The Raging Debate: Creatine Serum vs. Creatine Powder

Confused about the difference between creatine serum and creatine powder? You're not alone. Ever since creatine serum was introduced, the hot debate is over which one works better? So is creatine serum better, or is creatine powder the better choice? Really, there is no clear answer to this. You're gonna hear different user experiences with each, so in the end, it's really up to you to decide. I'll do my best to provide you with the necessary info on each type of creatine to help you make a better, more informed decision.

You will find competing literature arguing for both types of creatine. Beware though, some are just straightout lies. For example, in one article I read, it stated that it takes 4 to 6 weeks of loading creatine powder to notice any effect, and that creatine serum works right away- that's just an outright lie! I'm a little ticked about that, but heck, what can you do? So be ware about what you read (even from my website), I do my best to provide you with accurate info, but there's no guarantees - I could be fooled too. :)

Note: despite the dispute of whether creatine serum or poweder is the better choice, my personal opinion is that I prefer creatine powder, and I say this from articles and research which I've read, and also from personal experiences. Read on...

Creatine Serum (Liquid Creatine)

So what is creatine serum? In short, creatine serum or liquid creatine is just the liquid form of creatine monohydrate. So instead of ingesting a creatine powder, you're taking in a liquid solution of creatine. Like creatine powder, liquid creatine has the same benefits:

• Provides extra energy to your muscles during workout
• Gives you a energy boost through ATP regeneration
• You can gain weight, size, and strength

Here are some important facts about creatine serum you should know:

• Although it's a liquid creatine, your muscles does NOT instantaneously absorb it; however, your body is 'supposed' to be able to absorb it easier than creatine powder - true or not, I'm not sure.
• Ignore any claims of instant absorption - that's just not possible. Both creatine serum and powder take time to absorb.
• Ignore any claim that you don't have to load with liquid creatine or take it on off days - there's no apparent extra benefit of creatine serum over powder other than it's a liquid.
• Ignore any claims that the creatine serum is completely stable - you should know that creatine in its liquid form is unstable, and can degrade to another substance called creatinine, which is useless for your muscles.
• In short, ignore any claims that says creatine serum possess extra capabilities than creatine powder - they're both creatine, and they both do the same stuff.

One recent article I read on creatine serum stated that in their lab tests with creatine serum, they found higher levels of creatinine than creatine, confirming the scientifc fact that creatine degrades to creatinine in liquid. They also found that the actual amount of creatine in the serum is much less than what the label claimed.

As I've stated, you're going to hear different stories and experiences with creatine serum. Give it a try, see if it works for you, and if it does, hey, then stay with it, and if it doesn't, stick with creatine powder.

Creatine Powder (Creatine Monohydrate)

When it comes to creatine powder, you can get all different brands and types. Creatine powder is just that - white powder. An average sized bottle (~500g) will typically cost you around $20 to $30 bucks, depends on the type and brand you buy. A few years back, creatine was much more expensive and almost costed twice as much for the same amount. You can get just pure creatine powder, or you can get creatine powder mixed in with a bunch of other supplements. Personally, I prefer to just use pure creatine, seems to work better for me, but you should try both out to see which works for you best.

Some of the more popular creatine products are: American Creatine, Prolab Creatine, AST's Creatine HSC, MuscleTech Cell-Tech, EAS Phosphagen HP, and several others. Some of these are just pure creatine powder, and some are creatine powder mixed with a bunch of other stuff. I prefer pure creatine powder. 2 of which I've had best results from are American Creatine and Prolab Creatine. You can save some money ordering online.

When you take creatine powder, the directions usually tell u to mix it with water or juice. What I do is measure out the appropriate amount (with a teaspoon), and just shove it in my mouth, suck the teaspoon clean, and wash it down with grape juice. This way, no sediments, and no wasted creatine. :) If you didn't know, creatine powder has no taste.

Creatine powder typically takes at least an hour to absorb so it's best for you to take it an hour to 1.5 hours before a workout.

Creatine Stack (Combo)

Some athletes, instead of sticking to either creatine serum or powder, prefer to stack the two in their cycle. Some people have found this to be a very successful strategy. Here's what you do:

• Get a basic bottle of pure creatine monohydrate, and a bottle of creatine serum. Amercian Creatine and ATP Serum are some popular choices.
• During your loading phase, use creatine powder
• For your maintenance phase, use the ATP serum, and take it just on days when you workout

I haven't tried this stack, so I can't make any recommendations on it; however, if you decide to try it, or have experience with it, please let me know, and I will gladly share this knowledge with others.

Click here for Creatine powder supplements

Click here for Creatine serum supplements

Supplement Reviews

Protein Powders
Designer Protein
Methoxy Pro
Nitro Tech
ProLab N-Large-2
Soy Protein Powder

Meal Replacements
EAS Myoplex
Isopure MRP
Labrada Lean Body
Met-rx MRP

Fat Burners
Xenadrine RFA-1
Xenadrine EFX
Stacker 2
Stacker 3
Hydroxycut
CLA
GHR 15
Hydroxadrine
Cutting Gel
Pyruvate
TwinLab Ripped Fuel

Other Supplement Reviews
Animal Stak
Creatine Serum vs Creatine Powder
Dymetadrine Extreme
GABA
L-Glutamine
Ribose Size
RiboForce HP
ZMA