Finding the Best Vegan Creatine Monohydrate Supplement Online

Sam Richards
Authored by Sam Richards
Posted Saturday, December 7, 2019 - 5:27am

Every seasoned gym-goer knows it: creatine is a huge game-changer. By improving muscle contraction, it can bring faster gains in muscle strength and mass.

Creatine, however, is abundant only in animal source foods. Vegan strength athletes and bodybuilders have to supplement this crucial ingredient.

Our guide will help you pick the best vegan creatine supplement.

What Is Creatine and How Does It Work?

Creatine is a natural compound that is vital to the production of energy by the body. Without an ample supply of creatine, the body can't produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. And without ATP, the body can't have the energy the muscles need for contractions and the brain requires for performance.

Because creatine is so instrumental, the body is capable of making some creatine in the liver. The rest of creatine, however, comes from protein-rich animal source foods, such as meat and fish. But as you can tell, consuming such foods is unacceptable for those who stick to a vegan diet.

That's where vegan creatine supplements can be helpful.

Key Benefits of Taking Creatine Supplements for Vegans

Creatine supplements benefit vegans and non-vegans alike in a number of ways:

  • Increased strength and endurance When supplemented, creatine has shown to boost strength and anaerobic endurance during high-intensity activities, like lifting and sprinting says the LVN site. It has also proven to stimulate faster gains in muscle strength.
  • Faster muscle building Gains in strength and muscle mass go hand in hand. And as creatine boosts strength, it makes training more conducive to quicker muscle adaptations. Besides this, creatine can promote muscle growth through other factors.
  • Easier muscle mass maintenance One of the curious abilities of creatine is to hold off muscle mass loss. This makes it an effective tool in maintaining muscle mass during the periods of no training or poor nutrition.
  • Improved mental performance As some research suggests, supplementing creatine can help decrease the impact of poor sleep on cognition. Creatine can boost memory, intelligence, and other aspects of mental performance.

As you see, there's a lot to gain from taking creatine supplements. Not all creatine supplements are equally effective, though.

How to Spot the Best Vegan Creatine Supplement

Top-quality vegan-friendly creatine supplements share these key features in common:

  • No animal source components Creatine supplements are manufactured synthetically from animal-free sources. Some creatine supplements, however, may use gelatin as an ingredient.
  • Micronized powder Best creatine supplements deliver creatine in micronized powder. Being easier to dissolve in water, such creatine powders are a lot less hassle to use.
  • High level of purity Contamination by heavy metals and other toxic compounds plagues many creatine supplements. You'll be wise to opt for the brands that ensure high purity of their creatine supplements.
  • Creatine monohydrate There are several types of creatine available on the market. But to this day, creatine monohydrate is the most well-researched and hence the safest to use.

Creatine supplements that meet these criteria are among the best out there. But even the best supplement won't deliver if you use it wrong.

How to Make Full Use of Creatine Supplements

Avoid these common pitfalls when using creatine supplements:

  • Not drinking enough water For creatine to work, you must be well-hydrated. Otherwise, your creatine supplement won't work and you'll end up becoming even more dehydrated.
  • Drinking caffeine Some evidence suggests that caffeine may inhibit the strength-boosting effects of creatine.
  • Trying to load creatine Creatine doesn't require any loading schemes to work. And consuming creatine in excess may have toxic effects on the body.
  • Spiking insulin Contrary to the common misconception, you don't need to spike your insulin for creatine to absorb.

Keeping these in mind will ensure your creatine supplement works.

Some of the Best Creatine Supplements to Try

There's no shortage of creatine supplements on the market to choose from but if you need a few suggestions, you can check these brands:

  • Optimum Nutrition.
  • Transparent Labs.
  • BulkSupplements.
  • Battle Ready Fuel.
  • The Genius Brand.

FAQs

Can You Do Without Creatine as a Vegan?

Vegans who don't exercise don't need a lot of creatine. But if you're a vegan athlete, your body needs a solid reserve of creatine. Same goes for vegans who want their mental performance to stay top-notch.

How Much Creatine Does a Vegan Athlete Need?

Taking 3 to 5 mg of creatine per day will get the job done. Stick to the manufacturer's dosing guidelines and avoid consuming creatine in excess.

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