Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve heard of creatine — one of the most popular and rigorously tested supplements in the fitness market. It has a (science-backed) reputation for increasing work capacity during training, aiding muscle-building, and supporting overall healthy creatine levels in the body. (1)(2)
Most creatine supplements come in a powdered form, usually tasteless and colorless, that you can add to any beverage. However, powders aren’t always convenient or easy to remember, especially if you routinely lug them to the gym or if you frequently travel. It’s not fun to travel through TSA with baggies of creatine powder.
Crafted for balance, taste, and ease, Create Gummies revolutionize creatine supplementation with delicious 1g gummies. Turn routine into a treat and fuel your body for performance. Use code "intro20" for a 20% discount.
Create creatine gummies provide a convenient, effective, and delicious alternative to creatine powder that suits many people’s fitness and supplementation routines as well as (if not better than) powders. Learn more about this unique alternative to traditional creatine supplementation and how it can benefit you.
What is Creatine, and What Does it Do?
Creatine is created in your body from reactions involving the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, and it’s also present in foods such as meat, milk, and seafood. Some research has found that the naturally occurring amounts of creatine in the human body may not be enough to support health, suggesting that one gets creatine from outside sources, including food or supplementation. (3)
From a performance standpoint, creatine assists in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides energy to your cells for processes like muscle contractions and nerve impulses. Cells that require a lot of high-energy rely on creatine to help produce ATP. (4)
Your body can store enough ATP in the muscles to support about 10 seconds of high-intensity effort. If you take creatine supplements consistently, your usable creatine stores will be increased by up to to 40%, ensuring it is available when you need it. (4) In plain terms, creatine helps you power through short bouts of intense activity, such as performing a clean & jerk or sprinting 40 meters and can help build muscle. (5) It also plays several roles in brain and cardiometabolic health, workout recovery, aging, and more. (6)
According to Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Ph.D., CSCS*D, Professor and Director of Applied Physiology Laboratory Department of Exercise & Sport Science at the University of North Carolina, creatine provides multiple benefits to exercisers and non-exercises alike. “Extensive data has shown creatine monohydrate to support exercise training, performance, and recovery, and it can help increase exercise training volume and intermittent exercise performance and may accelerate the recovery from exercise,” Smith-Ryan tells BarBend.
How Effective Are Creatine Gummies Compared to Powders?
Currently, there are no head-to-head comparisons of how creatine gummies compare to powders. However, Smith-Ryan says creatine monohydrate, which is what Create uses in its formulation of gummies, is the most highly absorbable and bioavailable form of creatine.
Moreover, according to Smith-Ryan, creatine absorption may be enhanced when consumed along with carbohydrates. Creatine gummies such as Create include some carbs in the ingredients. (1)
And when it comes to the potency of the star ingredient, Smith-Ryan recommends choosing a brand that tests for post-processing quality. “There is some thought that the process of including creatine in gummies may denature the creatine; however, there is no data that I am aware of that supports that,” she says. A certificate of analytical testing of the creatine in the product after processing can easily address how much creatine is detectable. Create has such a certification.
Taste, Texture, and Convenience
A supplement is only effective if you take it consistently. Buying supplements to act as dust traps in your kitchen cupboard doesn’t do jack for your muscles.
Regarding adherence, researchers found that getting people to take nutritional supplements can be a significant barrier to success. (7) Factors such as consistency and taste can make a big difference in whether someone sticks to their supplement routine or not. Previous research on vitamin D supplementation found that people are more consistent with gummy-based supplements than other types. (8) Create reports that over 90% of its subscribers “look forward” to taking their creatine gummies each day.
Dr. Smith-Ryan also points out that one of the best parts of a creatine gummy is its potential positive impact on reducing the stigma and barriers to consuming a powder that actually has benefits. She adds that gummies are convenient, taste good, and are far from a gritty powder that settles at the bottom of a glass. They are also easier to travel with.
“A key group of people that can benefit from creatine is women who often are less likely to consume gritty powders; a gummy may be a good way to help them utilize an ingredient like creatine that has good evidence behind it,” adds Smith-Ryan. Create noted that over 60% of its initial 10,000 customers were female.
One thing to consider when it comes to gummies is the price. Gummies tend to be more expensive than powders. “Creatine monohydrate powders have a wide price range depending on the third-party certification. Gummies will be at a higher price point and would not be something to use for a loading approach, but instead a daily dose,” recommends Smith-Ryan.
The good news is that a loading approach, wherein you take up to four or five times the recommended dose for a week or so to “load” creatine, is not necessary. You can simply start taking the recommended five-gram dose each day, and after a month of consistency, you will obtain the full benefits. (1) In the case of Create, that would be five gummies per day, each containing one gram of creatine monohydrate.
While creatine gummies can be more expensive than powders, they’re still a fraction of the cost of a Starbucks coffee and the greater adherence to daily supplementation means you’re getting more long term bang for your buck.
Crafted for balance, taste, and ease, Create Gummies revolutionize creatine supplementation with delicious 1g gummies. Turn routine into a treat and fuel your body for performance. Use code "intro20" for a 20% discount.
Are There Risks to Taking Creatine?
There are no reported risks from creatine supplementation. Creatine is considered safe, even in amounts higher than the typical dose of five grams per day. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) reports that short and long-term dosage of up to 30 grams per day for five years is considered safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals. (1) The FDA issued a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) Notice on creatine monohydrate in 2020, recognizing it as a safe ingredient.
The most common side effect is water weight gain. “In males utilizing a creatine loading dose (four to five doses per day for five days) can result in some water retention, which is a good thing as it is bringing water into the cell and can help with hydration, but can also cause some weight gain from the increased water retention,” says Smith-Ryan. This effect typically subsides within a few days after post-loading. Moreover, water weight gain is significantly less common and temporary when taking 3-5 grams per day, as is recommended by Create.
Create’s Creatine Gummy is One of a Kind
This is a first-of-its-kind creatine monohydrate gummy on the market. Its primary ingredient is creatine — not a mix of other performance-enhancing ingredients as you might see in a pre or post-workout mix. “What you see is what you get; I also like that it has some carbohydrate with it to help with absorption,” says Smith-Ryan. This makes the gummies ideal if you prefer to avoid stimulants like caffeine in most pre-workout powders.
Create’s gummies are also vegan, which is fantastic news for plant-based fitness buffs. According to experts, Creatine is found in animal products, and as such, people who avoid them are at “imminent” risk of creatine deficiency. (9) Those on a gluten-free diet can also safely take Create’s gummies, made without gluten-containing ingredients.
If you or a loved one has trouble taking powders or if you simply prefer a much more enjoyable supplement experience — and who doesn’t — choosing Create’s creatine monohydrate gummies is an excellent choice. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Footnotes
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14(1):18. https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12970-017-0173-z
- Creatine as a food supplement for the general population. Journal of Functional Foods. 2021;83:104568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2021.104568
- Ostojic SM, Forbes SC. Perspective: creatine, a conditionally essential nutrient: building the case. Advances in Nutrition. 2022;13(1):34-37. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab111
- Butts J, Jacobs B, Silvis M. Creatine use in sports. Sports Health. 2018;10(1):31-34. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1941738117737248
- Wu SH, Chen KL, Hsu C, et al. Creatine supplementation for muscle growth: a scoping review of randomized clinical trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients. 2022;14(6):1255. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu14061255
- Ostojic SM. Creatine as a food supplement for the general population. Journal of Functional Foods. 2021;83:104568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2021.104568
- Lester S, Kleijn M, Cornacchia L, Hewson L, Taylor MA, Fisk I. Factors affecting adherence, intake, and perceived palatability of oral nutritional supplements: a literature review. J Nutr Health Aging. 2022;26(7):663-674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1819-3
- Wagner CL, Shary JR, Nietert PJ, Wahlquist AE, Ebeling MD, Hollis BW. Bioequivalence studies of vitamin d gummies and tablets in healthy adults: results of a cross-over study. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1023. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11051023
- Ostojic SM, Forbes SC. Perspective: creatine, a conditionally essential nutrient: building the case. Advances in Nutrition. 2022;13(1):34-37. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab111
