Creatine is one of the most popular supplements, well-researched, scientifically backed, and proven to be effective for muscle growth, endurance, athletic performance, and recovery.
Creatine offers numerous benefits, and one of the main reasons people use it is because it helps increase muscle mass.
If you are familiar with gym culture or a regular gym-goer, you have probably come across creatine multiple times. Creatine is popular among professional athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts of all levels.
To explain creatine’s effect, apart from the visible changes, it can help you push through those last two reps during your workout sessions.
There are two popular forms of creatine: Creatine hydrochloride (HCL) and creatine monohydrate. You might be wondering about the differences and similarities and which one is best for supplementation.
In this article, we will discuss Creatine HCL vs. monohydrate to understand the differences between them and determine which one will better serve your goals.
Creatine HCL vs Monohydrate: Similarities and Differences
Before we dive into the comparison between creatine monohydrate and HCL, let’s discuss some basic facts about creatine, including what it is, how it affects our body, and what safety precautions we need to take.
Training consistently, maintaining a healthy, protein-rich diet, and supplementing with high-quality creatine can help you achieve extraordinary results in the gym.
If your muscles had a best friend, it would definitely be creatine. Not only does creatine help build muscle mass, but it’s also vital for brain health. Remember that our bodies naturally produce creatine? It’s a crucial compound that plays a significant role in our overall well-being.
While creatine monohydrate is the GOAT of all creatines, HCL is making headlines with claims that it absorbs better and has fewer side effects. Let’s find out if that’s true and whether creatine HCL lives up to the hype.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. The liver is responsible for creatine production, with 95% of it supplied to your skeletal muscles and the remaining 5% going to your brain and heart.
Your body produces about 1g of creatine daily. Creatine can also be obtained naturally from foods like salmon, beef, cod, herring, milk, and tuna. However, obtaining high doses of creatine from food alone can be challenging.
For example, 1kg of steak contains about 5g of creatine, which is roughly equivalent to a daily supplement dose.
Difference Between Creatine HCL and Monohydrate
Visually, creatine HCL and monohydrate look the same, you can spot the difference with a naked eye. They differ on a molecular level. While visually they look the same, there’s a major difference in the way our bodies absorbs and utilizes them.
Let’s break both of them down:
Chemical Structure:
- Creatine Monohydrate: When you think of creatine, the monohydrate form is most likely what you are buying. Creatine monohydrate consists of a creatine molecule bound to a water molecule. Creatine monohydrate is widely studied for its effectiveness and has been proven to be safe and reliable.
- Creatine HCL: Creatine HCL is bound to a hydrochloride (HCL) molecule, which makes it more soluble in water. It is believed that solubility improves creatine absorption in the body.
Solubility:
- Creatine Monohydrate: As creatine monohydrate is not as soluble in water, it can cause stomach discomfort or bloating.
- Creatine HCL: Due to its higher solubility, creatine HCL is less likely to cause bloating or stomach upset. This is all theoretical as HCL is not researched and it’s supposed benefits have not been properly proven.
Dosage:
- Creatine Monohydrate: A typical dose is about 5 grams per day, but it depends on your bodyweight. For appropriate calculations, use this formula: Maintenance Dose = Body Weight (kg) × 0.03g/day.
- Creatine HCL: Since it absorbs better in the body, a smaller dose (about half of what you will take with creatine monohydrate) will be sufficient.
Effectiveness:
- Creatine Monohydrate: Monohydrate is well-researched and it improves strength, muscle mass, and exercise performance as a fact.
- Creatine HCL: Creatine HCL is relatively understudied. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it may provide similar benefits to monohydrate, allegedly with fewer side effects.
Side Effects:
- Creatine Monohydrate: You may experience some side effects with creatine monohydrate, such as water retention, bloating, or gastrointestinal discomfort. In rare cases, severe gastrointestinal issues like kidney failure can occur. If you have any existing gastrointestinal problems, it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any supplements.
- Creatine HCL: The promise of creatine HCL is that it may have fewer side effects, but this hasn’t been well-proven or documented. We advise caution when considering under-researched supplements.
Cost:
- Creatine Monohydrate: Monohydrate is quite cheap and is widely available.
- Creatine HCL: HCL is pricier as it is a new supplement with a lot of hype around it. We advise against purchasing creatine HCL.
Long-Term Use:
- Creatine Monohydrate: The monohydrate is safe for longterm consumption and it has been studied for decades. It is well-documented that creatine monohydrate is safe for long-term use, within appropriate doses.
- Creatine HCL: It is unknown whether HCL is safe for longterm consumption as it hasn’t been studied enough.
Key Takeaway:
Both HCL and monohydrate are forms of creatine. Monohydrate has been extensively researched for decades, and its effectiveness is proven and well-documented. It is the superior form of creatine and is safe for consumption.
HCL is a newer version of creatine and is often considered a marketing gimmick. HCL has gained a lot of hype, and the marketing behind it has been quite effective. However, the safety and effectiveness of HCL are not well-established. The claim that it has fewer side effects is under-researched and lacks sufficient documentation.
If you are considering purchasing creatine, we definitely recommend creatine monohydrate. Stay away from creatine HCL as it has not been researched enough. It hasn’t been proven to be reliable or safe, and we don’t know how it affects our bodies in the long term.
Benefits of Supplementing Creatine
Creatine is used to enhance athletic performance, increase muscle mass, improve endurance, and boost recovery. First, let’s see how creatine works:
When you take creatine, it boosts the levels of phosphocreatine in your muscles. Phosphocreatine helps regenerate ATP (the energy currency of the cell) during high-intensity activities, which leads to better physical performance, strength, and endurance.
In simpler terms, creatine supplementation enhances the production of energy in your muscles, allowing you to perform better during intense exercises.
Creatine increases water retention in muscle cells, which can result in slight weight gain and a puffy appearance. If you like the ‘pump’ look after completing a workout, that’s what creatine can give you.
Many people think of creatine as a miracle supplement, expecting near-instantaneous gains and muscle mass increase. However, this is a misconception. Creatine cannot deliver results on its own; consistent workouts over time are essential to see its effectiveness.
You won’t see significant gains from creatine in just 2-3 weeks. However, if you stay consistent with your supplements, workouts, and nutrition, your muscle mass and performance will improve noticeably.
The benefits of creatine are most evident during workouts. It can help you push through those last two challenging reps that you might struggle to complete without it. These extra reps are crucial for muscle growth and body recomposition.
The same can’t be said about creatine HCL as we don’t have any studies to support its effectiveness. Chemically speaking:
- The formula for creatine monohydrate is C4 H9 N3 O2⋅H2O.
- The formula for creatine HCL is C4 H1 0Cl N3 O2.
The difference between these two is that creatine HCL has an added hydrochloride group, which not only affects solubility and absorption but also alters the characteristics of the supplement. This modification allows for a lower required dosage and may potentially result in fewer side effects.
Creatine HCL is marketed as having fewer side effects, but it’s important to note that it is more acidic. Some users have reported that consuming creatine HCL orally destoys the enamel of your teeth.
When comparing HCL vs. Monohydrate side-by-side, in theory, they should deliver the same results in terms of athletic performance, muscle mass, endurance, and recovery.
However, factually speaking, this claim can’t be fully backed up with proper studies as creatine HCL hasn’t been researched as extensively as creatine monohydrate.
Dosage for Creatine Monohydrate and HCL
As we discuss dosing for creatine monohydrate and HCL, let’s review their creatine content:
- Creatine monohydrate is 90% creatine by weight.
- Creatine HCL is 78% creatine by weight.
This essentially means why different dosages are required when consuming creatine monohydrate or HCL.
There are two popular ways to start consuming creatine:
- Loading Dose: Bodybuilders often recommend taking up to 25g of creatine in 4-5 separate doses during the day, for 5-7 days. The goal is muscle saturation to maximize your workout gains and performance. After this, you continue with the daily maintenance dose, which can be calculated with the formula mentioned below.
- Maintenance Dose: Using the formula: Maintenance Dose = Body Weight (kg) × 0.03g/day. You can calculate how much creatine you should supplement daily. For example, For a 70kg individual, the formula will look like this: 70kg × 0.03g/day = 2.1g/day.
We recommend skipping the loading dose and starting directly with the maintenance dose, as it is safer and more reliable. The loading dose can lead to serious gastrointestinal issues. If you don’t hydrate properly and monitor your health closely, you may risk experiencing conditions like kidney failure, which can be extremely dangerous to your health and well-being.
If you have creatine HCL, it’s advisable to skip the loading dose as the effects on your body are not well-studied. If you still choose to purchase creatine HCL instead of monohydrate, aim to take about half the dosage you would with creatine monohydrate. Use the following formula for guidance:
- Maintenance Dose = Body Weight (kg) × 0.015g/day. For example, For a 70kg individual, the formula will look like this: 70kg × 0.015g/day = 1.05g/day.
Staying mindful of your creatine dosage is important, as overdosing can cause health issues like bloating, puffiness, cramping and, in severe cases, gastrointestinal problems that may lead to kidney failure. When supplementing with creatine, remember to stay hydrated.
When Can I Take Creatine?
Creatine can be taken at any time of the day—morning, evening, or night. It can be used both as a pre-workout and post-workout supplement.
We advise choosing a specific time of day and taking it consistently at that time every day. This will help with consistency and ensure that you don’t miss a dose.
Creatine is one of the safest supplements available and it is even safe to take before bed. If you are interested about this topic, read our article: Can I Take Creatine Before Bed?
Conclusion
All in all, the effectiveness and reliability of creatine HCL are yet to be proven. If you’re wondering which creatine famous bodybuilders or your favorite fitness influencers use, it’s most likely creatine monohydrate.
Creatine HCL has been hyped by several supplement brands and fitness influencers as it’s a great way to make quick money. You may have also noticed the surge in new types of supplements that promise outstanding results.
Our advice is to stick with the basics. Creatine monohydrate, whey protein, and maybe a pre-workout or caffeine supplement (to make your workout more enjoyable, but supplement responsibly as you will build a tolerance to caffeine very quickly) are all you need.
When purchasing a creatine supplement, ensure that you’re buying a high-quality product. Carefully check the label and double-check that your creatine doesn’t contain any unnecessary ingredients.
Remember, your health is the priority, so buy your supplement from a reliable brand that conducts business ethically and sources its products responsibly.
In the debate of creatine monohydrate vs. HCL, the clear winner is monohydrate. Every famous fitness influencer or top bodybuilder supplements with creatine monohydrate.
Creatine HCL is understudied and potentially unsafe as it hasn’t been researched enough. Its popularity is mainly due to marketing and a few influencers promoting it to make a quick buck.
So if you’re looking for a creatine supplement, go with creatine monohydrate.