Creatine Monohydrate Powder Ingredients
Published by David Williams
As an engineer, David loves technical product comparison and analyzing the data to assess top products.
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched sports nutrition supplement, and it’s no surprise why. It has proven to provide users with increased muscle strength, muscular endurance, and faster recovery from high-intensity training. And creatine monohydrate powder ingredients are the foundation of this power.
But what is creatine monohydrate powder exactly, and what are its primary ingredients? And is creatine produced by the human body the same as the creatine monohydrate produced in a lab?
Let’s take a look at what makes up this popular supplement, and how it might be able to help you achieve your training goals.
Main Takeaways
Table of Contents
What is Creatine, and How Does It Help You?
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid occurring naturally in the human body and supplies energy to cells. About 95% of it gets stored in your skeletal muscles, and about 5% in the brain. Additionally, it makes up about 1% of your total blood volume. (1)
Creatine naturally occurs in different forms, including monohydrate. This monohydrate form is the most researched and recommended for athletes. It helps increase your performance during intense physical activity like weight training, sprinting, or any other short bursts of exercise.
Creatine can be found in food sources such as red meats and fish. But can also come in powder form as a supplement.
When taken as a supplement, creatine helps increase the body’s stored phosphocreatine or PCr. This helps produce additional ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body’s primary energy source.
The market has a variety of creatine monohydrate powders available, but the primary ingredient remains the same. Examples of these powders include:
- Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine
- Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder
- Klean Athlete Klean Creatine
- Thorne Creatine
- Naked Creatine
Primary Ingredients in Creatine Monohydrate Powder
The human body produces creatine from three primary amino acids glycine, L-arginine, and L-methionine. These amino acids are necessary for the production of PCr and ATP. (2)
However, industrial creatine monohydrate supplement production uses compound derivatives of these amino acids. It involves combining cyanamide and sarcosine in a reaction. The two get heated and pressurized to form a crystal. (3)
All unwanted particles get removed from the crystallized creatine using a centrifuge. The final product gets milled in around 200 mesh to form a fine powder.
Benefits of Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Creatine monohydrate powder has plenty of benefits. They include:
- It reduces lactic acid buildup. Without enough oxygen to help generate energy, your muscles produce a waste product known as lactic acid. It leads to stiffness and fatigue. Creatine monohydrate helps reduce lactic acid buildup and allows you to stay energized.
- It increases the anaerobic threshold. Usually, your body reaches a point it can no longer produce energy fast enough to sustain the intensity of your workout. This is where you get exhausted and stop. Creatine helps increase your anaerobic threshold allowing you to train longer and harder.
- It boosts muscle growth. Studies have shown that taking creatine helps increase lean body mass, muscle strength, and power output when combined with resistance training. It decreases muscle fatigue. Taking creatine helps reduce your muscles’ fatigue, allowing you to take on more reps and sets. (4)
- Delays muscle fatigue. Your muscles get tired when you deplete your body’s ATP stores. However, through creatine energy, your muscles have access to reserve energy, delaying muscle fatigue.
- It improves brain function. Studies have found that creatine can improve memory, focus, and cognitive abilities. That way, you can stay sharp even after strenuous workouts. (5)
Crazy Nutrition Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine Powder
- The Only Daily Creatine Packed with 5 Unique Creatines
- Added Electrolytes for Optimum Muscle Hydration
- All Natural Ingredients
- Vegan Friendly
- Non-GMO
- 60-day money back Guarantee
Conclusion
Creatine monohydrate powder is an excellent supplement for athletes and non-athletes looking to take their workout performance to the next level. It has plenty of benefits and is generally safe to use. But it is still essential to consult your doctor before starting a new supplement regimen. And it’s good to know which is best for your workouts, creatine pills or powder.
Remember that creatine monohydrate powder is just one part of a successful fitness journey. Combining creatine monohydrate powder with proper nutrition and adequate rest is essential to get the maximum effect from your workouts. Doing so will help you reach your fitness goals faster! And click to learn more important creatine details, like whether you can mix creatine with protein powder, and also if it’s OK to take as a pre-workout.
Click to see the best time to take creatine powder.
David Williams
A diet and fitness enthusiast, David is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
References
- Creatine. Creatine – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/creatine#:~:text=Creatine%20is%20a%20nitrogenous%20organic,from%20food%20and%20dietary%20supplements.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Amino acids: Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus.
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm - A;, B. G. C. (n.d.). Creatine as nutritional supplementation and medicinal product. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11317142/ - Mawer, R. (2017, May 29). How creatine helps you gain muscle and strength. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/creatine-for-muscle-and-strength - ScienceDaily. (2003, August 13). Boost your brain power: Creatine, a compound found in muscle tissue, found to improve working memory and general intelligence. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/08/030813070944.htm
