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CreGAAtine vs Creatine: what is the difference?

Updated: Aug 24

What is the difference between creatine and CreGAAtine?

Creatine and CreGAAtine are popular sports supplements, but when you compare CreGAAtine vs creatine - how does each one stack up? Read on to find out all about the difference between creatine and CreGAAtine, how they work in the body, the benefits of each and which one might be the best choice for you.


What is creatine?


Creatine is a substance that our bodies naturally produce. Since its discovery in 1927, it has become widely known for its key role in energy metabolism.


After being synthesised from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, it is stored in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine assists the transformation of ADP to ATP by donating a phosphate group.


This is important because during high-intensity exercise, ATP is essential as the main source of energy for muscle contraction. Additional ATP is formed in athletes who take creatine, which allows muscle contraction to be sustained longer during intense exercise. Creatine is an incredibly popular sports supplement - research suggests that the average creatine use among athletes ranges from 25% to 96% depending on the sport, with an overall average of 52%.


Learn more about creatine here.



What is CreGAAtine?


CregAAtine is a novel sport supplement, which provides more energy for intense exercise by increasing creatine stores in our muscles. This leads to increased workout capacity and better performance results due to the higher energy levels in your system.


CreGAAtine is made of creatine but also Guanidinoacetic Acid (GAA); a compound that occurs naturally in our bodies and is the direct precursor of creatine.


Whilst creatine has only one way to enter cells in the body, CreGAAtine has four, which hugely increases the desired energy boost.


Click here for more info on the science behind CreGAAtine.


Main differences between creatine and CreGAAtine


After learning about both creatine and CreGAAtine, it's crucial to distinguish the differences between them. This will allow you to determine which supplement is best suited for your fitness routine. Below, we put creatine against CreGAAtine and guide you through the comparison.


The short answer:


To summarise the advantages of CreGAAtine over creatine:

  • Less non-responders

  • Increased creatine muscle levels

  • Focus on less developed muscle groups

  • Moisture-protective packaging

  • Increased creatine levels in the brain

  • No excess weight gain

  • Natural appearance of muscles


The long answer:


Firstly, it is important to know that there are less non-responders (people who just don't get that desired effect) to CreGAAtine compared to creatine alone. This means that more people are able to benefit from increased performance when taking CreGAAtine. In addition to this, taking CreGAATine also leads to increased creatine muscle levels compared to just taking creatine. And the result are impressive. Over a four-week study, CreGAAtine supplementation led to 8.5 times more creatine in the musculoskeletal system compared to those just taking creatine alone!

CreGAAtine also helps to increase strength with a focus on less developed muscle groups. It increases muscle group strength by 20% compared to creatine-monohydrate. The special component of CreGAAtine - GAA - targets muscle groups with a lower strength level, which for most people are the muscles of the upper body.


Sold in a pharmaceutical grade triplex foil sachet, CreGAAtine supplements come in a single dose package designed to prevent moisture reaching the contents. You might not know this, but creatine actually degrades when exposed to moisture. Since it is traditionally stored in bulk, creatine can degrade by up to 50% over time.


CreGAAtine use is also associated with increased levels of creatine in the brain. This is great news for fitness enthusiast because research shows that increased creatine levels have a very positive effect on the brain. Increased levels of creatine in the brain are associated with improved cognitive function, which includes memory and mental clarity. One study found that creatine supplementation improved memory and reduced mental fatigue, and another found that it improved cognitive performance in individuals with a major depressive disorder. This certainly isn't a bad side effect to gain from your fitness supplement!


Finally, CreGAAtine does not lead to excess body weight linked to water retention unlike creatine alone. Muscles maintain a natural appearance as they are not ‘inflated’ with water (read more about this below).




Side effects


So is CreGGAtine too good to be true? Fortunately not.


When taken as a standalone supplement, creatine can result in muscles that have a balloon-like appearance. This is because it increases total body weight by water retention.


In contrast, CreGAAtine can help you to build lean muscle and get stronger without excess water retention or body weight gain. In fact, a randomised, double-blind trial showed that GAA-Creatine led to better outcomes in upper body muscular strength, despite participants also gaining less weight.

You will also be pleased to hear that there are no known safety concerns for either creatine or CreGAAtine use. Research that tracked creatine supplementation in healthy individuals over five years showed no adverse effects on blood pressure, kidney or liver function, or blood lipid profiles.


GAA-Creatine was also tested in a randomised double-blind trial, where no side effects were reported - both tissue choline levels and plasma homocysteine levels remained within the physiological range.


Looking to start a new supplement regime? Please note that it is always recommended to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new program; our content should not be considered medical advice.


Conclusion


CreGAAtine is the athlete’s upgrade to creatine. It allows you to push your limits on workout days, see faster progress and feel more energised.


If you want all the benefits of creatine with increased results, a specific target on your weaker areas, no excess weight gain and a product that doesn’t degrade, CreGAAtine is the choice for you.


Accelerate your fitness journey with CreGAAtine.



References

  1. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., ... & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z

  2. Semeredi S, Stajer V, Ostojic J, Vranes M, Ostojic SM. Guanidinoacetic acid with creatine compared with creatine alone for tissue creatine content, hyperhomocysteinemia, and exercise performance: A randomized, double-blind superiority trial. Nutrition. 2019;57:162-166. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2018.04.009

  3. 7. Semeredi, S., Stajer, V., Ostojic, J., Vranes, M., & Ostojic, S. M. (2019). Guanidinoacetic acid with creatine compared with creatine alone for tissue creatine content, hyperhomocysteinemia, and exercise performance: A randomized, double-blind superiority trial. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 57, 162–166. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2018.04.009

  4. Greenwood, M., Kreider, R. B., Melton, C., Rasmussen, C., & Lancaster, S. (2003). Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 13(4), 215-221.

  5. Galvan, E., Walker, D. K., Simbo, S. Y., Dalton, R., Levers, K., O'Connor, A., Goodenough, C., Barringer, N. D., Rasmussen, C., Greenwood, M., & Kreider, R. B. (2021). Prevalence of creatine supplementation among athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 36.

  6. Bazzano, L. A., Serdula, M. K., & Liu, S. (2017). Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and risk of cardiovascular disease. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 19(7), 34.

  7. Ostojic, S.M., 2020. Short‐term GAA loading: Responders versus nonresponders analysis. Food Science & Nutrition, 8(8), pp.4446-4448.

  8. Christie DL. Functional insights into the creatine transporter. Subcell Biochem. 2007;46:99-118. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-6486-9_6. PMID: 18652074.

  9. Van der Poel, A.F., Braun, U., Hendriks, W.H. and Bosch, G., 2019. Stability of creatine monohydrate and guanidinoacetic acid during manufacture (retorting and extrusion) and storage of dog foods. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 103(4), pp.1242-1250.

  10. Rae, C., Digney, A.L., McEwan, S.R., and Bates, T.C. (2003). Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double–blind, placebo–controlled, cross–over trial. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 270, 2147–2150.

  11. McMorris, T., Mielcarz, G., Harris, R.C., Swain, J.P., and Howard, A. (2007). Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. Psychopharmacology 201, 229–238.

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