The 29p-a-day ‘bodybuilders’ supplement that can slash body fat,
Once the preserve of bodybuilders and athletes, creatine has broken into the mainstream with claims that it can help with everything from muscle strength to brain health and insomnia.
A naturally occurring compound, creatine is made in the liver, kidney and pancreas and stored in the muscles, where it acts as a fuel source – particularly for high-intensity activity such as sprinting or lifting weights.
This is because it can be broken down quickly, whereas glycogen – our main source of fuel – is used for endurance and slower forms of exercise.
We can get creatine from our diet, with red meat, fish and dairy the best sources. But the amount in these is significantly lower than in supplement form. For example, a medium steak contains 500mg of creatine – you’d need six steaks to get the 3g in most supplements.
‘It’s well-established that taking extra creatine – around 3-5g per day – boosts exercise performance, helping people workout for longer and recover faster,’ explains Justin Roberts, a professor of nutritional physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, who has conducted studies on creatine. ‘Over time it can lead to a 10 to 20 per cent increase in both performance and muscle strength.’
And research suggests it might be beneficial for age-related problems, such as muscle loss.
A 2022 review in the journal Bone found creatine supplements on top of an exercise programme can help over-50s improve performance, lose moderate amounts of body fat and avoid injury.
The theory is that by allowing the muscles to work harder, the body becomes leaner, reducing overall body fat. And being fitter leads to fewer injuries.
Some believe the supplements could even help counter the muscle loss linked to weight-loss jabs such as semaglutide, but this has not been proven – and users would need to be taking exercise, too. An article in The Lancet last year highlighted that the ability to prevent muscle loss could make creatine useful in this area.
‘There’s also emerging evidence that creatine could support brain function and reduce mental fatigue,’ says Professor Roberts, as it is a main source of fuel for our brain cells.
A study in Nature last year found taking creatine helped sleep-deprived participants do better in memory quizzes, too.
Plus, a new study on 15 women by St Olaf College in Minnesota reported positive changes in sleep and brain function after they took 5mg for 14 weeks.
There’s no official recommended dosage for creatine, as it’s not considered an essential daily nutrient.
But Professor Roberts says an intake of 3-5g per day is needed to benefit muscles, while early studies suggest 5-10g daily for the potential benefits to cognitive function, and as much as 20-30g per day for sleep improvements.
Drinking plenty of water is important as creatine can lead to mild dehydration (it causes water to be drawn to the muscles), and some people can experience bloating with high doses.
We asked Professor Roberts to assess some of the latest creatine products to hit the market, which we then rated.
BUDGET POWDER
Optimum Nutrition Flavoured Creatine Powder Fruit Punch, £16 for 247.5g, optimumnutrition.com
COST PER DAY: 29p
CLAIM: ‘Designed to fuel muscles during high-intensity exercise.’ Add one 3g scoop daily to 250ml of water.
EXPERT VERDICT: Each serving contains 3g of creatine, and it’s cost-effective at just 29p per day.
This contains ‘micronised’ creatine monohydrate, which just means it’s physically finer powder and therefore likely to dissolve better in solution than standard creatine. But there’s no evidence this makes it more absorbable in the body.
The finer powder makes this potentially easier to combine with other products, such as smoothies, without the gritty texture you get with some powders. But this does contain fruit flavouring, which could be overpowering.
Plus, there’s artificial sweeteners here – sucralose and acesulfame K – which can cause gut discomfort in some people. 8/10
SKIN PATCH
What’s That Patch Creatine Patches, £19 for 30 patches, whatsthatpatch.co
COST PER DAY: 63p
CLAIM: ‘Supports brain energy, muscle recovery, and cellular repair.’ Apply one patch daily, which contains 2mg of creatine ethyl ester and 4mg of guanidinoacetic acid (a creatine precursor).
EXPERT VERDICT: Creatine is a water-soluble molecule, which means it’s poorly absorbed through the skin. Perhaps most importantly the amount of creatine stated in this product is incredibly low at just 2mg – most people need at least 3g – particularly given the maker’s claims about brain benefits.
It’s not clear if this refers instead to levels of niacin and zinc; products containing these are allowed to say they support brain function – but again, higher doses would be needed.
There is a theory that by avoiding the digestive system – where up to 80 per cent of an oral dose can be lost due to the acidic environment – transdermal delivery could use smaller doses to get a similar effect. But this hasn’t been proven in studies for creatine – I think it’s unlikely to increase creatine levels enough to have a positive effect.
They’ve also added guanidinoacetic acid, which the body can convert to creatine. Whilst in theory this could increase total creatine, the doses are very low. 2/10
CAPSULES
Creapure Micronized Creatine Capsules, £34.99 for 245 capsules, myvitamins.com
COST PER DAY: 57p
CLAIM: Creatine in capsules that allows you to fulfil your needs on the go.
EXPERT VERDICT: Creatine capsules are not absorbed as quickly as powder, as they need to be digested – and it probably takes 30 minutes just to break down the outer shell in the gut.
But once digested, these should deliver a significant amount of creatine monohydrate.
Capsules can be easier to use on-the-go or when travelling, but their convenience comes at a price – they’re more expensive than most powders.
And to get near the recommended 3g a day dose means taking four capsules, more if you want a higher dose. They’re also quite big so not ideal for people who find swallowing pills difficult. 6/10
PURE POWDER
Elite All Blacks Creatine Monohydrate, £37.39 for 500g, healthspanelite.co.uk
COST PER DAY: 37p
CLAIM: ‘Supports strength in older adults’. Contains micronised creatine monohydrate. Take 5g daily, mixed with water or juice.
EXPERT VERDICT: If you’re looking for just micronised creatine monohydrate with nothing added, then this no-frills powder could be the product for you.
While it’s marketed at sportspeople and older adults who exercise, it delivers a decent 5g creatine monohydrate per serving – so could be beneficial for anyone wanting to use creatine.
It’s also one of the cheapest products here per day – and being unflavoured means you can add it to any drink, making it versatile, too. 9/10
LIQUID
Applied Nutrition Creatine Liquid CreaFlow Blue Raspberry, £15.99 for 500ml, amazon.co.uk
COST PER DAY: £1.60
CLAIM: ‘Delivers 3g of creatine per 50ml daily shot. Cutting-edge technology to enhance solubility and absorption.’
EXPERT VERDICT: Creatine is normally unstable in liquid form, which means it will degrade over time. This is why powdered forms mixed with water or juice must be consumed immediately.
Companies are searching for a stable form that can be consumed in a ready-to-go drink with a long shelf-life – for example, by adding acid regulators that could help stop the creatine breaking down.
But the marketing claim here that adding glycerol (sugar alcohol) boosts absorption seems unlikely, as creatine alone is already very well absorbed by the body and there’s no evidence that having it with glycerol is superior.
It also contains artificial flavouring and preservatives – and is the most expensive product here per dose. 3/10
GUMMIES
Keka Natural Creatine Gummies, £13.95 for 60, amazon.co.uk
COST PER DAY: 47p
CLAIM: ‘A blueberry-flavoured convenient alternative to creatine powder.’ Two gummies provide 4g of creatine.
EXPERT VERDICT: The amount of creatine supplied is good at 4g and will cover most people’s needs.
This product is reasonably priced but does contain artificial sweeteners, which can irritate the gut.
And there’s little evidence to support claims that gummies ‘offer superior absorption’ – and the heat and moisture involved in making gummies may actually reduce creatine content. 6/10
WITH ADDED COLLAGEN
Free Soul CreaGlow Collagen + Creatine, £34.99 for 360g, freesoul.com
COST PER DAY: £1.16
CLAIM: With 3.4g creatine per serving, plus 2,500mg collagen and electrolytes to ‘support strength, recovery and focus’.
EXPERT VERDICT: With 3.4g creatine monohydrate per serving, this meets most users’ needs – though it’s expensive because of the collagen and electrolytes (the minerals sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium).
But consuming creatine and electrolytes together may improve performance, by keeping the body well hydrated.
It also contains 2,500mg of marine collagen, from fish skin –which might improve skin elasticity – and collagen may help older women, for example, maintain muscle strength with age.
However, eating more meat or fish might be just as effective. 7/10
