Is One Form of Creatine Better than Another?

New forms of creatine are continuously being marketed in sports performance supplements. These different forms -- including creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride -- supposedly increase the amount of creatine your body absorbs and transports into your muscles. Despite the marketing, different forms of creatine have shown only minor differences in effectiveness.

Creatine

Your body naturally produces creatine from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Creatine can help regenerate muscle energy, but is exhausted within a few seconds during intense exercise. Low levels of creatine may be found in individuals who have diseases that affect metabolism or the transport of nutrients. Low creatine levels can cause fatigue and poor exercise tolerance.

Benefits

In some studies, creatine has increased endurance or strength in short-duration activities such as sprinting and weight lifting. However, these studies have been small and uncontrolled, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is not clear whether supplements can increase creatine levels in the muscles of healthy individuals. However, there may be some benefit to creatine supplementation for those with heart, vascular or metabolic diseases.

Different Forms

Many different forms of creatine, including creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride, have been manufactured for inclusion in creatine supplements. According to a 2011 study in the journal "Amino Acids," no forms of creatine showed any significant benefit in either effectiveness or safety over creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is formed by dehydrating a solution of creatine, where a single water molecule remains bound to the creatine powder. Creatine hydrochloride is made my adding hydrochloric acid to a solution of creatine, forming a salt.

Safety

Moderate levels of creatine are generally regarded as safe in healthy individuals. Although preliminary research is investigating the usefulness of creatine in heart disease and other disorders, you should always consult your doctor about starting a supplement when under medical care. Creatine absorbs a large amount of water and may increase your risk of dehydration; increase your water intake when taking creatine, especially when exercising intensely or in hot environments. Creatine may interfere with blood or urine tests measuring creatinine -- a byproduct of creatine breakdown -- to assess kidney function.