Creatine supplements are having a moment. Dare I say it’s the “Creatine Era”? A performance supplement fav, creatine is sports dietitian approved and backed by decades of research. Creatine provides a fuel source for the immediate energy muscles require for high intensity exercise and powerful strength. It supports muscle gain with the right training, and recent studies show creatine may play an important role in brain health and cognition. Creatine is the perfect “all around” supplement to add to your routine.
Just getting started or curious about dosing? Check out our “Ultimate Guide to Creatine Dosing” for the download on creatine benefits and what to consider. If you’re wondering what the best creatine supplements are – look no further. Without further ado, here’s the “scoop” on the tiny scoops packing a performance punch.
Category winners were chosen on a few different factors:
- Popularity –How often were products shopped, what do the sales look like? What sort of social presence does the product have? Product reviews… if I’m going to make a recommendation, I want to make sure YOU like it too!
- Creatine Format – I wanted to take this outside the box, or tub if you will. Besides powder, how else can you supplement creatine? Learn more about what type of creatine is best for you here.
- Dose – Most creatine products are 5g per serving. This could be in pills, powders, or chews. Some creatine products include technology to get the same benefits that 5g can provide, but at a much smaller dose and scoop size!
- Innovation – And finally, innovation. If you thought all creatines were created equal, think again! I’ve included a few products that take creatine delivery and absorption to a whole new level.
Here’s my list of the best creatine supplements you’ll find stocked at GNC.
The Top Creatine Supplement Picks
- Best Overall: Beyond Raw Chemistry Labs™ Creatine HCL | Skip to review
- Best Powder: GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate | Skip to review
- Best Pill: Con-Cret® Patented Creatine HCL and GNC AMP Creatine HCl 189™| Skip to review
- Best Alternative – Chew/Gummy: Create Creatine Gummy – Blue Raspberry | Skip to review
- Best Flavor: GHOST SIZE V2 Muscle Builder – Warheads® Sour Watermelon | Skip to review
- Best Creatine Powder “Plus”: GHOST SIZE V2 Muscle Builder – ‘Natty’ | Skip to review
- Best Value: GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate | Skip to review
- Most Innovative: Codeage Liposomal Creatine Monohydrate and Create Creatine Gummy – Blue Raspberry| Skip to review
- New and Buzzworthy: Kaged Elite Series: Creatine Monohydrate | Skip to review
The best overall creatine supplement goes to our Beyond Raw Chemistry Labs Creatine HCL. If it’s Beyond Raw, you know it’s gonna be good. What sets this creatine powder above the others? In my opinion, it’s dosing and mixability. The scoop size on this guy is tiny! Less than half the size of creatine monohydrate powders (2g creatine HCl vs 5g creatine monohydrate). How do they do it? First, creatine monohydrate is micronized (broken down into smaller pieces). The process of micritization increases the surface area of creatine molecules, enhancing its absorption in water. Next, it’s bound to hydrochloric acid (HCl), which may sound scary, but really is just an acid! Commonly used in the food industry as a stabilizer, it can also be found in your stomach – to aid digestion!
While this powder claims to be flavorless, I think it’s got a bit of a bite (it contains acid y’all). I prefer to mix it with something flavored vs. water alone. I typically take creatine post-workout so recommend adding it to a hydration product. Lately I’ve been reaching for GNC AMP Amplified Hydration – the lemon lime flavor pairs well! Mixing Beyond Raw Creatine HCl with your favorite fruity or candy flavored pre-workout is another great option!
My personal go-to, this creatine monohydrate is the trusted original. As part of our Pro Performance line-up, it’s banned substance tested and the perfect creatine powder for someone just getting started (Hi. It’s me). It’s also got a great price point, making it an entry level, budget friendly option. Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate is tasteless. I mixed it with water during my loading phase, but it got old fast! I’d recommend drinking it quicky to prevent settling OR taking it mixed in your pre workout or recovery beverage of choice.
Want creatine HCL, but don’t love the taste? Con-Cret® will do the trick. It’s HCL powder, in a pill! Smaller scoop size translates to smaller dose which translates again to a one pill serving per day. It’s directions for use include dosing recommendations according to body weight and training intensity for a no-nonsense approach. It’s gluten free, vegetarian, and made in the USA. It’s bright yellow label is hard to miss on shelves, so keep your eye out for this one in store.
What’s not to love about GNC AMP Creatine 189? It’s creatine, it’s HCl, in a pill, AND it’s been clinically studied. Not once, but twice! GNC AMP Creatine 189 is an innovative creatine technology that pairs creatine hydrochloride with polyethylene glycosylate (PEG) to create the PEG-Creatine system™. Researchers saw 189% greater muscle creatine uptake with the PEG-Creatine system™ when compared to traditional creatine. Plus, the same creatine benefits at a quarter of the dose! Want the specifics? Check out this article for more! The science nerd in me loves this stuff. It’s a pricier option, but totally worth it if you’re looking for serious results!
It’s awesome to see creatine available in formats other than pills and powders. Create Creatine Gummies taste great and are an excellent alternative when you’re on the go, bored of powders, or forgot your water bottle! I have a vacation planned soon and was not looking forward to packing a tub of creatine powder. Create Creatine gummies to the rescue! Just 2-3 gummies provide 4g of creatine. A simple, easy, and convenient way to get your daily dose.
When I opened GHOST Size V2 I noticed the mouthwatering smell of Warheads® Sour Watermelon – so SO good! The taste was out of this world and nostalgic – brought me right back to my childhood. GHOST Size V2 Muscle Builder is perfect for some non-stim muscle support before a workout.
Besides 5g of Creapure® creatine monohydrate, you’ll find tingle-reduced beta-alanine, and L-theanine. It’s also sugar, gluten, and soy free.
GHOST Size V2 takes the best creatine “plus” supplement category. As mentioned above, GHOST Size V2 is non-stim so can be used as part of an epic stack. The Natty’ flavor is unflavored, meaning you can add extra creatine benefits to your favorite BCAA powder, pre-workout, protein powder, or mass gainer.
GNC’s Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate powder is back for being an exceptional value. You know creatines benefits by now and why I love it. So, if you’re looking to try creatine supplements and, on a budget, GNC’s Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate is the way to go!
In our most innovative creatine supplement category… it’s a tie!
One I mentioned previously – the Create Creatine Gummies… they’re just so cool! New, fun, and flavorful! About the size of a dice or cube of cheese (did someone say cheese?.) Imagine, getting your daily dose of creatine in just 2-3 little gummies. Creatine that tastes delicious? Sign me up!
Codeage Liposomal Creatine Monohydrate powder uses a liposomal delivery complex comprised of phospholipids from non-GMO sunflower oil. Liposomes (lipids) encapsulate and help to transport nutrients, in this case creatine, which helps support bioavailability and absorption. Codeage Liposomal Creatine Monohydrate Powder surprised me by appearing much finer – fluffier even, compared to the other creatine powders I reviewed. It looked more like powdered sugar, but DEFINITELY did not taste like it! This powder mixed exceptionally well with water. There was no settling, and it was totally flavorless. It does come with a higher price tag, but if you prefer your creatine with liposomes, this is the way to go.
Kaged Elite Series: Creatine Monohydate takes the win in the New and Buzzworthy category. The Kaged brand is new to market, and thus far, their products have met the hype and expectation. Kaged Elite Series creatine monohydrate is no different! MAXCatalyst™ Piper nigrum Fruit Extract is a patented ingredient from black pepper extract. This innovative technology, when added to creatine monohydrate, makes Kaged Elite Series a standout in the creatine supplement category. Plus, it’s gluten free, vegan friendly, and banned substance tested.
Well folks, it’s been real. And my kitchen cabinets are REALLY stocked with creatine! After reviewing the research, and ALL of these products, I feel great with my recommendations. Looking forward to seeing how creatine helps me on my fitness journey!