Creatine Monohydrate vs Creatine Charge: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Choose?
Creatine is the undisputed king of supplements when it comes to increasing strength and performance – it provides the fuel muscles need for the short, intense contractions that help you lift more with every rep.
With so many benefits, it’s one of the most widely researched sports supplements on the market, and study after study confirms what we already know – creatine monohydrate is the most effective performance-boosting nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity¹…
The many other research-proven benefits of creatine include:
- Accelerated recovery between sets and workouts
- Increased strength
- Higher work capacity
- Greater strength endurance
- Aids muscle cell hydration
- Protects muscle against free radical damage²
- Limits muscle loss during periods of immobility³
This additional power means more reps with heavier weights, for better gains. You’ll also recover faster between efforts and limit muscle damage during intense training. Moreover, a study⁴ demonstrated that creatine supplementation significantly increased interval power performance by 18%.
If these physical benefits weren’t enough, creatine may also deliver a cognitive boost. Research⁵ shows that a creatine supplement delivered a significantly improved brain function, including memory, alertness and intelligence. Its proven effectiveness makes it a staple in the supplement plans of anyone who is serious about their performance, from gym junkies, CrossFittters and power lifters to endurance and HYROX athletes, and professional sportspeople.
Top up your natural creatine stores
We get creatine from various foods, which we store in our bodies, mainly in our muscle cells (the rest is stored in our brain, heart and testes in men)⁶. Your liver, pancreas, and kidneys also play a role in synthesising creatine.
Ingested creatine increases muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores, enhancing energy (in the form of ATP) production during short bursts of high-intensity activity.
However, we can only carry a limited amount. This is where creatine supplements come in.
By topping up the creatine stored in our muscle cells, creatine supplements increase our ability to generate more of the energy needed to power those intense muscle contractions.
Choosing the right creatine product
Creatine monohydrate is the most common form of creatine available on supplement shelves today and is still considered the most effective, safest and cost-effective option, which is why it remains a popular option.
You can get your daily creatine dose from a single-ingredient product like Primal Creatine 5000, with each serving delivering 5g of creatine monohydrate.
This supplement will effectively increase your strength during training, which helps to increase muscle mass and improve your performance.
For the best results, you need to mix Primal Creatine 5000 with a high-GI carbohydrate source, like an energy drink or fruit juice (apple or red grape juices are best) to maximise absorption.
It’s the ideal product for individuals who want a simple, cost-effective, and proven supplement to stack alongside other supplements that support performance, like a pre-workout.
All-in-one solutions
For anyone looking to get everything they need from a single scoop, ongoing research and development in the supplement industry is making it easier than ever to tick all the boxes when it comes to performance gains.
New innovations in creatine formulations and transport systems found in an all-in-one product like Primal Creatine Charge delivers more than just a creatine boost.
Every serving is also loaded with 5g of pure creatine monohydrate, with added dextrose monohydrate and Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) to maximise creatine absorption – no fruit juice required.
That means all you need to do is mix 2 scoops (43g) with 300ml of cold water, shake well and drink up to charge your workout.
The dextrose monohydrate spikes insulin, which can help shuttle creatine more efficiently into muscle cells, while the ALA enhances insulin sensitivity, improving nutrient uptake (including creatine).
That’s not all. Primal Creatine Charge also contains L-Glutamine, Taurine and Beta-Alanine for added benefits.
- Beta-Alanine boosts muscular endurance and delay fatigue by buffering lactic acid in muscles
- Glutamine supports recovery and may reduce muscle soreness.
- Taurine may boost energy metabolism to support endurance and reduce fatigue
This all-in-one blend is a convenient option for those looking to enhance creatine uptake and benefit from other performance-enhancing ingredients to support strength, recovery, and endurance in one convenient product.
References:
- 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.
- Cooke MB, Rybalka E, Stathis CG, Hayes A. Myoprotective Potential of Creatine Is Greater than Whey Protein after Chemically-Induced Damage in Rat Skeletal Muscle. Nutrients. 2018 Apr 30;10(5):553. doi: 10.3390/nu10050553. PMID: 29710855; PMCID: PMC5986433.
- Padilha, Camila & Cella, Paola & Salles, Leo & Deminice, Rafael. (2017). Oral creatine supplementation attenuates muscle loss caused by limb immobilization: a systematic review. Fisioterapia em Movimento. 30. 831-838. 10.1590/1980-5918.030.004.ar01.
- Forbes, S. C., Candow, D. G., Neto, J. H. F., Kennedy, M. D., Forbes, J. L., Machado, M., … Antonio, J. (2023). Creatine supplementation and endurance performance: surges and sprints to win the race. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2023.2204071.
- Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jul 15;108:166-173. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29704637; PMCID: PMC6093191.
- Kreider RB, Stout JR. Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021 Jan 29;13(2):447. doi: 10.3390/nu13020447. PMID: 33572884; PMCID: PMC7910963.