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Creatine HCL vs. Monohydrate: Which is Better Based on Scientific Evidence?
Creatine supplements are ubiquitous in the realm of sports nutrition. Myriad formulations are currently on the market, most containing the tried-and-true monohydrate form of creatine. But recently, creatine hydrochloride (HCl) has become a prominent creatine supplement with purported (read: scientifically unsubstantiated) advantages over creatine monohydrate.So, which form comes out on top in the battle of creatine HCl vs. monohydrate? Though creatine monohydrate remains the most rigorously studied sports supplement, preliminary data on creatine hydrochloride is surfacing as fanfare surrounding this "advanced" form of creatine proliferates.
This article will examine the evidence behind creatine HCl and compare how it stacks up against creatine monohydrate for muscle growth and enhancing athletic performance.
Medical Disclaimer: Consult with a physician before using creatine supplements, especially if you have pre-existing health issues that may alter the pharmacokinetics of creatine and its primary byproduct, creatinine. A pertinent example is renal impairment, which can lead to an accumulation of creatinine in the blood and kidneys. Note that this does not mean creatine is bad for the kidneys. Rather, taking creatine supplements may be unsafe if your kidneys aren't functioning correctly.
What Is Creatine Hydrochloride (HCl)?
Since creatine is a weak base, it can only form salts with strong acids. Hydrochloric acid, the principal constituent of stomach acid, fits the bill as a strong acid that can form a salt with creatine. (Note that the native creatine molecule found in muscle cells is not bound to a hydrochloric acid molecule.) Creatine HCl is just one of many creatine salts that have been synthesized and studied.
Creatine HCl provides roughly 78% creatine by mass [1]. For comparison, pure creatine monohydrate is about 90% creatine by mass [2].
Creatine HCl has distinct chemical properties, giving it theoretical advantages over creatine monohydrate. For one, the HCl form of creatine is much more soluble in water than the monohydrate form [3]. Thus, a significantly lower volume of liquid can fully dissolve an efficacious dose of creatine HCl.
Creatine HCl also exhibits superior permeability and absorption across the intestinal epithelium, making it more bioavailable than creatine monohydrate [4]. Therefore, relatively small doses of creatine HCl should produce ergogenic effects commensurate to those of much larger amounts of creatine monohydrate. But is that really the case when we look at scientific evidence?
Research Summary of Creatine HCl vs. Monohydrate Supplements
Much of the current literature suffers from limitations such as short study duration, small numbers of participants, and conflicts of interest that are partial to creatine HCl [5]. If anything, the evidence still weighs heavily in favor of creatine monohydrate as the preferred form for sports supplementation [6].
Nevertheless, new research will continue to uncover the promises (and pitfalls) of so-called novel forms of creatine, like creatine HCl. Until then, it's probably best to stick with creatine monohydrate before branching out to more "exotic" options.
WHAT ARE THE ALLEGED ADVANTAGES OF CREATINE HCL VS. MONOHYDRATE?
Therefore, supplementing creatine HCl may be less likely to produce some side effects associated with creatine monohydrate supplementation, specifically gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g. bloating). Naturally, companies are marketing creatine HCl as superior to creatine monohydrate—often claiming it's a "bloat-less" form of creatine. But this is somewhat misleading for three main reasons:
- Solubility is now known to be a trivial factor in the tissue uptake of creatine supplements [9].
- Water retention from creatine supplementation can be considered a proxy of efficacy, given that creatine draws water into muscle cells to foster an anabolic milieu [10].
- Creatine monohydrate supplements do not necessarily cause bloating; water retention tends to happen only during the initial loading phase when large amounts of water are necessary to solubilize the higher doses of creatine monohydrate [11].
- Virtually no evidence suggests that maintenance doses of creatine monohydrate (e.g. 3 to 5 grams per day) cause excess water retention.
CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION: IS A LOADING PHASE NECESSARY?
The goal of creatine supplementation is to saturate muscle creatine stores fully. As such, a creatine-loading phase can help expedite the process of saturating muscle creatine.Intuitively, individuals with larger amounts of muscle mass can store more creatine. The HCl form of creatine may be ideal for those who experience gastrointestinal discomfort from consuming loading doses of creatine monohydrate.
Creatine Monohydrate vs. HCl: Which is the Best Creatine Supplement?
Creatine monohydrate continues to be the most-studied sports supplement (literally), followed closely by none other than good ol' caffeine. While creatine HCl is arguably the best of the novel forms of creatine on the market, more research is needed before we can conclude that it should supplant creatine monohydrate as the "gold standard."As noted earlier, most gym-goers and athletes interested in creatine supplementation should start by taking creatine monohydrate before diving into the deep end of the pool. Frankly, it's tough to go wrong with creatine monohydrate.
