Creatine monohydrate is a creatine molecule bound to a single molecule of water. By weight it is about 88% creatine, which is why a 5 g scoop delivers roughly 4.4 g of the active compound. It is produced synthetically from sarcosine and cyanamide, so it contains no animal ingredients, and it arrives as a fine white powder with a faint, slightly bitter taste.
What creatine monohydrate does
Once swallowed, it is absorbed almost completely into the bloodstream and taken up by muscle, where it is stored as phosphocreatine. That store is what lets muscle regenerate ATP within seconds during short, hard efforts, and it takes three to five minutes to fully recharge between them, which is why heavy sets need long rests. Supplementing can raise muscle creatine by around 30%.
Creatine occurs naturally only in animal flesh. Herring, salmon and beef are the richest sources; dairy contains almost none. A meat-eating diet supplies roughly a gram a day, and the body makes about another gram from amino acids. A tub of monohydrate simply tops up a compound you already make and eat.
Why monohydrate wins
Every few years a new form is marketed as better absorbed, gentler on the stomach or free of water retention. The claims are rarely tested, and when they are, monohydrate comes out level or ahead. Three points settle it:
- The evidence belongs to monohydrate. Strength, power, lean mass, recovery, cognition: almost every positive trial used it. Other forms borrow that evidence without having earned it.
- Absorption is already near complete. There is nothing for a "better absorbed" form to improve. Muscle saturation is the ceiling, and monohydrate reaches it.
- It is the cheapest by a wide margin. Hydrochloride, buffered and nitrate forms cost two to four times as much per gram of creatine delivered.
Creatine ethyl ester is the only form with direct evidence of being worse. It breaks down into creatinine in the gut and raised muscle creatine less than monohydrate in the trial that compared them.
Micronised vs standard monohydrate
Micronised creatine is ordinary monohydrate milled to a much smaller particle size, typically around twenty times finer. It is chemically identical. The practical differences are:
- It dissolves and suspends better, so there is less grit at the bottom of the glass.
- Some people find it easier on the stomach, probably because it clumps less.
- It usually costs a pound or two more per tub.
Either is fine. If you mix creatine into cold water, micronised is worth the small premium. Stirred into porridge, a hot drink or a shake, it makes no difference.
Purity and manufacturing
Good creatine monohydrate is 99.9% pure or better. The impurities of interest are dicyandiamide, dihydrotriazine and creatinine, all by-products of manufacturing. Reputable raw material keeps them at trace levels, and a certificate of analysis from the brand should show the numbers.
Almost all of the world's creatine raw material is made in a small number of large plants, most of them in China, and the best of it is excellent. German-made pharmaceutical-grade monohydrate has a long reputation for consistency and is often sold under a trademarked name at a premium. It is a reasonable choice if you want the extra assurance, but it does not work any better than a properly tested standard monohydrate. Testing beats origin.
Powder, capsules, gummies
Powder is the sensible default: cheapest per gram, easiest to dose, and stable for years if kept dry. Capsules contain the same compound but a 5 g dose means six to eight large capsules, which is why they cost several times more per serving; they earn their place when travelling.
Gummies are the fastest-growing format in the UK and the one to be most careful with. Creatine is unstable in the presence of heat and moisture, both of which are part of gummy manufacture, and it degrades into inactive creatinine. Independent laboratory testing of retail gummies has found a large proportion containing a fraction of the labelled creatine, and some containing none. A handful of makers have published their own trials and third-party results; if you want gummies, buy only from those.
Buying creatine monohydrate in the UK
You are buying a commodity, so buy it like one. Compare on these things:
- Ingredients list. It should say "creatine monohydrate" and nothing else. Flavoured versions are fine if you prefer them, but you pay for sweeteners you do not need.
- Price per 100 g. In 2026, £1.50 to £3.00 per 100 g is the normal range. 1 kg tubs are the best value and last most people six months or more.
- Testing. Informed Sport certification matters if you are drug-tested. For everyone else, a published certificate of analysis is a good sign that the brand takes quality seriously.
- Packaging. A tub with a proper seal beats a resealable pouch for keeping moisture out. Creatine is very stable when dry, so a big tub will not go off.
- Where you buy. Established UK supplement retailers, major supermarkets and large pharmacies all stock monohydrate. Be cautious with marketplace listings from unknown sellers, where counterfeits and under-dosed products are more common.
Once you have a tub, the how to take creatine guide covers dosing, timing and what to expect in the first month.
Questions
Yes. It is synthesised from sarcosine and cyanamide, neither of which comes from animals. Some brands carry a Vegan Society mark; the absence of one usually reflects certification cost rather than ingredients.
Dry powder keeps for years. The best-before date on UK packaging is typically two to three years from manufacture. Do not pre-mix it into water and store it, because creatine slowly converts to inactive creatinine in solution.
Only for mixing. It dissolves and suspends better in cold liquid and may be slightly gentler on the stomach. The active ingredient is identical and the results are the same.
Only if independently tested. Creatine degrades during gummy manufacture, and lab testing has found many retail gummies far below their labelled dose. Powder is cheaper, more stable and easier to dose accurately.