Here’s the inside scoop on dosing, creatine types, and all the differences between creatine monohydrate gummies and powder!
The reasons that people take creatine have changed a lot in the 30 or so years this supplement has been on the market. So has the type of people who take it. Even the way that they take creatine has been dramatically transformed!
What was once thought of as a being only for muscle-chasing bodybuilders and athletes is now a popular nutrient to support healthy aging, mental and emotional functionality, and even women’s lifelong health. And now, you can experience these benefits simply by eating four creatine gummies a day, rather than scooping powdered creatine into liquid.
But are gummies the same as the powder? Are there pros and cons you need to be aware of? Here’s everything you need to know about creatine gummies.
Why should I take creatine?
Decades of consistent, well-regarded research have concluded that taking 5g of creatine monohydrate daily is a way to increase strength, muscle, and muscular power.1 That isn’t really up for debate anymore!
Increasingly, recent research into creatine has looked into this amino acid’s other health-focused benefits. That includes perks like:
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Improving muscle recovery*
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Boosting cognitive function, especially when sleep deprived*
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Providing mood & emotional support*
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Helping support healthy aging and muscle preservation
Best of all, dosing with creatine couldn’t be simpler. Just take 5g a day, every day, and you’re set. And no, women shouldn’t take less. As is explained in the article Why Women Especially Need to Take Creatine, women might even benefit from a higher dose than men!
What type of creatine is the best?
The type of creatine a product uses is far more important than whether you take it as a gummy or a powder. Why? Because certain types of creatine have far more actual science supporting their effectiveness, while others have lots of hype and marketing, but not much research.
Look around online and you’ll see two main camps of creatine: creatine monohydrate, and the “others,” which includes variations like creatine HCL and kre-akalyn. Companies selling these latter two (and other variations) sometimes claim that their creatine has higher absorption rates than simple creatine monohydrate, but the truth is that no type of creatine has out-performed creatine monohydrate in studies comparing the two. Three decades into creatine research, monohydrate is still the king.
And here’s something just as important to know: most of the foundational research into creatine was performed using the same patented version of creatine monohydrate: Creapure®, made in Germany by the Alzchem Group. Over 50 clinical studies back the effectiveness and safety of Creapure®, which is why it is included in both SteelFit powdered creatine and SteelFit creatine monohydrate gummies.
Creatine Monohydrate: Powder vs. Gummies
As long as the creatine you’re taking is manufactured to high standards of purity, like Creapure® is, then you can trust it’s safe and effective – no matter if you take it as a powder or a gummy. The difference is really just one of taste and preference.
But guess what: when it comes to a supplement that you’ll take every day, taste and preference matter! Here’s how to navigate the decision and pick the best creatine for you.
Advantages of Pure Steel Creapure® Powder
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Easy to mix in water, pre-workout, or BCAAs
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Simple dosing: 1 scoop daily
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Tasteless, odorless, mixes easily
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Slightly lower cost-per-serving
Advantages of SteelFit Creatine Monohydrate Gummies
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Two naturally colored, low-sugar fruit flavors
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Convenient & easy to take
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Simple dosing: 4 gummies daily
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Additional carbs can help creatine uptake in muscles
That last point deserves a bit more explanation. Research has shown that carbs and creatine have a synergistic relationship, where sugars and other simple carbs can help the creatine get to and stay in muscle tissue.2,3 The difference isn’t profound, but it is a way to get just a little more effectiveness out of every gram you take!
Do I need to load with creatine gummies?
Many athletes choose to start their creatine supplementation with a “loading phase,” where they take a high dose of daily creatine for 5-7 days, like 20-25g daily, in order to saturate their muscles. After that, they switch to a lower daily dose of 5g.
Research has shown that this approach can definitely help to raise muscular creatine levels faster than only taking 5g daily from the get-go.1 However, taking 5g daily will get your creatine levels to the same place in just slightly more time – maybe a week or two later. And given that creatine’s benefits are only experienced in the long-term, skipping the loading phase and taking 5 daily is a better approach for the vast majority of people.
Plus, this approach will help the creatine gummies or powder that you buy last just a little longer!
References
1. Buford TW, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Greenwood M, Campbell B, Spano M, Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Aug 30;4:6. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-6. PMID: 17908288; PMCID: PMC2048496.
2. Green AL, Hultman E, Macdonald IA, Sewell DA, Greenhaff PL. Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans. Am J Physiol. 1996 Nov;271(5 Pt 1):E821-6. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1996.271.5.E821. PMID: 8944667.
3. Steenge GR, Simpson EJ, Greenhaff PL. Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000 Sep;89(3):1165-71. doi: 10.1152/jappl.2000.89.3.1165. PMID: 10956365.
