Creatine monohydrate is the widely used form of creatine. It is known to power muscles enough energy for high-intensity exercise.
However, a newer form called creatine nitrate claims to offer something creatine monohydrate does not have.
I dived into reliable articles and experts to gather information about what creatine nitrate is, its difference from creatine monohydrate, and its uses and benefits, and more.
So let’s get right into it.
Quick Summary
- Creatine nitrate is a new form of creatine made up from the combination of dietary nitrates, and creatine.
- This new creatine formula improves endurance performance, and has a higher water solubility.
- Creatine nitrate is mostly used for athletic performance, and for gaining muscle mass.
What is Creatine Nitrate And How it Works?
Creatine nitrate is a new form of creatine made from putting together the benefits of creatine plus dietary nitrates. Let us break that up a bit.
Creatine
Creatine naturally occurs in our body and is made from amino acids. It helps muscles during high-intensity exercise.
When the supply of energy, in the form of ATP or adenosine triphosphate for these explosive movements, runs out, creatine converts to a chemical to create more ATP giving the muscle more power to work.
Our muscles store 95% of creatine while our brain, liver, and kidney have the other 5%.
We can get creatine from high-protein foods such as red meat and fish; however, supplementing with creatine provides a higher dose for our muscles.
Taking creatine is known to increase muscle strength and mass, improve exercise performance, and enhance overall body composition.
Nitrates
Nitrates are substances made from nitrogen and oxygen molecules found in our bodies and some vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and root vegetables.
Nitrates can convert to nitric oxide, which is a significant substance for maintaining overall health.
Nitric oxide helps widen the blood vessels, improve nutrient flow, and lower blood pressure.
It also helps more oxygenated blood to reach your heart to keep it healthy.
In short, a good supply of nitric oxide lowers the risk of illnesses such as heart diseases and diabetes.
Creatine and Nitrate Combined
Creatine plus dietary nitrate supplementation claims to have promising results.
Since nitrates in the form of nitric oxide give you a good supply of oxygenated blood, nitrate supplementation is found to decrease the amount of oxygen you use in exercise while still maintaining the lifting volume.
It improves your energy efficiency, helping you perform heavy resistance training for a longer period.
Creatine Nitrate vs Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate and creatine nitrate are the two most popular forms of creatine in the market.
Here is some information to decide which is better to use between the two.
Creatine Nitrate
- New formulation
- Has higher water solubility — easily dissolves in water
- Found to improve endurance performance
- Reduces loss of oxygen in exercise
Creatine Monohydrate
- Is a widely used creatine supplement
- Is the well-researched form of creatine
- Increases muscle mass and strength
- Regenerates supply of energy faster
- Number of researches claim as the best form of creatine
Creatine nitrate provides a small pump because of the addition of the nitrates, but the difference is minimal. Creatine monohydrate remains tough to beat because of its proven effectiveness.
“Certainly the nitrate component may enhance exercise performance, but the data, compared to monohydrate, is limited.”
– Jose Antonio, CEO, & Co-founder of International Society of Sports Nutrition
Another thing is that both forms of creatine have the same role to play in bodybuilding; although creatine nitrate has higher water solubility, research shows that our bodies can efficiently absorb creatine monohydrate, too.
Creatine monohydrate is also the widely used and well-researched creatine supplement.
Similar post: Creapure vs Creatine Monohydrate
2 Main Uses
Here are some of the uses of the supplement.
1. Athletic Performance
Creatine nitrate supplementation is found to help athletes sprint further, jump higher, and outlast competition because it provides bursts of speed and strength for these explosive movements.
Because nitrate helps decrease the loss of oxygen in the body, it also improves an athlete's energy efficiency.
Interestingly, in another study where individuals used creatine nitrate as a pre-workout supplement, clinical statistics showed increased motivation to train and work out.
2. Muscle Mass and Strength
Creatine nitrate is also found to make your muscles bulkier and heavier without the body fat and increase its strength. In a 28-day study of athletes taking the supplement, the analysis showed a significant increase in their lean mass.
Stronger muscles help you do more sprints, bench press, and other quick and explosive strength training. It also lowers the risk of injury and keeps your body weight healthy.
4 Major Benefits of Creatine Nitrate
Creatine nitrate is said to offer other results not found in creatine monohydrate. Here are some of them.
1. High Solubility
Creatine nitrate’s high solubility allows our bodies to absorb it better. It also means you can take a high concentration of creatine at a lower dose. So instead of the recommended 5 grams of creatine per day, it is advised to take half of its dose when using creatine nitrate.
2. Improves Oxygen Flow
Nitrates converting into nitric oxide significantly improves the overall health of an individual. It has a lot to do with its ability to widen the vessels allowing nutrients and oxygen to flow efficiently in our bodies. It results in a lower risk of diseases and health disorders.
3. Boosts Endurance
If you want to perform heavy exercises for an extended period and therefore grow bigger and stronger muscles, creatine nitrate supplements may do the job. Creatine can supply your muscle fibers with energy to perform high-intensity workouts at maximum.
4. Fights Fatigue
Like other creatine supplementation, creatine nitrate is known to help fight off fatigue. One study shows that creatine supplements help reduce fatigue among athletes who took the cycling test during the high heat.
Dosage and Side Effects
Taking a dose of creatine nitrate supplement at 1-3 grams is considered generally safe for a healthy person.
In one study, participants who took the supplement for 1-2 grams serving for 28 days reported no adverse effects [1].
Thus, it shows that creatine nitrate can be a safe alternative to creatine monohydrate.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (J Int Soc Sports Nutr.) supports that creatine nitrate is a safe supplement to use.
Participants of the said study took 3 grams of the supplement, and it was reported the same results to creatine monohydrate. And there were no safety concerns found.
But one should keep in mind that creatine monohydrate has the most science-back research compared to other forms.
Creatine supplementation is considered one of the safest and beneficial dietary supplementations for athletes and bodybuilders.
Some manufacturers recommend using it as a pre-workout and post-workout supplement.
However, it is found to be less beneficial for a low-intensity workout.
Although there are claims that creatine may cause kidney and liver problems, there is not yet research to prove these claims. Also, there are no known drug interactions with the supplement.
However, some individuals have mentioned minimal side effects, such as dizziness, heart skipping or palpitations, shortness of breath, nervousness, and blurred vision.
If you are prone to these side effects or are currently taking other dietary supplements, it is better to seek medical advice from your doctor.
FAQs
Does Creatine Nitrate Cause Weight Gain?
Creatine supplementation may cause weight gain because it increases the amount of lean tissue; however, it does not cause body fat buildup.
What Does Creatine Nitrate Do to Your Body?
There are several benefits of taking creatine nitrate supplements, such as boosting your muscle strength, increasing muscle mass, and enhancing exercise endurance. In addition, it is known to improve the overall exercise performance of athletes and bodybuilders.
Not only does it help with your bodybuilding goals, but it also has physiological benefits such as avoiding risks of heart disease and diabetes.
Are There Issues With Creatine Nitrate?
When healthy individuals take a dose of creatine nitrate at 2-3 grams daily, it is generally proven safe. However, there are reported adverse effects of creatine nitrate, such as dizziness and headache.
What Is the Difference Between Creatine Nitrate and Creatine Monohydrate?
Creatine nitrate and creatine monohydrate are the two most popular forms of creatine since they perform the same roles in improving exercise performance. However, creatine nitrate is a newer type of creatine, while creatine monohydrate is the most commonly used one.
Creatine monohydrate is considered the safest and best variety of creatine.
Will You Take Creatine Nitrate?
Combining creatine and dietary nitrates in one supplement claims promising results when taken in the right amount.
It may give a small pump for the muscles because of the nitrates and improve your exercise endurance.
If you want to improve your oxygen flow, increase muscle mass and strength, and fight off fatigue, then creatine and dietary nitrate supplementation may be for you.
Take it for weeks, and it will surely improve your overall health and gym experience.
Don’t forget to come back and tell us in the comment section how it worked for you.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27034623
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