Creatine HCL

What is Creatine HCL?

Creatine HCL stands for creatine hydrochloride. Hydrochlorides are salts constructed by attaching an HCL group to the parent molecule of an amine. They are characterized by very good water solubility and high bioavailability in the human organism. Many drugs are hydrochlorinated after their development in order to improve their efficacy as a drug. 

In 2003, just one year after the market launch of Kre-Alkalyn, the pharmaceutical company Vireo Systems began developing a new creatine form. This was based on the desire to improve the poor water solubility of creatine monohydrate, in order to be able to show off on the market with an optimized powder product. (Kre-Alkalyn was only sold in capsule form at the time.) In 2009, Vireo Systems finally filed a patent application for Creatine HCL. The new creatine form was then popularized by the product CON CRET®, which supplement manufacturer Promera Sports launched with Vireo Systems' approval. In 2017, Vireo Systems finally acquired Promera Sports and from then on sold CON CRET® under its own brand umbrella.

What makes Creatine HCL stand out? 

So what are the specific benefits of Creatine HCL? First, it is indeed more soluble than creatine monohydrate - this has been proven by studies (e.g. Donald W. Miller [2009]: "Oral Bioavailability of Creatine Supplements: Is There Room for Improvement?"). It follows that creatine HCL also has better bioavailability than creatine monohydrate, because better water solubility also means better or faster absorption. Because less creatine is therefore "lost" through chemical decomposition in the stomach, supplementation with creatine HCL - similar to supplementation with Kre-Alkalyn - can be worked with smaller doses (compared to creatine monohydrate). Advantage: the likelihood of side effects, such as nausea, bloating or vomiting, is significantly reduced. Creatine HCL thus has more or less the same advantages as Kre-Alkalyn: it is better absorbed and accordingly better tolerated than other forms of creatine. However, it is also more expensive than other creatine forms (analogous to Kre-Alkalyn). Another disadvantage of Creatine HCL is that it tastes somewhat salty due to the HCL molecule group. Those who want to take Creatine HCL only with water - and not with fruit juice or with a protein drink - must therefore be prepared for a taste experience that takes some getting used to.

Accelerated fat loss through creatine HCL? 

Moreover, a field trial with creatine HCL from 2015, which was reported in the journal "Food and Nutrition Sciences", is remarkable: The trial compared the effect of creatine monohydrate with that of creatine HCL; the subjects were all recreational weightlifters. It was found that both forms of creatine produced increases in strength as expected, but that creatine HCL also resulted in a slight reduction in fat. However, it is not possible to say exactly to what extent this field trial is meaningful, because the trial design had shortcomings with regard to the control of food intake. However, athletes interested in body recomposition should give the "salted" creatine a chance and support their transformation by creatine HCL supplementation. It certainly won't do any harm.

Intake 

Those who want to try creatine hydrochloride should plan on a daily dose of 3 grams - significantly less than the 5 to 7 grams recommended for creatine monohydrate. Usually, creatine HCL powder products also come with an appropriately sized measuring spoon (scoop). For capsule products, the dosage recommendation is the same. (For example, for the Revange Nutrition Creatine HCL 120 Caps product, it is recommended to take 2 to 3 capsules daily. Since each capsule contains 1,000 mg, the total daily dose is also 3 grams). Creatine HCL in capsule form does not work better or worse than Creatine HCL in powder form, but it is more convenient to take. And because the capsules are swallowed (and not chewed), creatine HCL capsules also do not have the salty HCL taste. 

Conclusion: Who should buy creatine HCL? 

Creatine HCL or creatine HCL is the right supplement for athletes who appreciate the positive effects of creatine (increase in strength, generally more power in training), but have a sensitive stomach and are prone to digestive problems. Because: Creatine is considered a supplement with very few side effects; however, intolerance symptoms are not that rare - especially when large amounts of powder (>15 g) are taken during a loading phase. Since creatine HCL works gram for gram about twice as effectively as creatine monohydrate, the occurrence of side effects with creatine HCL supplementation with correspondingly low doses is very unlikely. However, a higher price must be accepted for this: Creatine HCL products such as EVERBUILD Creatine HCL 3000 and even more so capsule products such as Weider Creatine HCL 150 Caps come at a higher cost than normal creatine monohydrate - even taking into account the better effectiveness. 

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