Efficacy of Alternative Forms of Creatine Supplementation on Improving Performance and Body Composition in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether alternative forms of creatine, including magnesium-creatine chelate, are effective ergogenic aids and whether they outperform creatine monohydrate.
Results Summary
The study found no consistent evidence of performance enhancement from alternative forms of creatine, including magnesium-creatine chelate, compared to placebo. Only three studies compared alternative forms to creatine monohydrate, making efficacy comparisons difficult.
Population
Healthy subjects
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Magnesium-creatine chelate | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #1 |
creatine citrate | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #2 |
creatine malate | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #3 |
creatine ethyl ester | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #4 |
creatine nitrate | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #5 |
creatine pyruvate | neutral | - | - | - | were the only forms researched | #6 |
alternative forms of creatine | no change | performance | - | no consistent findings | There were no consistent findings of performance enhancement | #7 |
creatine monohydrate (CrM) | neutral | efficacy, safety, and cost | consumer | - | remains as the most extensively studied form of creatine that shows efficacy, safety, and lowest cost | #8 |
Fazio, C, Elder, CL, and Harris, MM. Efficacy of alternative forms of creatine supplementation on improving performance and body composition in healthy subjects: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 36(9): 2663-2670, 2022-Novel forms of creatine have appeared in the marketplace with substantial claims of improved efficacy compared to creatine monohydrate (CrM). The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on alternative forms of creatine to determine (a) whether they are effective ergogenic aids and (b) whether they outperform CrM. A separate comparison was conducted to determine average cost of various forms of creatine. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar were systematically reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines. The design of the review was set to answer the PICOS model (subjects, interventions, comparators, outcomes, and study design). Seventeen randomized placebo controlled clinical trials examining exercise performance outcomes and body composition were included in the analysis. Magnesium-creatine chelate and creatine citrate, malate, ethyl ester, nitrate, and pyruvate were the only forms researched in the literature. Of these studies, only 3 studies compared the alternative creatine form to CrM, making it difficult to compare efficacy to CrM. There were no consistent findings of performance enhancement among alternative forms of creatine when compared to placebo. A review of the marketplace shows that CrM is the lowest cost form of creatine. Due to the paucity of studies on alternative forms of creatine as well as high prices on the market of these alternative forms, CrM remains as the most extensively studied form of creatine that shows efficacy, safety, and lowest cost to consumer.