Creatine HCl
What it is
A more water-soluble form of creatine marketed as requiring smaller doses than monohydrate. While it does dissolve better, no clinical trial has demonstrated it is more effective than plain creatine monohydrate, which remains the gold standard with hundreds of studies behind it. May cause less bloating in people sensitive to monohydrate. Significantly more expensive per effective dose. Choose monohydrate unless you have specific tolerance issues.
Dose
1.5–3 g/day; no evidence it outperforms creatine monohydrate at equivalent doses
Time of day & tips
Can be taken with water at any time — dissolves more easily than monohydrate. With or without food. Creatine monohydrate is preferred by most researchers and costs less.
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