How to Choose a Creatine Supplement

Creatine is sold in many forms in the United States: a 2022 review that ran one search of the US Amazon site found 204 products marketed as creatine. Tubs that look alike differ in the form, the creatine per serving, whether anyone independent checks the batch, and what the label may say. This guide sets out what to check before you buy, for adults. If you are under 18, pregnant or nursing, have kidney disease or take regular medicines, read the cautions near the end first.

The criteria come from named public sources: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and a 2022 review of creatine products. We do not rank products or rate brands. Amazon links on this page open searches built from the criteria, and you check each listing against its label.

Choose creatine monohydrate first

Creatine monohydrate has the longest research record. The ISSN's 2017 position stand calls it the most extensively studied and clinically effective form, and the 2022 review found no alternative form with current support for raising muscle creatine more than monohydrate. Our guide to creatine monohydrate and other forms sets out the comparison. A search for creatine monohydrate powder on Amazon (opens in a new tab) is a sensible start, but read the ingredient list to confirm the form.

Read the Supplement Facts panel

Federal rules fix the layout: a "Supplement Facts" panel with a serving size, servings per container and the amount by weight of each dietary ingredient (21 CFR 101.36). Creatine has no Daily Value, so its % Daily Value column shows a symbol meaning "Daily Value not established"; our guide to percent Daily Value explains that column. In practice:

• Divide the net weight by the serving weight to see how long a tub lasts at the label's daily serving.
• Check whether the gram figure sits beside "creatine" or "creatine monohydrate". Monohydrate carries a molecule of water, so about 88% of its weight is creatine (131.13 divided by 149.15, from the molar masses). A 5 g serving of monohydrate supplies roughly 4.4 g of creatine.
• Be wary of a "proprietary blend". The rule lets a company show only the blend's total weight, with ingredients listed from most to least, so one total does not tell you how much creatine a serving holds.

Powder, capsules or gummies

Powder is the usual format and is easy to portion. Capsules are convenient to carry; the label states how many make one serving, so compare creatine per serving, not the capsule strength on the front. Here is a search for creatine monohydrate capsules on Amazon (opens in a new tab). Gummies and ready-to-drink liquids are a different case, because creatine breaks down to creatinine in acidic liquids; our form guide covers them.

Plain or flavored

Unflavored powder often lists a single ingredient. Flavored products add sweeteners, flavors, acids, colors or sugar in the ingredient list below the panel. Our guides to sweeteners and natural flavors help with that. A search for unflavored creatine monohydrate on Amazon (opens in a new tab) narrows the results to plain powders.

Look for independent batch testing

USADA says dietary supplements are regulated in a post-market manner, that "you always assume some risk of testing positive for prohibited substances when you use supplements," and that none can be guaranteed 100 percent risk-free. It recommends products certified by a third-party program that tests for prohibited substances, and currently recognizes NSF Certified for Sport as the program best suited to reducing the risk. It does not itself certify or endorse any supplement.

Three programs are common on creatine tubs. NSF Certified for Sport says certification includes testing for 290 banned substances, label content confirmation, a formulation and label review and inspections of the production facility and suppliers, with ongoing monitoring. Informed Sport says every batch is tested before release, with further blind testing of retail samples. Informed Choice says at least twelve lots a year are tested at random and that it is not guaranteed that every batch has been tested. The 2022 review found that only 8% of the creatine products in its US sample advertised third-party certification. A logo lowers the risk of contamination; it does not remove it. Searches for creatine with NSF Certified for Sport on Amazon (opens in a new tab) or creatine with Informed Sport on Amazon (opens in a new tab) match words only, so confirm the logo on the pack and the lot on the scheme's website.

What "Creapure" does and does not tell you

Creapure is a registered trademark of Alzchem Trostberg GmbH for the creatine monohydrate it makes in Trostberg, Germany. Alzchem states a purity of 99.9% and says licensed packs carry a six-digit code you can check on its website; those are the manufacturer's own statements. Some authors of the ISSN papers we cite report ties to creatine makers, Alzchem among them. The name tells you who made the raw ingredient, not whether the finished batch was checked. Creapure creatine on Amazon (opens in a new tab) is a search for packs that name it.

Be wary of big claims on the tub or listing

For structure/function claims, US law has no list of approved wordings and no pre-approval. A company may make a structure/function claim, but it must notify FDA within 30 days of first marketing the product with it, hold substantiation that it is truthful and not misleading, and print in bold: "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." A claim that a supplement treats, cures or prevents a disease would make it an unapproved drug. The FTC separately requires "competent and reliable scientific evidence" for health claims. If a listing promises more, treat the seller with caution; the details are in our guide to what creatine does.

Two examples that meet these criteria

These are examples, not recommendations or a ranking, described in our words from each manufacturer's page. Pages change, so check the pack you receive.

• Thorne Creatine. The product page lists a single ingredient, creatine monohydrate, at 5 g a scoop and 90 servings per container, and describes the product as NSF Certified for Sport. Search Amazon for this product (opens in a new tab).
• Momentous Creatine Monohydrate. The page describes the product as pure creatine monohydrate and gives a 5 g scoop, 90 servings in a 15.8 oz (450 g) tub, and NSF Certified for Sport status. It says the company no longer sources its creatine from Creapure. Search Amazon for this product (opens in a new tab).

Both give the monohydrate weight, 5 g, so each scoop supplies roughly 4.4 g of creatine by the arithmetic above.

Who should speak to a doctor or pharmacist first

• Kidney disease. The ISSN position stand found no compelling evidence that creatine harms kidney function but, in an abundance of caution, suggests people with pre-existing kidney disease consult a physician. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) patient site says people with kidney problems should never take creatine supplements. Tell your clinician before blood tests, because creatine can affect creatinine readings.
• Pregnant or nursing. FDA advises talking to a doctor or pharmacist before using any supplement, and AAOS says pregnant or nursing women should never take creatine. A 2024 paper by ISSN members says there are no well-designed human trials of safety in pregnancy.
• Under 18. Experts differ: the ISSN accepts supervised use by young athletes in serious training, while AAOS says people under 18 should never take it. New York's Chapter 558 of 2023 bars sales to under-18s of supplements labeled, marketed or otherwise represented for weight loss or muscle building, which may cover a creatine product marketed for muscle (Thorne's creatine page carries a New York notice barring sales to under-18s). Ask a doctor first.
• Medicines or a diagnosed condition. FDA says certain supplements can change how a medicine is absorbed, metabolized or excreted. Bring a list of everything you take to appointments.

Buying online

FDA says it is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. Makers are responsible for evaluating safety and labeling, and FDA can act against adulterated or misbranded products once they are sold, which is why the label and the batch check matter. Look at who the seller is and whether the pack shows the brand and a lot number. If you think a supplement caused a serious reaction, FDA asks you to stop using it and file a report through its Safety Reporting Portal.

Where the links go

Links marked "on Amazon" or "Search Amazon" open an Amazon search for the words in the link. Amazon decides what appears, and results can include products that do not meet the criteria above, so check each listing against the label. The FTC says a financial connection should be disclosed; when these are paid links, our Amazon Associates statement appears above the article.

Read next

• What creatine does: the evidence and what a US label may say.
• How to take creatine: dose, loading and timing.
• Creatine monohydrate and other forms: what the evidence says.

Creatine is not protein. For protein in everyday foods, see our list of high-protein products.

The label on the pack in front of you is the authority on dose, ingredients and warnings, ahead of any article, this one included. If you have a health condition or take medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start.