Update: What About Creatine Gummies?

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Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the world but is often one of the most misunderstood. Experts in the fitness community generally agree that creatine supplementation can be a safe and effective way to increase athletic performance, muscle growth and even brain health.

In this post I'll provide links to helpful information from credible industry experts so you can decide what's right for you. I personally use creatine and have found it to be effective alongside a consistent training program, sound diet and adequate rest and recovery. 

What is creatine? 

For those who want to geek out on the science, check out this article, All About Creatine, from the experts at Precision Nutrition. As the article states, "Creatine is an amino acid derivative constructed from arginine, glycine and methionine. It is produced naturally by the body in the kidneys, liver, and pancreas at a rate of about 1-2 grams/day. Creatine can also be obtained from food (particularly red meat) and supplementation. The uptake of creatine into muscle cells is an active process. 90-95% of creatine in the body is found in muscle. Creatine is degraded into creatinine and excreted in the urine at a rate of around 2 grams/day."

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Ok, ok... Here's what you need to know. Creatine is naturally occurring in the body and in food. It's job is to take energy stored in food and transfer it to energy our bodies can use to do work (i.e. lift more weight, do more reps, run faster, etc.) 

So it must be like a steroid or something only meatheads or performance athletes use, right? Wrong. A little known fact is that our brains use it too. So supplementation can improve thought and brain processes. Want to get even more into the nutty gritty? Checkout this scientific review from Examine.com. And this list of Precision Nutrition Approved Nutritional Supplements. And I highly recommend listening to this fantastic Whoop podcast which includes a fascinating discussion of the latest protocols and benefits of creatine supplementation featuring Dr. Darren Candow, Professor and Director of the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory at the University of Regina, Canada.

Key points

For those short on time, here are the key takeaways (directly from All About Creatine).

If you decide to use a creatine supplement:

  • Use the monohydrate form

  • Consume 3-5 grams of creatine per day

  • Dissolve the creatine in a warm beverage like green tea

  • You can also take your creatine before and/or after workout sessions with your workout nutrition

  • Take a break from creatine supplementation after using for 12-16 weeks

Update 10/30/2025: What About Creatine Gummies?

I’ve written about creatine multiple times over the years. Its effectiveness for muscle growth is one of the few things every health expert agrees on. It’s one of the most studied and acknowledged supplements in the world. And as noted in my original post above from February 2024 it’s now linked to additional benefits beyond building muscle including athletic performance and brain health. 

For the longest time the only way to take creatine was in powder form mixed with liquid. In the past several years a flood of gummy creatine products have hit the market. I have to admit, the gummies are MUCH easier and tastier than the old school shaker bottle method. But the supplement market is challenging to understand and is poorly regulated. 

Some folks worry about added sugar in the gummies and question their effectiveness versus traditional powder. So when this study in June 2025 of a small number of products looked at how much creatine you actually get with powder versus gummies the powders definitely won. It found some of the gummies had close to zero creatine at all. This article in Pump Club’s newsletter did a good job of summarizing the “Creatine Gummy Scandal” (a bit of an overstatement LOL). Keep in mind, Pump Club has a relationship with a gummy maker.  

TLDR: Powders are probably better than gummies. But there are some decent gummies on the market. So if getting the right dose of high quality creatine is important to you, you might want to stick with powder and/or do some research on testing to make sure the product you pick has validated results (such as NSF Certification). I personally take a high quality gummy because it’s just so convenient compared to mixing a powder and dealing with shaker bottle cleaning.