Which is better: creatine capsules or powder?

Table of contents:

1. creatine: capsules or powder?

2. what is creatine?

3. can creatine be absorbed through food?

4. the right dosage of creatine

5. conclusion

1. creatine: capsules or powder?

Creatine can be absorbed by the human body. The best way to do this is naturally through a healthy and balanced diet. Creatine is found in higher quantities, especially in meat and fish. Dairy products also contain a significant amount of creatine, while fruit and vegetables contain small amounts of creatine. Creatine is sensitive to temperature, so when meat is fried, a larger amount of creatine is lost. As a result, vegetarians and vegans in particular find it difficult to absorb creatine through food. For this reason it is very effective to supplement creatine in the form of food supplements.

Creatine is available in the form of dietary supplements. One often asks oneself: What is the better option? Capsules or powder? It is offered in the form of creatine capsules and creatine tablets and creatine powder. Tablets as well as capsules are easy to handle and get into circulation quickly. However, creatine tablets are sold in pharmacies, which in many cases have been manufactured with artificial additives or abroad. Creatine capsules often contain only the active ingredient in a vegetable cellulose shell and can therefore be produced without fillers. Creatine capsules or creatine tablets should be taken with sufficient liquid (for example water or juice). Creatine powder can be used in many ways. It can be used in smoothies, juices or protein shakes. The powder is especially suitable for people who cannot swallow capsules or tablets.

In general, it should always be ensured that the product was produced in Germany in order to guarantee a consistently high preparation quality. If you buy a preparation from Germany, you can be sure that the product was also produced safely and is of high quality.

2 What is creatine?

Creatine is an organic acid. The human organism can produce it itself. Creatine is formedfrom the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine in the pancreas, liver and kidneys.

For many years creatine has been a popular substance in strength and endurance sports. The reason for this is that creatine can increase the physical performance during strength training during short-term intensive physical activity and has many positive effects on the human organism. Creatine can also promote muscle building and increase muscle strength. Furthermore creatine provides for a longer muscle endurance. Due to this effect you can train with higher weights and intensify the training sustainably. The amino acid provides for an increase in short-term endurance and a faster regeneration of the muscles. Creatine transports the energy-rich phosphate into the muscle cells and provides energy in the heart muscle. The creatine ingested through food is stored in the skeletal muscles and synthesized to creatine phosphate by the enzyme creatine kinase.

3. can creatine be absorbed through food?

Creatine can be absorbed through food. Especially high amounts of creatine are found in meat and fish. Creatine is slowly broken down in the human organism. In order to compensate for this loss, an adult human being should preferably absorb creatine through food on a daily basis. Since vegetarians and vegans often have difficulty in absorbing sufficient creatine (which is found in most animal foods), it is very sensible to supplement creatine in the form of dietary supplements.

4. the correct dosage of creatine

The German Society for Nutrition does not currently provide any concrete recommendations for creatine intake. The amount taken varies and depends on various factors. Gender, body weight and height should be taken into account. It is also important to consider whether you do sport regularly or are still a beginner.

However, it is generally said that the daily creatine requirement is about 3-7 grams for an adult, depending on muscle mass. As the human body can produce creatine itself, about 1-2 grams of the daily requirement are covered by the body's own creatine production, the rest has to be covered by food. If the muscles are heavily used, the creatine storage can be accessed. However, the creatine stores are limited. The more muscle mass you have, the more creatine can be stored.

5. conclusion: creatine: capsules or powder?

When taking creatine one often asks oneself whether capsules or powder are better. Capsules are easy to handle and get into circulation quickly. You can transport them everywhere easily. Powder is perfect for people who find it difficult to swallow capsules. However, it must be mixed in water or smoothies. Creatine provides for a longer endurance during training. It ensures a stronger muscle build-up and a more intensive training.

Further sources:

• Creatine Use in Sports
• Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Creatine and creatinine metabolism
• Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation
• Creatine Supplementation and Lower Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Beyond sports: Efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in pathological or paraphysiological conditions of brain and muscle
• Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old