Creatine Pills or Powder

Are you a gym goer who wants a training boost? No doubt you have heard about the benefits of creatine. However, you need clarification about whether creatine pills or powder are best.

I can give you the ultimate answer thanks to my years of experience using creatine. Please read on to find out which option you should choose.

Creatine Pills or Powder

Both creatine pills and powder are similar, allowing you an effective way to increase your creatine intake and experience the benefits of this muscle-building nutrient. The one you choose will come down to your personal preferences.

What Is Creatine Powder?

Creatine powder is the standard form of creatine that most people would choose. Creatine is a natural energy source that can provide your muscles with a steady supply to help keep you working during intense training sessions. Benefits include:

• Improved exercise performance by increasing ATP production
• Faster muscle growth by signaling vital biological pathways
• Lower blood sugar levels
• Less fatigue and tiredness

While you can find it in certain foods, for example, red meat and seafood, many will need more through diet alone. This is where supplements can help, as they provide a cost-effective and convenient method to increase your intake.

Advantages of Creatine Powder

There are several reasons why you should consider using a powder instead of a pill:

Powder Is Cheaper Than Pills

Creatine is one of the most affordable supplements, with the powdered variety more cost-effective than the pills. This can be especially important during the creatine-loading phase, where you consume more than usual.

Creatine Powder Is Versatile

If you want to add creatine to your whey protein shakes, you can easily do that using powder. You can also add it to your pre-workout supplement or intra-workout drinks or even add it to your food.

Powder Is Easily Absorbed

Compared to the pill variety, the powder is easily absorbed in the powdered form. This makes it ideal for use in your pre-workout.

Flexibility in Dosage

With a powder, you can be more flexible with your dosages. This will be ideal for those who need to adjust the dosage to suit their needs and preferences, something you may not be able to achieve using a pill.

Disadvantages of Creatine Powder

There are a few reasons why you may not want to use creatine powder:

Poor Mixability

Sometimes, you may find the powder stuck to the bottom of a shaker bottle or glass, which can be unpleasant to drink.

Powder Can Create a Mess

Creatine can be challenging to transport and may leave a mess when adding the desired dosage to the shaker. They also need to be more convenient to consume while on the go.

What Are Creatine Pills?

This shouldn’t be a surprise; creatine pills use the same creatine as the powdered variety.

Rather than a messy powder, they are a pre-measured amount of creatine encapsulated, that will dissolve once consumed.

Advantages of Creatine Pills

There are certain advantages to using creatine pills:

They Are More Convenient

Rather than carrying a suspicious-looking bag of white powder to the gym, throwing a few pills into your bag will be easier and more convenient.

You also won’t need to carry a shaker to mix the powder. Simply pop a pill or two with some readily available water.

There Is No Mess

This may only happen sometimes. However, I can assure you that if it has yet happened to you, it will happen sooner or later when you attempt to mix your creatine only to knock it over, spilling the contents everywhere.

Not only is this annoying to think of all the product and money wasted when it happens.

This won’t happen with creatine pills, as there is no powder to spill.

You’ll Know How Much You Are Taking

Although creatine powder will come with a measuring spoon, this is not an exact science, as people will use differing amounts in each serving.

While this may not have much effect, you won’t have any uncertainty when using a pill as the dosages are already pre-measured.

Disadvantages of Creatine Pills

There are also some disadvantages that you should be aware of:

Creatine Pills Are More Expensive

One of the main disadvantages of pills over powder is that they cost more. This is because of the extra time spent processing the powder into a pill.

Limited Dosage Options

As the pills come pre-measured, you have fewer options for dosage.

For example, one creatine pill may contain 3 grams. However, you may want to consume 5 grams daily. A pill would make this incredibly difficult to achieve with precision.

Can’t Mix With Other Supplements

Powder can easily be added to your whey protein shake or pre-workout. The same cannot be said about creatine pills, which must be taken separately.

While not a massive issue, it is still one to consider while choosing between powder and pills.

You May Have to Swallow Multiple Pills

This may be fine for most people. However, swallowing pill capsules can be difficult for some, especially if you have to swallow multiple pills to get the required dosage.

Of course, you could look for products with the desired dosage. However, this is an extra step you wouldn’t need to take if you had chosen creatine powder in the first instance.

3 Main Differences of Creatine Powder and Pills

Although the products are similar, the two have some significant differences.

Convenience

User convenience is a significant consideration, and if you are tired of spillages in your bag, consider choosing a pill rather than a powder.

Of course, mixing the powder with other supplements is a significant benefit.

Absorption

Powdered creatine is absorbed faster than the pill variety, so if this is important, opt for the powder.

If this is less important to you, consider the other pros and benefits of the two varieties.

Choosing One For Your Lifestyle

At the end of the day, which option you choose should depend on your own lifestyle choices. If you prefer less mess and the convenience of carrying pills rather than a powder, then a pill would be better for you.

Alternatively, choose the powder if the mess is less of a concern and you’d rather have a cheaper option that is absorbed quickly.

Creatine Pills vs Powder: When to Use Each

If you choose to consume a creatine pill, you must wait until it is digested before your body can use it. The powder can be absorbed and is readily available almost as soon as it is consumed.

The truth is that there is little benefit in having the creatine readily available. As long as it is constantly loaded into your system, you will receive the benefits of creatine.

How to Take Creatine

You must use the correct dosage to get the best results from creatine. Luckily, this simple process is broken down into two separate phases.

Let’s look at these two phases:

Loading Phase

The first phase is known as the loading phase. During this, you must consume a higher-than-normal dosage to fill up your stores. You should consume 20-25 grams of creatine daily over five days to a week.

You don’t necessarily need to follow this phase; it is a recommendation that may allow you to see the benefits of creatine much faster than without the phase. Without it, you must wait longer until your creatine stores are full.

The primary issue with this creatine loading phase is that the higher dosage may lead to bloating and gastric distress. One way to avoid this issue is to take a smaller dosage, 10 grams daily over 15-20 days.

Maintenance Phase

You will enter the maintenance phase once the loading phase has concluded and your stores are full.

You should consume 3-5 grams of creatine daily to experience its benefits during this phase.

Related Questions

Conclusion

Even though creatine pills and powders offer similar health benefits, there are specific differences between the two that you should consider before buying them.

Your choice will ultimately come down to your preferences and lifestyle.