Creatine Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder (powder) 1200 g

In the sports nutrition market, Micronized Creatine Powder is considered the most popular nutritional supplement. Creatine monohydrate is designed to increase the strength of athletes. In modern bodybuilding, this is the most effective remedy, taking which athletes begin to noticeably progress in increasing muscle volume. The nutritional supplement is not capable of harming the athlete’s health, since it is a natural product. Available in the form of a white powder, which helps to significantly increase the volume of muscle tissue.

Creatine is a substance that a person needs just like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It is concentrated in muscle tissue and supports energy metabolism. Therefore, a person should regularly obtain such a natural substance from food. Creatine, although not in large quantities, is synthesized by the human body. In addition, the body obtains it from foods such as meat and fish, but it is not enough for bodybuilders, although this level of creatine in the body is sufficient for the average person. Constant and intense training requires more creatine, and this is only permissible if it is obtained from the outside. As for Micronized Creatine Powder, this is the most popular source of creatine today.

How to take Creatine Powder correctly

One serving teaspoon contains 5 grams of pure creatine monohydrate. As a result of research, it has been established that more than 5 grams of creatine at one time is not absorbed by the body. In this regard, increasing the amount of creatine simply does not make sense. Take 1 serving of creatine monohydrate every day. On training days, it is taken half an hour after training, and on days free from sports, in the morning. The powder dissolves in water or juice. After consuming it, it is recommended to eat regular carbohydrates (sweets), which promote the production of insulin, which will quickly deliver creatine to muscle tissue. In this case, insulin acts as a transport substance.

The manufacturer recommends not taking creatine constantly, but in courses. When using a nutritional supplement for 1-2 months, it is advisable to take a break of the same duration. Most athletes combine creatine intake with other nutritional supplements, which only increases the effect of taking it. As a rule, such an approach to sports nutrition costs a lot of money. Therefore, not every athlete can afford this.

What's the end result? During the first month of using Optimum Nutrition creatine, I gained about 3 kg in weight (without increasing the percentage of fat), my strength increased, but their increase was not as noticeable as the increase in mass, and it fell within the framework of normal progress, which was, perhaps, a percent 50-60% could have been achieved at that time without the use of creatine.

Then I noticed that the increase in muscle mass with Optimum creatine in terms of quality happened in a rather unique way, not as usual. Now I understand that the problem was that fluid retention occurred in the muscles, and at that moment I was just a little surprised at their unusual fullness, which I had never noticed in myself before. I emphasize that we were talking about water retention specifically in the muscles, under the skin and anywhere else there was no water retention that would lead to a swollen appearance.

I then took Optimum Nutrition creatine according to all the classic rules, previously read in reviews and articles, with carbohydrates, with a loading phase, etc.

Approximately 2-3 weeks after the end of the intake, water began to gradually leave the muscles, fullness began to decrease along with a decrease in volume and total body weight. 2 months after finishing taking the 3 kg I gained with Optimum creatine, I lost about half.

Be that as it may, I then recognized Optimum creatine as a suitable, working drug, and, in principle, the only product from all sports nutrition, from which you get a clearly noticeable effect, which absolutely cannot be attributed to something else. The rollback was certainly upsetting, but any measures taken to build muscle mass give an inconsistent effect with a tendency to roll back after withdrawal. And it doesn’t matter whether it concerns training, sports nutrition, pharmacology, or anything else: as long as you work on the muscles, they grow. The impact stops - the muscles tend to return to their normal, “non-athletic” size. And Optimum creatine was no exception.

For myself, I decided that creatine is perfect for providing additional stimulation of volume growth a month before the moment when it is important to demonstrate this volume (in my case, peak mass with Optimum creatine occurred exactly in the fourth week of taking it).

It must be said that relative to the modern version - Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatin Powder - this creatine differed primarily in the appearance of the packaging. She looked something like the one shown in the photo on the left. The manufacturer company itself was not yet very well known at that time, and most reviews about Optimum Nutrition were of the “cheap, but quite high quality” variety. And indeed, at that time, Optimum Nutrition Creatine was almost the cheapest imported creatine that came to my attention. Just a few years later, Optimum became a leader, changed the packaging design to what we are used to now, and began to raise the price tag. And then they dumped and made a name for themselves.

Because all this was a long time ago, I can’t say with confidence whether Optimum Nutrition then used its Creapure brand for their creatine and whether the creatine was micronized, as it is now. Be that as it may, the product left a positive impression and determined my personal attitude towards all other creatine as a truly effective supplement.

Many years have passed, during which time several other brands have been tried, but last year, after a break from using creatine for about three years, I decided to return to Optimum Nutrition Creatine Powder. Remembering my good impressions from the first experience, I decided not to waste time on trifles, and immediately took a 1.2 kg jar (this also gives very good savings in terms of 100 grams). In fact, the manufacturer had and had economical 2kg cans, but it was already too much, I couldn’t handle that much in 2 years☺.

So here is my review of Optimum Nutrition Creatine (New Generation☺):

Composition of creatine Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder:

The product consists of pure creatine monohydrate. It would seem that there is nothing to add to this, but it is important to mention the following:

• We are talking about micronized (finely dispersed) creatine (the particles are very finely crushed, which facilitates dissolution and absorption, creatine does not settle into sediment longer). However, micronization of creatine will not surprise anyone now.
• Creapure brand creatine monohydrate is used - one of the highest quality available on the market. Creapure is a trademark of the German company AlzChem Trostberg GmbH and is produced by the same company. In the case of the product described in this review, Optimum Nutrition's role was reduced to packaging Creapure in cans and building a sales system. There are many sports nutrition manufacturers who do the same thing with Creapure. In this case, the reputation of Optimum Nutrition as one of the market leaders allows you to be sure that it is Creapure that is in the jar, and not a cheap Chinese analogue. Why is this so important? Because not all types of creatine monohydrate have the same degree of chemical purity. Creapure has a purity of over 99.95%. Cheap types (and I don’t mean here the deliberate “thinning” of creatine monohydrate with cheaper substances) may have 5% or more impurities, such as creatinine, dicyandiamide and other chemicals harmful to the body, which are by-products of chemical reactions in low-quality creatine production process.

The Optimum creatine jar is not equipped with a measuring spoon; the product is dosed simply with a teaspoon. 1 heaped teaspoon = 5 grams of creatine = 1 serving.

Optimum Nutrition creatine prices:

Optimum Nutrition has a wide range of Creatine Powder grams. Traditionally, the larger the package, the cheaper the product per unit weight. Below you can see the line of grams, and by following the links you can see the current prices in the iherb online store (lower than domestic prices):

• 150 gr
• 300 gr
• 600 gr
• 1 200 g
• 2,000 gr

In general, you can find Creapure from other manufacturers cheaper; Optimum Nutrition raises its prices a little, being one of the leaders in the sports nutrition market. But the difference is not very big. It would be wrong to compare the price of Creapure with creatine monohydrate of unknown origin.

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatin Powder Flavor:

There are flavored creatine monohydrates on the market, but they are rare, and Optimum Nutrition Creatine is not one of them. As is typical for creatine monohydrate, it has no taste or aftertaste. However, it is more pleasant to drink it as part of a sweetened drink (this is considered not only more tasty, but also a more effective option, giving better absorption of creatine).

Solubility of Optimum Creatine Powder:

As is typical for any creatine monohydrate, Optimum Creatine shows signs of normal dissolution (it is important to take a sufficient amount of water - for each gram of creatine there should be at least 100 ml), however, a significant part of it does not actually dissolve, but simply turns into a state of suspension that is not noticeable at first, which , if you let the solution stand, it will settle to the bottom. Therefore, when you drink Optimum Creatine Powder, the shaker will need to be shaken periodically. The undissolved sediment from the bottom, when it gets on your teeth, will squeak, but not like sand - we can say that the creaking will be pleasant.

Efficacy of Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatin Powder:

Everything that I wrote above in terms of effectiveness about the old version of Optimum creatine, I can say about its current version. I can add that the product, like all other types of creatine monohydrate, did not cause me any problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Since my jar is large, it was enough for several monthly courses of treatment. During one of them, having read the latest trends, I decided to abandon the loading phase, simply drinking creatine for a month, 5 grams per day. I can say that this option seemed to me less effective than the classic scheme with a 5-day load.

And here is the intake regimen recommended by Optimum Nutrition on a can of Micronized Creatin Powder:

• Loading phase (4-5 days) – a heaping teaspoon in the morning, at lunch, at dinner and before bed
• Maintenance phase – one heaped teaspoon with a meal or immediately after training with a post-workout protein shake
• It is recommended to consume simple carbohydrates along with creatine and drink at least 8 glasses of water per day

Summary of the Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatin Powder review:

The purest micronized creatine monohydrate from the German brand Creapure, packaged by the leader in the sports nutrition industry, Optimum Nutrition. Proven high efficiency, the product consistently and deservedly ranks among the top three in the ranking of creatine sales on the global sports nutrition market. If you wish, you can find a price slightly lower for creatine monohydrate of similar quality (Creapure) than for Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatin Powder.

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Main properties of creatine

• an increase in strength indicators, which also leads to an increase in muscle mass,
• acceleration of the recovery process,
• decrease in the total amount of cholesterol in plasma.

Other ingredients: none.

Other ingredients: citric acid (acidity regulator), flavoring (identical to natural), sweetener sucralose, food coloring.

How does creatine micronized work?

Creatine monohydrate plays an important role in energy metabolism processes occurring in muscle and nerve cells.

In the body, creatine is converted into creatine phosphate, which accelerates the regeneration of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which serves as the main source of energy for numerous biochemical processes in the body.

It has been scientifically proven that increasing the reserves of creatine phosphate in the body, thanks to the intake of creatine monohydrate, leads to an increase in the energy potential of the muscles, which allows you to train with greater weights and intensity.

Increasing anaerobic endurance is important not only in strength training, but also in all sports that involve sudden strong jerks and short-term ultra-intense efforts (sprints, some types of high-intensity fitness training, etc.).

Higher volume training accelerates muscle gain and strength gains. Creatine micronized creatine prevents the release of lactic acid, suppresses inflammatory processes in the muscles, allowing you to recover faster and return to training.

By supporting the secretion of hormones such as somatotropin and testosterone, which have an anabolic effect, creatine helps increase strength and lean muscle mass. By inhibiting myostatin, which inhibits muscle growth, creatine also promotes muscle hypertrophy. The heart is also a muscle, so supplementing with creatine has a beneficial effect on the health of the cardiovascular system.

Main properties of creatine:

• an increase in strength indicators, which also leads to an increase in muscle mass,
• acceleration of the recovery process,
• decrease in the total amount of cholesterol in plasma.

Other functions of creatine include protecting the nervous system, improving muscle definition, etc.

Micronized creatine dissolves better and has a very low likelihood of side effects.

Reviews from athletes about creatine

Another feature of this supplement is that it is almost always a “working” product. You are unlikely to find many negative reviews about taking creatine. To prove these words, we offer you reviews from athletes about creatine monohydrate, their opinions about this sports nutrition and the effect it gives.

“I tried creatine for the first time in preparation for a bench press competition. There was little time left, and it was necessary to increase strength indicators. It wouldn't hurt to pick up some meat. The trainer advised me to take creatine. A week after I started taking it (I took it with the loading phase), the scales showed 2 kg more. With the increase in mass, the strength indicators also increased. The maximum in the bench press was updated by 5 kg. A month later there was a competition, and there I showed an excellent result. I took a prize, and I think it was creatine that helped me with this.”

“The effect of creatine was visible almost immediately. The muscles became more rounded, even my friends noticed it. Strength indicators have increased. The trainer said that it was just water that was retained and that after finishing the course it would all go away. However, a month after finishing taking it, I did not notice a significant decline in strength and mass. I practically saved the 5 kg I gained on creatine in a month. This means that the coach was not entirely right, but the supplement really works.”

“At first I didn’t notice anything significant from taking creatine. Even the general condition itself somehow worsened, bruises appeared under the eyes. I began to study this issue in more detail and realized that I was simply dehydrated. This, of course, is an indicator that the supplement is working, but this is not the way to start things off. I started drinking more fluids and felt changes. The muscles have become fuller and more voluminous, strength has increased, but I’m generally silent about endurance.”

“Before, I used only gainer as a sports drink, and creatine became something new for me. First, I studied the reviews about creatine, and only then purchased it with confidence at the nearest specialty store. I felt that same “new” almost immediately. In the first 6 days I loaded 20 g per day, and after a couple of weeks I finally saw decent muscle definition. I'm an ectomorph and it's quite difficult for me to gain weight, but with creatine I literally broke through. Everything grew: muscles, strength, and endurance. I only finished drinking when the can ran out. Now I’m sitting and thinking about taking more.”

The two most popular creatines according to reviews

Almost all creatine on the sports nutrition market today works. However, out of all the variety and judging by the reviews, two products stand out, both from Optimum Nutrition. This:

• ON Creatine 2500 caps
• ON Creatine Powder

Let's take a closer look at them to find out exactly why they stand out from the crowd.

ON Creatine 2500 caps

This creatine, reviews of which indicate its superiority over other manufacturers, is the purest creatine monohydrate. There is nothing superfluous in it, only the active substance itself, enclosed in capsules that instantly dissolve in the stomach.

Many people note the convenience of this form of creatine. You can take the capsules with you and quickly take them, which cannot be said about the powder form. It is unlikely that you will carry around a jar of creatine or white powder in a bag (people will not understand).

The portability of this product is also at the highest level. As for effectiveness, we have not noticed a single review that would indicate the uselessness of this supplement. The manufacturer offers consumers jars containing from 100 to 300 capsules. One capsule contains 2.5 g of creatine monohydrate.

You can read reviews of Creatine 2500 Caps here.

ON Creatine Powder

This product is a micronized form of creatine monohydrate. In other words, it is still the same 100% pure product, but in the most crushed form. Thanks to this processing, micronized creatine particles are quickly absorbed and dissolved. Hence the absence of any side effects, including from the digestive system.

ON Creatine Powder, judging by reviews, gives an increase in muscle mass of 4-5 kg ​​per month. It can be taken with or without a loading phase. In any case, the effect of creatine from Optimum Nutrtition will be extremely positive. On the Russian market you can find cans from 150g to 2 kg.

You can read reviews of ON Creatine Powder here.

In fact, you are unlikely to find negative reviews about the use of creatine, and if you do, then most likely these people simply do not know how to use this supplement. Creatine is the simplest and always working product! You can order creatine and test it for yourself!