The Different Types of Creatine Supplements

If you’ve been to a supplement store or website any time in the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that there are now several different types of creatines that you can buy. So what is the difference between the different types? Is one better than another?

If you go out looking for creatine, you’ll find a couple different types: creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester, and liquid creatine. There are other creatine supplements on the market as well, some with extra transport systems and additional incredients, but these are the most common basic forms of creatine.

So let’s take a look at the difference between these types of creatine supplements.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is creatine without anything added. This is just the most basic form of creatine that you can find. As such, it’s also the cheapest way to go. You can also look for different qualities, and some claim to be more pure than others. Creatine monohydrate is 100% natural and occurs naturally in many foods, so you’ll never see it on the list of banned supplements. It’s natural and has so far been proven safe for use.

Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE)

One of the main problems that regular creatine monohydrate has is that the body doesn’t absorb it very well. That’s where the idea behind creatine ethyl ester comes in. By attaching an organic compound called an ester, CEE is more easily absorbed by the body. This means that your body will be able to use more of the creatine that you ingest, resulting in smaller but more effective doses. CEE is also said to reduce the ‘bloated’ feeling that some people feel when using creatine monohydrate.

Liquid Creatines

The idea behind liquid creatine is that your body can absorb them quicker than a powdered product. One problem with powdered creatine is that it has a tendency to bind with food, making it less effective and making it so you have to not eat for a good period of time before using it. But if you take it in a liquid form you can potentially reduce this problem, and the time you have to wait before using it.

Conclusion

Creatine ethyl ester and liquid creatine products have had a lot of buzz around them lately about whether they are effective or not. It seems that at this time there have been enough studies done on CEE to show that it can improve the effectiveness of creatine, but I haven’t seen as much backup information for the liquid products.

Either way, creatine is one of those muscle building supplements that you should definitely consider as part of your supplementation. It has long been proven effective, and many creatine supplements are very inexpensive.