Buffered Creatine vs Creatine Monohydrate
How buffered creatine and creatine monohydrate differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| Buffered Creatine | Creatine Monohydrate | |
|---|---|---|
| Active content | Varies by product | 87.9% creatine |
| Absorption | High | High |
| How it is absorbed | Creatine monohydrate with an alkaline buffer. Monohydrate does not meaningfully degrade in the stomach, so buffering solves a problem that does not exist. Jagim 2012 found no difference in muscle creatine or training outcomes. | Near-complete oral absorption; taken up into muscle by the sodium- and chloride-dependent creatine transporter (SLC6A8). Daily dosing saturates muscle stores in about 3-4 weeks, or 5-7 days with a loading phase. |
| Typical dose | 3-5 g daily | 3-5 g daily; optional loading at 0.3 g/kg/day for 5-7 days |
| Common uses | None established | strength and power training, lean mass, vegetarian diets |
| Side effects | Similar to monohydrate. | Early water weight gain of 1-2 kg; GI upset if large doses are taken at once. Raises serum creatinine without indicating kidney injury. |
| Cost | High | Low |
| Also called | Kre-Alkalyn, pH-buffered creatine | Creapure, micronized creatine |
When to Choose Buffered Creatine
There is no good reason to choose buffered creatine: it performs like monohydrate at a higher price. Pays a premium for monohydrate plus a buffer.
Buffered Creatine
There is no good reason to choose buffered creatine: it performs like monohydrate at a higher price.
What to look for: Buffered Creatine named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Creatine Monohydrate
Choose creatine monohydrate when you want the form with the evidence base, at the lowest cost. The form used in nearly all of the efficacy and safety literature. Micronized versions dissolve more easily but are chemically identical.
Creatine Monohydrate
The only form with a deep evidence base, and also the cheapest. Nothing else has beaten it.
What to look for: Monohydrate as the sole ingredient, 3-5 g per serving. NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport for tested athletes.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
The Creatine category in Titrate's index holds 1,020 labels from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database, 600 of them currently on market, out of 214,745 labels indexed in total.
Supplement Search loads one category at a time. Choose the Creatine tab, then type a form such as "monohydrate" under Must contain, or a form to avoid under Must not contain.
Related
References
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
Hultman E, et al. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol. 1996;81(1):232-237.
Spillane M, et al. The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:6.
van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med. 2009;19(5):399-404.
Jagim AR, et al. A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012;9(1):43.
Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.
Avgerinos KI, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. 2018;108:166-173.