Which Should You Choose? Creatine Pills Vs. Powder
Creatine is an inexpensive supplement in the health and fitness industry that produces results. In fact, right after protein powder, I would say creatine is the next most important supplement you should be taking every day. There is a whole lot of clinical research that has been conducted on the use of creatine and over and over again it has been shown to not just increase muscle mass, but also endurance as well. On top of this, it can assist you in losing weight. It does not get any better than that!
For those inexperienced with creatine usage, you might have fallen prey to the myth that creatine only makes you gain water. This is mostly false. While supplementing with creatine, you may add a couple of pounds of water weight at first, but this is because your protein synthesis is increased and your muscles are pulling in extra water in the beginning.
You may even notice a slight increase in muscle size because of this originally. But as the creatine kicks in more and your strength starts to go through the roof, your muscles will become larger because of the muscle fibers being torn from lifting more weight and constantly rebuilding themselves slightly bigger each time.
Creatine Pills Vs. Powder
I was just having a discussion in the weight room the other day with veteran muscle men about creatine. Each of us had between 20 and 50 years of weightlifting experience under our belt. With the knowledge and experience between us on health and fitness, it was a round table discussion that each of us had a strong opinion about.
While we each agreed that creatine was a supplement that everyone who is strength training should take since it literally only costs pennies per serving, there was a little disagreement between taking creatine pills vs powder. Here is what we came up with.
Creatine Pills
Taking creatine pills could not be any simpler if you are able to swallow pills without a problem. There are some brands, though, where the creatine pills are on the large side. This could make it difficult for some. (I have a brother that can’t even take a pill the size of an aspirin, so he avoids the creatine pills at all cost.)
Most companies proclaim that their creatine pills have five grams of creatine in each one. For most of us, that would be the daily maintenance amount that we would need. It could not get any easier than taking this right along with your daily vitamin. No mess and no fuss.
Plus, no need to include any preparation time. Just pop the top and swallow the pill. It is best to take it with a glass of juice or something similar as the extra carbs will help with increased absorption into the body.
If I had to recommend one creatine pill brand that I like, I would go with GNC’s AAMP HCl 189.
- CLINICALLY PROVEN: Creatine supplement made from an advanced form of creatine clinically studied with proven results
- 189% SUPERIOR: Proven to get into the muscle and improve strength and performance more efficiently than creatine monohydrate
- GAIN MORE WITH LESS: Increase strength and performance with 1/4 the dose
- READY FOR REPS: Supports immediate energy production during sport performance and helps muscles produce and circulate ATP
- PERFECT YOUR PRESS: Each serving contains 1.25g of a PEG-creatine for improved exercise performance
There are 240 tablets in the bottle and each pill is listed to be at 2.5 grams. You can go ahead and take two of these a day, but it might not be needed. They use a blend of creatine that produces solid results at a lesser dose. In one randomized, double-blind clinical study, they detailed how 57 young adult males made more of a strength gain with their creatine at 1.25 grams a day than others did when they were taking five grams of other creatine brands.
Creatine Powder
Who here hasn’t simply scooped a serving of creatine powder into their protein shake every day for months on end? Combining creatine powder with protein powder is like joining peanut butter up with chocolate. It is a natural fit.
There may be a bit of a mess now and then when working with protein and creatine powders. I’ll be the first to admit that I have accidentally dropped a scoop or two on the counter and the floor a few times in my life. When that happens, I have to restrain myself from sweeping it back up and using it anyway.
I guess that goes hand in hand when being raised in a family of eleven where wasting food was never an option. The five-second rule was more like the five-day rule in my household growing up.
Creatine powder usually costs less than creatine pills, so if you are on a tight budget, the powder will last you longer. Plus, it is easier to mess around with the exact dosage that you want. While some people stick with five grams of creatine daily, others want slightly more or less than that. Creatine powder gives you that flexibility.
One creatine powder that I love is MRI’s Black Powder Pre-Workout Powder.
- EXPLOSIVE ENERGY: MRI BLACK POWDER PRE-WORKOUT has a caffeine tri-blend of 300mg to give you explosive energy, plus, the ingredient elevATP helps increase ATP production for improved energy, performance and stamina*
- LOCKED & LOADED FOCUS: FOCUS MRI BLACK POWDER PRE-WORKOUT has choline bitartrate to promote enhanced focus. AlphaSize to engage the brain and Dynamine, theanine and tyrosine to create razor-sharp focus, and keep your mind and body locked & loaded during training.*
- BUILD MUSCLE MRI BLACK POWDER PRE-WORKOUT has 8.5 grams of muscle building ingredients PER SCOOP. CREATINE MagnaPOWER + creatine monohydrate promote muscle building pump. Betaine Anhydrous helps enhance your body’s natural creatine production and CarnoSyn (Beta Alanine) enhances athletic performance and exercise capacity helping you build more lean muscle mass during training.*
- INCREASE ENDURANCE MRI BLACK POWDER PRE-WORKOUT’s ingredients agmatine and taurine work together to help improve your performance, stamina and recovery so you can train longer and recover faster.*
- IT’S ACTUALLY BLACK: MRI BLACK POWDER PRE-WORKOUT has activated charcoal working as a detox agent that attracts and bonds to toxins to keep your body working cleaner. If it’s not black, put it back.
There are numerous people that cannot step foot into a gym without having some sort of high energy pre-workout drink first. While I am not that bad, I do enjoy MRI’s Black Powder (Cherry Bomb is my flavor of choice) as it also provides me my daily amount of creatine as well. Basically, you get a pre-workout drink and your creatine all in one. Those extra carbs in this creatine powder will definitely help with absorption, too.
With the Black Powder creatine, you are also receiving energy-providing B vitamins, amino acids, and plenty of caffeine that will have you ready to tackle even the most strenuous workouts. In addition, this will cost less per serving than any of those energy drinks that you find in stores.
It Is All About Preference
When it comes down to it, creatine pills vs powder, it is all about preference. It is like trying to decide between Betty and Veronica. The truth is there is no wrong choice. They can both provide you great results when used consistently while training.
My buddies and I did not get into a battle royal in the weight room during our discussion on this topic, but none of us could sway the others to our side either. Supplementing with creatine is something every athlete should do. Whether you choose creatine pills or powder, it is up to you!
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