Creatine 101. Which is Better? Creatine Monohydrate or Micronized Creatine?

As a registered dietitian who has worked with almost 300 clients, I am constantly being asked about creatine supplementation. Creatine isn’t a “new” sports supplement by any means, we first saw it’s rise to popularity in 1990, but has been picking up in popularity again after whey protein stole the spotlight for many years. Now that we have more research on creatine monohydrate supplementation than ever, I decided it was about time I look into it and it’s diverse applications beyond muscle growth.

Introduction to Creatine

Our bodies utilize various energy systems to power us through exercise, some require oxygen (aerobic) and some do not (anaerobic). Phosphocreatine systems utilize ATP to fuel short bursts of all out exercise. This lends to its popularity in strength sports where there is less of a need of muscular endurance than there is of muscular strength and power. This use of the ATP-PC system and increase in energy can lead to improved performance, increased force output thus enhancing muscle gain. (Fact checked by Brandon Dudley, @bambam.fit on IG)

Creatine Monohydrate vs Micronized Creatine

Some are curious about the differences between creatine monohydrate and micronized creatine. If that doesn’t include you, feel free to skip this paragraph.

Both micronized creatine and creatine monohydrate are popular supplements used to enhance athletic performance and muscle growth, but they differ in a few key ways:

Creatine monohydrate is the most common and widely studied form of creatine. It consists of a creatine molecule bound with a water molecule (monohydrate). While it’s effective, creatine monohydrate has relatively low solubility in water, which can sometimes lead to a gritty texture when mixed. This lower solubility can also mean it may not dissolve as easily in the digestive tract. Creatine monohydrate is generally more affordable and readily available compared to other forms of creatine. It has been used extensively in research and is considered the “gold standard” for creatine supplements.

Micronized creatine is creatine monohydrate that has been processed into smaller particles, which does make it easier to mix and drink. The smaller particles can also enhance absorption in the digestive tract, potentially leading to better bioavailability. Micronized creatine tends to be more expensive than regular creatine monohydrate due to the additional processing involved. However, it’s still relatively easy to find in many supplement stores.

While micronized creatine is designed to offer enhanced solubility and absorption, the core benefits related to strength and muscle growth are similar to those of creatine monohydrate. Some users report improved digestion and less bloating with micronized creatine, although scientific evidence supporting these benefits is not extensive.

In essence, both forms of creatine are effective, but micronized creatine offers advantages in terms of solubility and potentially faster absorption. If you find that regular creatine monohydrate is hard to mix or causes digestive discomfort, you might want to try micronized creatine. However, for most people, standard creatine monohydrate remains a cost-effective and highly effective option.

Who is Creatine For?

If there’s something I learned throughout my research, the application for creatine supplementation is more vast than I realized.

Athletes and Exercising People

Research on creatine supplementation in active people is extensive, and it’s well known and accepted that it’s helpful for sports that use anaerobic systems vs aerobic systems for energy.

Studies have also shown that consuming creatine in addition to carbohydrates (or a combination of carbohydrates and protein) might increase the amount of glycogen that is stored in your muscles. For athletes that use up a lot of glycogen during their workouts or competitions, this combination may be very helpful because glycogen is essential for recuperation and preventing burnout during rigorous training. Thus, if you're exercising or performing hard, creatine may assist maintain healthy levels of glycogen in your body and aid in recuperation. (Antonio et al., 2021)

Further research found that creatine supplementation can help

• reduce injury

• improve glycogen stores

• recovery from exercise

• tolerate periods of higher intensity training

• reduce inflammation post exercise

• improved performance

• reduce risk of heat related illness when competing in hot or humid environments

Post Menopausal Women/ Older Adults

Research has been done to assess the efficacy of creatine supplementation in post menopausal women to preserve bone density. Supplementation of creatine alone did not show any increased bone density in postmenopausal women (Sales et al., 2020), BUT creatine supplementation in addition to a resistance training program did show significant improvements in muscle quality and performance for both post menopausal women (Antonio et al., 2021) and older adults in general. Creatine supplementation could be a valuable tool in fighting sarcopenia, losses in muscle mass associated with increased age, which impacts 14-85% of adults who live in long term care facilities and 5-17% of adults who don’t (Candow et al., 2022).

Brain Health

It has been shown that supplementing with creatine lowers the signs of sleep deprivation and enhances memory and cognition, especially in older persons. Human muscular dystrophy symptoms and some TBI symptoms, such concussions, may be lessened by taking creatine supplements.

Although the effectiveness of creatine in treating anxiety and depression symptoms is promising, further clinical research is required to determine the effects of creatine on various mood disorders without reference to pharmaceutical therapies (Candow et al., 2022).

There also may be potential for supplementation of creatine in young athletes who participate in collision sports where there is risk of concussion (Antonio et al., 2021).

Gut Health and Irritable Bowel Disease

Currently there is very limited data for this, but in the future, creatine supplementation may be used in conjunction with current medical therapies for pathological conditions like Crohn's disease and/or ulcerative colitis as a routine adjuvant therapeutic intervention. This could help patients with IBD(Wallimann et al., 2021) where treatments are currently limited.

Summary of Application

After seeing this list, you might think that EVERYONE could benefit from creatine supplementation, but I will remind you that the most common application based on the mechanism with which it works is in sports that require anaerobic processes, aka NOT endurance sports. Think weightlifting - a sport that requires a short burst of energy to do a lot of work for a brief period of time. Many of these applications require more research before they become standards of care, but I’ll also say that the risk of supplementation in appropriate dose is low.

It’s also important to know that creatine doesn’t work unless you do. Without the basis of consistent training, adequate fueling, hydration, sleep, and stress management, creatine or any other supplement is effectively a waste of money. Supplements aren't the foundation of fitness or health, but they can provide a competitive edge once your foundation is built!

Working with a registered dietitian to perfect your fueling routine could be 100% covered by insurance! Get your benefits checked here.

FAQS About Creatine Supplementation

Q: Will it make me bloat or retain water?

A: It might. Some studies suggest it could lead to increased in water retention in the short run, and some suggest it doesn’t alter total body water relative to muscle mass at all. If water retention is a concern, it may be best to talk to a registered dietitian about supplementation (Antonio et al., 2021).

Q: How much water should I drink when taking creatine?

A: The package will tell you how much water to mix the creatine with, otherwise some sources say to consume no less than 120 oz (about 3.5L) of water per day. I recommend 3-4L per day while taking creatine.

Q: Can creatine cause weight gain?

A: This is a tricky question, because for some who take creatine the goal IS to gain weight via muscle mass. There is also the possibility of water retention which could lead to weight gain in the short run.

In one study, participants who supplemented with creatine found a greater reduction in body fat percentage than those who did not (Antonio et al., 2021).

Q: Are all creatine supplements created equally?

A: Definitely not. First, there’s the question of safety. The supplement industry is completely unregulated, so we have to rely on third party testing to make sure it’s safe. I will never recommend a supplement that isn’t third party tested! One badge to look out for on supplements is the NSF certified product label - search all NSF certified creatine products here.

Then you consider the different forms of creatine and I recommend sticking to creatine monohydrate or micronized creatine monohydrate. This is the most thoroughly researched form and the form that’s widely available. A brand I trust is 1st Phorm.

References

Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Gualano, B., Jagim, A. R., Kreider, R. B., Rawson, E. S., Smith-Ryan, A. E., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Willoughby, D. S., & Ziegenfuss, T. N. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

Candow, Darren G., et al. “Creatine supplementation for older adults: Focus on sarcopenia, osteoporosis, frailty and Cachexia.” Bone, vol. 162, Sept. 2022, p. 116467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2022.116467.

Sales LP, Pinto AJ, Rodrigues SF, Alvarenga JC, Gonçalves N, Sampaio-Barros MM, Benatti FB, Gualano B, Rodrigues Pereira RM. Creatine Supplementation (3 g/d) and Bone Health in Older Women: A 2-Year, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020 Apr 17;75(5):931-938. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glz162. PMID: 31257405.

Wallimann, T., Hall, C. H. T., Colgan, S. P., & Glover, L. E. (2021). Creatine Supplementation for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Scientific Rationale for a Clinical Trial. Nutrients, 13(5), 1429. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051429

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Written by Chelsea Shafer, RD, LDN, CYT

Hey, I'm Chelsea!

I’m a Registered Dietitian, 200-hr certified yoga instructor, and cat mom! As an HSH RD I love all things intuitive eating + movement and I’m glad you’re here! Learn more about me and the HSH offerings here.