the nutritional supplement industry is very loosely regulated, it is a fertile breeding ground for fraudulent behavior. UltimateFatBurner.com features three "Walls of Shame"; the first highlights companies that have poor ratings with the Better Business Bureau and established track records of poor customer service and deceptive billing tactics. The second highlights a list of companies that have used the threat of lawsuits to attempt to get us to remove or alter our reviews. The third lists companies have violated copyright laws by stealing our content and passing it off as their own.
-
- Have you been ripped off by a supplement company? Were you treated poorly, ignored, refused a refund, overbilled or billed on a regular monthly basis without your consent? You're in the right place. Just move your mouse to the right, and in one swift quick click, we'll show you how to complain to the appropriate authorities, as well as provide you with some crucial "need to know" information to prevent anything like this ever happening again.
-
- A successful weight loss protocol includes a smart diet and exercise program. We've reviewed many, but this selection contains a few of the better ones worth investigating.
Legend: Place your mouse pointer over each icon for an explanation of each accompanying heading. Place your mouse pointer over each title heading to "drop down" additional options. Click on the one that interests you (not all titles have additional options; in this case click the heading in question). |
Why we are different...
Since 1999, our visitors have been trusting our science-based reviews (why should you care about science?) to provide them with the real skinny on weight loss, dieting, and sport nutrition supplements. Unlike our competitors, our mandate is not the sale of supplements (we are fans of good products though, and will make a recommendation should the circumstances merit), it's the education of our visitor... you!
UltimateFatBurner.com is supported by advertising, not by product sales. This allows us to present a real, unbiased synopsis of each product we review. And check our real visitor comments too. These aren't the manufactured testimonials that you'll see elsewhere on the Net. They are real comments from real, often angry people -- visitors who have used these products, and often, aren't too darn happy about it.
Follow us on:
"Plus 1" us on Google:
|