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The 11 Best Creatine Supplements for Explosive Strength
Boost your workouts and build muscle with these dietitian-approved picks.
CREATINE HAS a mixed reputation among the muscle-building set. For every gym bro who swears he’s put on 10 pounds of muscle with the stuff, there’s another who claims it causes cramps, bloating, and fat gain.
Truth is, creatine is neither a miracle powder nor a health hazard—it’s simply a natural compound that’s found in red meat and seafood, especially beef.
Read more: How Men's Health Thoroughly Tests and Reviews Nutrition Products
First, some background: When you consume creatine—in, say, a steak, for example—your body stores about 95 percent of it in your muscles in the form of creatine phosphate. Your body then uses that creatine phosphate to produce the energy needed to perform quick, intense bursts of exercise, like a particularly heavy bench press or squat.
Strength training, as you may remember, causes tiny microtears in your muscles. When your body repairs that muscle tissue, your muscles grow back bigger and stronger. That’s where the big benefits of creatine come in. It allows you to crank out more reps and heavier lifts, which helps boost your muscle size and strength.
Sure, you could consume your creatine in meat form only, but you’d have to eat a half-pound of steak or salmon every day to net just 1 gram of it—and, let’s face it, that wouldn’t be good for your waistline or your wallet. That’s why many people turn to creatine supplements, which can offer two to five times that amount per serving.
Now, we know what you’re thinking, But wait—more isn’t necessarily better, right? (Kidding. We knew you weren’t thinking that.) For the record, it’s perfectly fine to consume your creatine in supplement form.
Case in point: A 2021 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports found that supplementing with creatine not only can boost your exercise performance, but that many of the supposed drawbacks of taking it—dehydration, muscle cramps, weight gain, and even kidney damage—simply aren’t true.
Still, while most creatine supplements are safe to take, they aren’t all created equal. Across our team of MH fitness editors and experts, we've tested dozens of creatine supplements pre- and post-workout over the years to get to the bottom of which products are worth the hype. And to understand what makes a creatine supplement one of the best, we called on Jose Antonio, PhD, C.S.C.S., a professor in the Department of of Exercise and Sport Science at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What we learned? A great supplement should be NSF or Informed Choice certified, and shouldn’t have anything more than pure creatine monohydrate—no fillers, no special added ingredients, he says. Look for one that has about 3 to 5 grams per serving.
With those guidelines in mind, usability essentially boils down to unit cost. Which is why we've organized our list with the most affordable options at the top, followed by the pricier ones.
Keep scrolling to see our top picks of the best creatine supplements to shop this year.
Best Supplements for Men | Best Protein Powders | Best Whey Protein Powders | Best Casein Protein Powder | Best Vegan Protein Powders
Talene Appleton is the Fitness and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where she covers fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. She was previously the Associate Editor of General Surgery News, and a nutrition writer for The Food Institute. Talene is a retired professional dancer, and loves to spend her free time cooking elaborate meals for her friends and family.
Maria Masters is a contributing editor and writer for Everyday Health and What to Expect, and has held positions at Men's Health and Family Circle.
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