Review: Controlled Labs Green Magnitude "Creatine With Attitude"

"We have responded to customer demand and the result: Green MAGnitude...Creatine with ATTITUDE !! If you want to increase your stamina in the gym and gain size and strength, Green MAGnitude is the right choice for you."

Controlled Labs' Green Magnitude is an alternative creatine formula: the primary ingredients are a combination of creatine magnesium chelate and dicreatine malate, rather than creatine monohydrate. In addition, there are some accessory nutrients added to provide "...potent volumizing, antioxidant, ergogenic, and cognitive benefits."

The forumla's pretty simple: 1 scoop contains 5 g creatine, along with betaine, taurine and tyrosine.

Well, I don't know about you, but when I'm shopping for creatine, I'm not looking for a product with "ATTITUDE"—I'm looking for a product that works. So how does this formula compare to regular creatine monohydrate? Let's see how it breaks down:

Magnesium Creatine Chelate: A "chelate" is a ring-like complex that forms between a compound that can serve as an electron donor (ligand), and an ionized metal. A classic example of a chelate is the food additive EDTA—which is also used medically to remove lead from the body. Minerals in the form of amino acid chelates are often added to more advanced multivitamin/mineral formulas as well, as they're often more bioavailable than inorganic forms. Magnesium aspartate and zinc monomethionine aspartate (from ZMA) are familiar examples.

The patent on creatine magnesium chelate claims it has two advantages: 1) the chelate stabilizes the creatine in stomach acid, which prevents conversion to creatinine; and 2) the chelate serves as a supplemental source of magnesium, which is a necessary element for ATP production and utilization. In reality, however, creatine (as creatine monohydrate) does not rapidly convert to creatinine in the stomach, so there is no apparent advantage of having an-even-more stable molecule. Likewise, the added magnesium is unlikely to provide any benefit if dietary magnesium is already adequate.

Thus, magnesium creatine chelate is unlikely to be a superior form of creatine. This was confirmed by a study comparing it to regular creatine monohydrate. It's important to note, however, that the study also confirmed it was a perfectly viable alternative. Even better, it improved strength and performance at the dose found in Green Magnitude (2.5 g). So not "better," perhaps—but just as good. I can deal with that.

Di-Creatine Malate: This is another creatine monohydrate alternative that's used in a number of supplements, such as iSatori Morph and BSN NO-Xplode. The version used in Green Magnitude, 2CM, is produced by Creative Compounds LLC. While their patent claims dicreatine malate is superior to creatine monohydrate, I've yet to see any proof of this—there are no published studies. Nonetheless, I'm inclined to believe it works, if for no other reason than it's widely used, and I've yet to hear any complaints about it.

Betaine Anhydrous: Betaine is a "methyl donor" that can help reduce plasma homocysteine—a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It may also protect the liver against fatty liver disease. The 2.5 g in Green Magnitude represents an effective dose.

Taurine: Taurine is a non-protein amino acid that is particularly abundant in skeletal muscle. Although human data is limited, animal experiments have shown taurine depletion is associated with impaired exercise capacity and age-related loss of muscle function. It's considered to be "conditionally essential"—that is, it can be synthesized in the body, but there are times when the body cannot make enough to meet demand.

Taurine has a range of potential therapeutic applications, but the benefits of supplementation for healthy people are still pretty speculative. The dose (2 g) given in Green Magnitude is low from a therapeutic perspective, but pretty typical for a bodybuilding supplement (i.e., 1–3 g).

Tyrosine: Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that's a precursor for several essential physiological compounds, including thyroid hormone(s) and the catecholamine neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Tyrosine administration has been shown to improve mood and performance under environmental and physical stress. There's only 500 mg/scoop in Green Magnitude, however: this is really at the bottom of the range for an effective dose.

To sum up, Green Magnitude probably isn't the strongest formula I've ever seen, but it still looks like a decent product. Magnesium creatine chelate has at least one solid study that confirms it works at the dose supplied, and it's seems likely that di-creatine malate makes a contribution as well. And while betaine, taurine and tyrosine don't really add a lot of functionality to the formula, they're still healthful additions that don't detract from it either.

I gave Green Magnitude a try some months ago. It handled/dissolved fairly well and had a decent—albeit somewhat strong—flavor...sort of like drinking "sour apple" Jolly Ranchers. It gave me results that were quite comparable to creatine monohydrate. It was more expensive than straight creatine mono, but the container seemed to last quite a long time, so it ended up being more economical than it appeared at first glance.

In other words, it turned out to be a good, fairly basic supplement that worked pretty well for me. If you're in the market for an alternative to creatine monohydrate, then I'd say Green Magnitude is certainly worth a look.

Green Magnitude is available at BodyBuilding.com!

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