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I've been on monohydrate at 5g/day for years and I've tried HCl and kre-alkalyn in the gaps. The fancy forms cost three times as much and gave me identical strength numbers. Buy the cheapest reputable monohydrate, skip the loading, take it daily.
The Most Evidence-Backed Supplement in Sports Science
Creatine monohydrate has been studied more extensively than almost any other supplement. Since the early 1990s, researchers have produced hundreds of trials confirming its safety and efficacy. The International Society of Sports Nutrition classifies it as one of the few supplements with a strong evidence base for both performance and health outcomes. If you only take one supplement, creatine is the logical choice — I've broken down the case for it in detail in my complete guide to creatine for men over 40.
The UK market is now saturated with forms that go beyond plain monohydrate: creatine HCl, buffered creatine, creatine ethyl ester, kre-alkalyn, and various "advanced" blends. Most of these cost significantly more. Very few offer any performance advantage. This article explains the evidence, cuts through the marketing, and identifies three reliable UK sources. For the dosing question specifically, my creatine loading vs maintenance guide is the companion piece.
Quick Verdict
MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate is the top pick. The scientific consensus favours monohydrate above all other forms, and MyProtein delivers pure, independently verifiable product at a cost per serving well under 10 pence. If you want the same result for slightly less per kilogram, Bulk Creatine Monohydrate is interchangeable. Optimum Nutrition Creatine suits anyone who prefers a well-known brand available on Amazon with next-day delivery.
Monohydrate vs HCl vs Other Forms
If you are specifically over 40 and want the age-relevant case for creatine, my creatine over 40 guide covers cognition, sarcopenia, and bone density on top of strength.
Creatine HCl is the most aggressively marketed alternative to monohydrate. Brands claim it absorbs better, requires a smaller dose, and causes less bloating. The reality is more prosaic. A 2012 study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements compared HCl and monohydrate directly and found no significant difference in muscle creatine retention at equivalent doses. The supposed superior solubility of HCl does not translate into meaningfully better uptake once creatine reaches the gut.
Creatine ethyl ester fared even worse. Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2009 found that ethyl ester was converted to creatinine (a waste product) before reaching muscle tissue, making it less effective than monohydrate, not more.
Buffered and kre-alkalyn forms are sold on the premise that reducing acidity improves stability. Independent testing has not confirmed any performance benefit over standard monohydrate.
Monohydrate has one additional advantage that is frequently overlooked: virtually every clinical trial establishing creatine's benefits used monohydrate. When Kreider et al. published their meta-analysis "The effects of creatine supplementation on muscle strength" in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2017, the evidence they examined came overwhelmingly from monohydrate trials. That study identified strength increases of around 15 per cent over eight weeks compared to placebo. No equivalent body of evidence exists for any other form.
Loading vs Non-Loading Protocol
The loading phase, typically 20g per day split across four doses for five to seven days, was popularised in early creatine research as a way to saturate muscle stores rapidly. Hultman et al., writing in Clinical Science in 1996, confirmed that loading does accelerate saturation but also demonstrated that the same endpoint is reached without loading: it simply takes longer, usually four to six weeks rather than one.
For most men, that distinction is irrelevant. If you are preparing for a competition or a specific training block starting in the next two weeks, a loading phase may be marginally useful. Otherwise, 3 to 5 grams daily is the practical protocol. There is no performance advantage to loading once stores are saturated, and loading can cause temporary gastrointestinal discomfort in some individuals.
Take your daily dose with a meal. The insulin response to carbohydrate and protein aids creatine transport into muscle cells — pairing it with a serving from your protein powder of choice is an easy way to handle both at once. Timing beyond that is flexible: morning, evening, or post-workout all produce the same long-term result. Consistency over weeks matters far more than the precise time of day.
Cognitive Benefits for Men Over 40
The muscle performance literature is well established. The cognitive research is newer but increasingly convincing. Ling et al., publishing in Nutrients in 2019, found that 5 grams of creatine daily showed measurable cognitive improvements in older adults, including better working memory and reduced mental fatigue. The mechanism is the same as in muscle: the brain uses phosphocreatine for ATP regeneration during demanding cognitive work, and higher creatine availability supports more efficient energy production.
For men over 40, this is a meaningful benefit. Cognitive demands from work, reduced sleep quality, and the natural decline in phosphocreatine metabolism that accompanies ageing all converge at a point where creatine offers a genuine functional advantage. Stack that with a sensible testosterone-supportive diet and a structured training plan built around progressive overload and you have the foundations sorted. The dose required is the same as for muscle performance: 3 to 5 grams daily, indefinitely.
Top 3 UK Creatine Supplements
1. MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate
Price: approximately £8.99 for 500g Form: Micronised powder Dose: 5g per serving (one level scoop) Cost per serving: approximately £0.09
MyProtein's creatine is pure monohydrate, micronised for cleaner mixing. It dissolves well in water and does not clump. At this price point, it is difficult to find better value for a product that delivers exactly what the research validates. No unnecessary additives, no proprietary blends, no marketing surcharge.
Buy MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate
2. Bulk Creatine Monohydrate
Price: approximately £7.99 for 500g Form: Micronised powder Dose: 5g per serving Cost per serving: approximately £0.08
Bulk's creatine is the same grade of micronised monohydrate as MyProtein at a slightly lower price. Quality is consistent and the company is transparent about ingredient sourcing. If cost per gram is the deciding factor, this is the pick. The only practical difference from MyProtein is the branding.
Buy Bulk Creatine Monohydrate
3. Optimum Nutrition Creatine
Price: approximately £14.99 for 300g Form: Powder Dose: 5g per serving Cost per serving: approximately £0.25
Optimum Nutrition is a familiar brand with reliable quality control. At a higher cost per serving than MyProtein or Bulk, the premium is for brand trust and Prime delivery speed rather than any ingredient difference. If you want creatine monohydrate available next-day on Amazon and are comfortable paying slightly more for convenience, ON is a solid choice.
Buy Optimum Nutrition Creatine on Amazon
Comparison Table
| Product | Form | Dose | Cost per Serving | Best For | |---------|------|------|-----------------|----------| | MyProtein Creatine Monohydrate | Micronised powder | 5g | ~£0.09 | Overall value | | Bulk Creatine Monohydrate | Micronised powder | 5g | ~£0.08 | Lowest cost per gram | | Optimum Nutrition Creatine | Powder | 5g | ~£0.25 | Convenience and brand familiarity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do a loading phase? No. Loading with 20g daily for five to seven days saturates muscle stores faster but produces the same long-term result as 3 to 5g daily. Research by Hultman et al. in 1996 confirmed that slower saturation without loading reaches the same endpoint, just over four to six weeks rather than one. Skip the loading if you want to avoid temporary digestive discomfort.
Will creatine make me look bloated? Creatine increases intramuscular water retention, meaning water is drawn into muscle cells, not beneath the skin. Muscles may appear slightly fuller or more pumped. Subcutaneous water retention, the kind that causes a puffy or bloated appearance, is not increased by creatine. Any initial weight gain of one to two kilograms reflects increased muscle hydration, which is a performance benefit rather than a cosmetic problem.
Should I cycle creatine? No. There is no established benefit to cycling creatine on and off. Your body does not downregulate creatine transporters significantly with continuous supplementation, and any concern about dependence is unsupported by the research. Indefinite daily supplementation at 3 to 5g is safe and optimal.
Does creatine cause hair loss? This concern originates from a single 2009 study in Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine involving rugby players, which found that creatine supplementation raised DHT levels relative to testosterone by approximately 56 per cent over a loading phase. DHT is associated with androgenic hair loss in men who are genetically predisposed. However, the absolute DHT values in that study remained within the normal physiological range, and no subsequent study has replicated significant DHT elevation or demonstrated a causal link to hair loss. Men with a strong family history of androgenic alopecia may choose to monitor the situation, but the evidence for creatine-induced hair loss is weak.
Is creatine HCl better than monohydrate? No. The evidence does not support this claim. Creatine HCl may dissolve more readily in water, which is a mixing convenience, but direct comparison studies have not found superior muscle creatine retention or performance outcomes. Monohydrate is supported by the larger body of clinical evidence, costs less, and delivers equivalent results.
What to Avoid
Several common claims in the creatine category do not hold up to scrutiny. Avoid products marketed primarily on the basis that HCl is superior to monohydrate: as the evidence above shows, monohydrate is at minimum equivalent and has far deeper clinical validation. Similarly, avoid brands that insist a loading phase is required for results: it is not, and brands that push loading do so to increase short-term product consumption rather than for your benefit.
The hair loss association, while not entirely dismissible for genetically susceptible men, should not be treated as settled science. A single study with no causal mechanism confirmed does not warrant avoiding the most studied and beneficial supplement in sports nutrition. Assess your individual situation and consult a GP if you have specific concerns.
Finally, avoid proprietary blends where the creatine dose is unspecified. Transparent labelling with a clearly stated dose of 3 to 5 grams is the baseline expectation from any reputable supplier.
Plain micronised monohydrate at 3-5g daily, taken with a meal, indefinitely. No loading needed, no cycling needed, no "advanced" form worth the markup. The cheapest reputable monohydrate on your shelf is the right one.
