Kurtz JA, VanDusseldorp TA, Doyle JA, Otis JS. Taurine in sports and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;39.

Creatine helps the body to generate ATP, which is the main energy carrier in the body. It therefore enables an increase in physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, as your muscles are reliant on this ATP.

FAQs

It’s also noteworthy that Universal Nutrition have used Creapure® brand creatine, which has a stellar reputation for its purity. It’s made in a dedicated facility in Germany, tested at the German Olympic Training Center in Berlin, and has a ton of different quality controls to help ensure there are no banned substances or impurities. If you are vegetarian or vegan, take note that the chews are colored using carmine, a pigment made from the crushed shells of the cochineal insect, which may or may not fit into your dietary preferences. These chews contain artificial flavors, which you may prefer to limit. They come in two flavors: grape and orange. Yes, even though there are no natural food sources of vegan creatine, there are plenty of vegan creatine supplements out there to fill the gap, fortunately! These include:

Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. Can you get creatine from plants?That’s somewhat expensive since it’s not hard to find plain creatine monohydrate for 4 or 5 cents per gram, even if it’s from Creapure. You’re clearly paying extra for the fact that the creatine had to get processed into pills, so if you love the idea of chewable creatine then the price may be worth it for you. Universal Nutrition Creatine Chews Taste vegan friendly + each and every batch has been tested for banned substances – so athletes can safely use it in their training regimens

Creatine monohydrate appears to be the most, if not as equally, effective when compared to all other forms. Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements. You can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here. To help come up with this list, we consulted with Registered Dietitian Francesca Castro, MS, RD.Many creatine supplements are unflavored, which can make them challenging to take. Legion Recharge comes in several flavors, including strawberry lemonade, blue raspberry, grape, and an unflavored version that is lightly sweet. It does not contain artificial sweeteners or dyes, but it is sweetened with stevia. Legion uses Labdoor for third-party testing and provides a Certificate of Analysis for each bottle of Recharge so you can see what is in it. Form and size: There are a variety of creatine supplement forms available, including tablets, powders and capsules. The majority of athletes we consulted favored the powder form because it was easily to blend in pre- and post-workout shakes and smoothies. The capsule and tablet forms are easy to use when traveling or more convenient when on-the-go. Older adults: Age-related muscle loss can negatively impact our ability to perform activities of daily living. Some research shows that when older adults pair creatine supplementation with resistance training, it can support healthy aging by enhancing muscle mass, strength, and functional performance. Ahmadi AR, Rayyani E, Bahreini M, Mansoori A. The effect of glutamine supplementation on athletic performance, body composition, and immune function: A systematic review and a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Clin Nutr. 2019;38(3):1076-1091. The beauty of creatine is its versatility; you can put it in smoothies, protein shakes, milk shakes, or plain old water if you’re a real purist!

The pills aren’t actually that chewable, though. They’re hard like breath mints, so keep in mind they’ll take a while to break down in your mouth and become soft enough to bite.Graham TE. Caffeine and exercise: Metabolism, endurance and performance. Sports Med. 2001;31(11):785-807. Certain creatine supplements contain added ingredients meant to further enhance strength and endurance. They may include the amino acids glutamine or taurine; however, research on the impact of these amino acids on athletic performance remains mixed. Volek JS, Kraemer WJ, Rubin MR, Gomez A, Ratamess NA, Gaynor P. L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation favorably affects markers of recovery from exercise stress. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002;282(2):E474-82. Not all third-party testing is created equal. It is not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing. Not a mint fan? Don’t worry, you can also get them in strawberry flavour. Pure vegan creatine powder