To know creatine is to love creatine. The natural compound is a gym rat’s best friend, dutifully ramping up workout performance and helping you pack on muscle mass and keep the strength gains coming. Of course, the supplement’s resume is stacked with plenty of impressive accomplishments outside of the weight room, too. More recently, its benefits for healthy aging and brain function have made it a household name even amongst those who have never heard of the term “pre-workout”.
Though we know you’ll never take creatine for granted, we also understand if you want your product to offer a little extra something-something. Whether you’re looking to level up performance or recovery, these creatine options come with bonus ingredients, from pump-boosting citrulline to vital electrolytes.
For Pumps: Creatine + Citrulline
If you want to push harder and go longer in the gym, make sure BodyTech Creatine + Citrulline is a part of your pre-workout stack. This unflavored powder combines five grams of creatine monohydrate with six grams of naturally-derived fermented l-citrulline (an amino acid that bumps up nitric oxide production and boosts blood flow to your working muscles) to help you go the distance. Fatigue? Never heard of her.
For Speedy Muscle Recovery: Creatine + Glutamine
If giving your muscles TLC is your top priority, try combining your creatine with glutamine, an amino acid famed for its role in promoting muscle growth and recovery. You’ve got a couple of product options here: If you want to prime yourself for a new PR, try BodyTech Creatine + Glutamine with Beta-Alanine, which combines strength- and performance-revving creatine with recovery-boosting glutamine and endurance-enhancing beta-alanine. Otherwise, if you’re dialed in on maximizing recovery and building massive muscle, check out Bucked Up Buck Build Creatine x Glutamine. It includes a blend of five types of creatine with four forms of glutamine to laser-focus on recovery and future domination.
For Building Max Muscle: Creatine + HMB
Ever heard of HMB? Short for hydroxymethylbutyrate, HMB is a chemical produced by the body during the process of breaking down leucine, the BCAA famous for its role in building muscle. HMB stimulates protein synthesis to keep muscle breakdown at a minimum. Combining HMB with creatine is a strong move that supports both strength and recovery. Try it in BodyTech Elite Creatine + HMB (which combines five grams of creatine monohydrate with 1,500 milligrams of HMB plus 12.5 micrograms of vitamin D3) or Transparent Labs Creatine HMB, which pairs five grams of Creapure® creatine monohydrate and 1,500 milligrams of a patented form of HMB (with the added bonus of BioPerine® black pepper extract to level up absorption).
FOR Long-Haul Efforts: Creatine + Electrolytes
You know electrolytes are essential for muscle function and hydration balance (among so many other things) and that adding them to your shaker cup is a good idea if your workout looks more like a marathon than a sprint (though, let’s be honest, you need ’em then, too!). BodyTech Creatine HCl + Electrolytes helps your muscles keep working and working by combining about 300 milligrams of electrolytes (think magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium) with 750 milligrams of highly bioavailable creatine hydrochloride. It’s a recipe for churning out rep after rep after rep with ease.
For Superhuman Strength: Creatine + Betaine + Peak ATP
If you’re after size and strength, don’t enter the weight room without RYSE Loaded Creatine. This truly loaded formula features multiple forms of creatine, including four grams of creatine monohydrate, 750 milligrams of creatine HCl, and 1.5 grams of Creatine MagnaPower® (a unique blend of magnesium and creatine that helps get ATP into muscle cells). Combine that with 2.5 grams of betaine (an amino acid-like compound with strength- and power-boosting effects) and 450 milligrams of PEAK ATP® (which mimics the ATP your cells rely on for energy), and you’ve got a recipe for absolutely crushing it.
For Creatine-Soaked Muscles: Multi-Form Creatine
As with other supplements, different forms of creatine may offer different benefits and be absorbed into the body at different times. If you want to make the most of many of the creatine options out there, try Bucked Up Six Point Creatine, which features six types of creatine, including 2,500 milligrams of creatine monohydrate, 1,250 milligrams of creatine gluconate, and a form of creatine HCl. Bucked Up promises these various forms (and doses!) work synergistically to help you rack up more weight plates and pack on more muscle.