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If you're going to buy one supplement for better gains, efficient fat loss, and improved overall health, growing evidence points to creatine as the best bang for your buck.
Long a staple of the sports world and bodybuilding community alike, creatine is an combo of amino acids that provides energy to muscles. Our bodies naturally produce some creatine, and we can also get a bit of creatine in some foods like meat and fish.
It's also one of the most researched fitness supplements, and study after study suggests it can offer a boost to performance, more strength and muscle gains, and even a healthier brain.
Creatine isn't new — it caught on as a supplement in the 90s thanks to Olympians who swore by it for elite athletic competition.
But demand has exploded in the past few years, and it's considered such as staple that gym buffs were willing to pay double the price during shortages post-pandemic.
And it's not just consumers; scientists agree. This summer, even more science emerged, backing up the benefits of creatine for building muscle and burning fat, and side effects are minimal.
With all the evidence stacking up, and creatine's relatively low price point, experts consistently recommend it as a go-to supplement in the gym. Here's why you might want to try it (if you haven't already).
The latest findings on creatine suggest it has a modest benefit for both muscle building and fat loss, according to a study published July 23 in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales concluded from existing data that creatine users get an extra 2.4 pounds of lean muscle, and lose nearly 1.5 pounds more fat, than people who don't supplement.
Extensive previous research backs up the finding creatine is linked to benefits which, while small, can be significant.
It works by providing extra fuel to muscle tissue, powering more work in the gym for better gains, or faster fat burning, and can is also stored in the brain to protect cognitive health per recent research.
In contrast, other top fitness supplements have more mixed evidence when it comes to building muscle and burning fat. They may be useful, but in specific contexts:
Other supplements are less evidence-based, less reliable, and can have more risks, particularly when bought online via grey market websites.
The only supplement that comes close to challenging creatine in terms of wide-ranging benefit and extensive research is caffeine. While caffeine can boost workouts and is relatively safe in moderate doses, it can have serious side effects in large amounts, so you're better off having a coffee than a concentrated supplement.
Not all creatine on the market is the same. The most well-researched form is creatine monohydrate, which has enough evidence behind it that sports nutritionists consider it reliably effective and safe. Mild side effects like digestive upset can occur, but tend to be temporary and mostly linked to higher doses.
It's also safe for your wallet. Even with past shortages, creatine monohydrate tends to be the cheapest form, especially if you buy it pure instead of mixed into complicated pre- or post-workout blends.
Still, despite all the potential benefits of creatine, it's not a panacea. No supplement, no matter how well-researched, can match the benefits of healthy lifestyle factors like nutrition, sleep, and consistent exercise. Trainers recommend starting with high-value habits like these first before trying supplements.
Once you're nailing your gym routine and diet, creatine might be just the thing to give your routine an extra edge.
