Creatine HCL vs. Monohydrate

Before getting into what to mix with creatine, let’s quickly cover the purpose of this popular supplement. Creatine is a nutrient naturally produced by the body and found in the diet through meat. Most people maintain creatine stores at around 60-80% of their maximum capacity from consuming 1-2g creatine from a normal diet. By fully saturating the body’s creatine stores, there are significant benefits including increased high-intensity exercise performance, reduced fatigue, and better recovery. 

Saturating your creatine stores is most easily achieved through supplementing with 3-5g of creatine a day. Full saturation will occur within 2-4 weeks, at which point you can carry on taking the same amount of creatine everyday. Virtually all athletes will benefit from creatine supplementation. 

Also, although these are our recommendations for mixing creatine, it’s worth noting that this comes down to a matter of personal preference. While these tips will help creatine mix smoothly and be absorbed by the body better, they won’t make a major difference in the effects creatine has on you. 

So, what can you mix creatine with?

Before getting into what Creatine HCL is, keep in mind that it’s difficult to explain without mentioning Monohydrate. As you’ll see, HCL is a product of Monohydrate, so its effects are largely identical. The difference between Creatine Monohydrate and HCL are subtle – mainly solubility, and price – which we’ll be covering more in-depth down below. So, what is HCL Creatine?

Creatine HCL (or Hydrochloride) is created for example by using Creatine Monohydrate and Acetyl Chloride as reactants with ethanol as a solvent. It is designed to be more soluble than regular creatine monohydrate. It does appear that HCL is more soluble, being shown to be 38 times more soluble than Monohydrate, although this doesn’t appear to affect bioavailability. 

Because of its increased solubility, it was thought that somebody could potentially take less Creatine HCL to receive similar effects to Monohydrate. This could be useful for somebody who is looking to avoid some of the side effects associated with Creatine Monohydrate use, such as gastrointestinal issues. 

It’s worth noting that despite the difference in solubility, Creatine Hydrochloride vs Monohydrate appear to have nearly identical effects on performance. Despite this, Creatine HCL is significantly more expensive than Monohydrate. If someone is especially concerned about potential side effects of Monohydrate, Creatine HCL may be an effective, albeit more expensive, alternative.

The effective dose of Creatine HCL has not been researched as in-depth as the effective doses of Creatine Monohydrate. While you may assume you need to take less HCL for similar effects, current studies to this effect aren’t fully conclusive due to their small sample sizes and short time horizons. 

These 2 supplements appear to deliver nearly identical results. This is to be expected considering that Creatine HCL is derived from monohydrate, and does not necessarily include any additional ingredients that are known to boost performance. The main difference lies in the solubility of Creatine HCL, meaning you may be able to take less HCL to get the same effects of Monohydrate. However, HCL being significantly more expensive balances this out. In terms of effects on training, these 2 supplements can be considered the same.

Arguably the main difference between how the body uses these 2 supplements is the solubility. With Creatine HCL being more soluble than Creatine Monohydrate, it appears that you can take significantly less Creatine HCL to get the same effects. Although this may seem like a major pro, with Creatine HCL being much more expensive than Monohydrate, this doesn’t make much of a difference in the cost per serving.

One of the other reasons to consider HCL over Monohydrate is that there are supposedly less side effects with HCL. This likely has to do with HCL being more soluble, even though its bioavailability is most likely the same as monohydrate. Side effects of Monohydrate include reported increased water retention (which is actually a GOOD thing! - intracellular swelling is important for muscle growth) and stomach discomfort. It’s worth noting that these side effects are fairly mild, and most people taking Creatine Monohydrate either don’t experience them, or aren’t bothered by them.

A major difference between HCL and Monohydrate, and perhaps the main reason to go with Monohydrate is the price difference between the 2. Because HCL is more soluble, you likely only need to take about half as much per day to get the same results as Monohydrate. While this may seem like the more budget friendly option, HCL can be up to 3 times more expensive than Monohydrate. Although a larger amount of Monohydrate is needed, you will likely be paying much more for the equivalent amount of HCL.

Another factor to consider when deciding between Creatine HCl and Monohydrate is how much research has been done on the 2 supplements. While Creatine HCL appears to have some major pros over Monohydrate, it has been around for a much shorter time period. With significantly more research having been done on Creatine Monohydrate, you can be more confident you’re getting an effective, safe and high quality supplement with Monohydrate instead of HCL.

Creatine HCL and Creatine Monohydrate are very similar supplements that will deliver identical results. Overall, for most people Creatine Monohydrate will be the better choice because it is more budget friendly and has been researched for decades. With that being said, Creatine HCL benefits include reduced side effects. This means if someone is put off by the potential side effects of Monohydrate, but still wants all the benefits of Creatine, HCL is a viable second choice.

Almost all athletes can benefit from incorporating Creatine supplementation into their life. Not only does it improve exercise performance, it also helps with recovery and injury rehabilitation. 

For the vast majority of people, we recommend Monohydrate instead of HCL. This is because it is a more affordable and well-researched version supplement that delivers the same effects. There is one case where we may recommend HCL over Monohydrate, and that’s if you’ve tried Monohydrate and experienced some unpleasant side effects. If you’re still interested in the benefits of creatine, it may be worth trying HCL instead. 

Our pick for the best basic Creatine is Jacked Factory’s Creatine Monohydrate. There’s nothing fancy about this product, but it is absolutely an effective, high-quality Creatine Monohydrate supplement. 

At 5g per serving, Jacked Factory offers the recommended daily amount of creatine so you’re getting an effective dose in each scoop. It also promises great mixability, being able to be used with any liquid, or combined with other supplements such as pre-workout.

One of the main benefits of Jacked Factory’s product is its affordability, with each serving of their creatine only being around $0.41. Especially with Creatine being taken daily, price should play a major role in which product you decide to buy. 

Overall, if you’re looking for an excellent, basic Creatine Monohydrate supplement, Jacked Factory is one of your best options. 

If Jacked Factory is too simple for you and you’re looking for a creatine supplement with a few more bells and whistles, then we recommend Transparent Labs Creatine HMB supplement. 

Just like Jacked Factory, Transparent Labs offers 5g of Creatine Monohydrate per serving, giving you an optimal dose with each scoop. One of the ingredients in this product is HMB. While some studies show HMB to improve strength and lean body mass when used alongside resistance training, other studies show that it has no real effects on performance. 

A more science-backed ingredient found in this supplement is Vitamin D. Transparent Labs also features a solid 63% of your daily Vitamin D, which helps with bone health, muscular strength, and disease prevention. 

Transparent Labs’ Creatine HMB is also one of the few creatine supplements on the market that comes with flavored options. There are a solid 11 options to choose from including blue raspberry, orange, and fruit punch. Keep in mind that at around $1.50 per serving, it is more than 3 times as expensive as Jacked Factory. The main downside here is the fact that HMB likely won’t have a major effect, and the price. 

If you want a more deluxe Creatine supplement, this is a fantastic alternative to a more basic Monohydrate. While the inclusion of HMB may be debatable, the extra Vitamin D, as well as all the different flavor choices still make this a great overall supplement.

Overall, Creatine and HCL are very similar products that deliver similar effects. The main differences between the 2 supplements lies in their solubility, cost, and the research done on them. While the benefits of Creatine are undeniable, it doesn’t appear there’s much of a reason to go with HCL over Monohydrate. If you’re looking for a basic, high-quality Creatine Monohydrate supplement, we recommend Jacked Factory Creatine Monohydrate. However, if you want a more deluxe Monohydrate, we recommend Transparent Labs Creatine HMB instead. 

Let us know if you’ve tried Creatine HCL and Creatine Monohydrate, and what your thoughts on the 2 supplements are! We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

References:

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• Javier Sanchez-Martinez, Alejandro Santos-Lozano, Antonio Garcia-Hermoso, Kabir P Sadarangani, Carlos Cristi-Montero, "Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplementation on strength and body composition in trained and competitive athletes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29249685/ (accessed Jul, 2018), 21(7):727-735.
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