Ah yes, creatine. Along with pre workout and protein, creatine supplements are part of the holy trinity most people buy when they start taking diet and exercise more seriously.
Creatine is a molecule that helps your body produce more ATP. ATP plays a crucial role in carrying energy to your muscles. Higher levels of ATP mean your muscles can burn more fuel.
Everyone knows that.
What some people don’t know is that there are different forms of creatine you can use for muscle building.
Let’s take a closer look at creatine HCL or creatine hydrochloride. It’s more soluble than other forms of creatine and easier to absorb. As a result, it can be easier on your digestive tract.
Read on for our reviews of some of the best creatine HCL supplements. We explain why Kaged’s Creatine HCL is your best bet and discuss its benefits and side effects.
Related:
- Best Pre-Workout with Creatine
- Best Creatine for Teens
- Best Creatine for Bulking
- Best Bulking Supplements
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Best Creatine HCL Powder
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Best Creatine Capsules
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4.5
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4.4
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Creatine HCL:
750 mg
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Creatine HCL:
1.5 g
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Servings:
75
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Servings:
50
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Pros:
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Pros:
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- Available in unflavored, lemon lime, and capsules
- Certified free of banned substances
- Gluten free
- 1.5 g of creatine HCL per serving
- Patented creatine HCL formula
Table of Contents
The 5 Best Creatine HCL Supplements
- Creatine HCL – Kaged
- Creatine HCL – Bulk Supplements
- Creactor Creatine HCL – Muscletech
- Crea-Gainz Creatine HCL – Muscleforce
The following supplements use high-quality creatine HCL and can improve your performance.
Kaged – C-HCL Creatine HCL
High quality, patented, pure creatine HCL with zero fillers.
Available in unflavored powder (for mixing into other drinks), lemon lime powder, or vegetable capsules (vegan).
- Uses a patented Creatine HCL molecule instead of a generic
- Very soluble and easy to absorb
- Comes in vegetable capsules or lemon-lime flavored or unflavored powder
- No need to go through a loading phase
- The manufacturer is transparent about the ingredients
Kaged Muscle uses a patented creatine HCL molecule. The price is higher, but it’s worth it. It helps prevent unpleasant side effects like bloating.
It’s a purified supplement with precise dosing. The manufacturer tests all its batches for banned substances. This can be especially important for athletes that compete in drug-tested competition. In fact, it was selected as one of the best creatine supplements for teenagers and is featured on our list of the best creatine supplements for cutting.
Kaged’s flagship pre-workout, Pre-Kaged, also appears on our list of the best pre-workouts for tested athletes.
Key ingredients:
- Creatine Hydrochloride (Patented C-HCl) – 750mg
Bulk Supplements – Creatine HCL
Bulk Supplements have earned a reputation for delivering solid supplements at rock bottom prices and their creatine HCL powder is no different.
It's creatine HCL, in a bag, for under 10 cents per serving.
What more do you want?
Only available as unflavored powder.
- Increase muscle mass on a budget
- Testing to ensure quality
- Four different sizes
- Unflavored powder (perfect for mixing in juices or smoothies)
- No additives
BulkSupplements offers a great mix of value and quality. This creatine HCL powder is clear and dissolves without any issues. The results are excellent for the price.
There are different sizes available depending on how much you want to stock up. Choose a smaller container if you want to test creatine HCL.
The main difference between this product and the creatine HCL from Kaged Muscle is that Bulk Supplements does not offer the patented ingredient. For most people, this is probably fine.
Key ingredients:
- Creatine Hydrochloride – 750mg
MuscleTech – Creactor Creatine HCL
With a great price and even better flavor options (try Blue Raspberry or Lemon Lime), Creactor is one of the best tasting creatine HCL powders out there.
They have an unflavored option too if that's your preference.
Available as blue raspberry, fruit punch, lemon lime, and unflavored powder.
- Combined benefits of creatine HCL and acid-free creatine
- Get results with only two small daily servings
- Ultra-pure creatine, no additives
- Great value with 120 servings per container
- Choose from three flavors or unflavored
MuscleTech makes one of the best-tasting creatine supplements. Choose between fruit punch, blue raspberry, or lemon-lime flavors.
This supplement uses a blend of creatine HCL and acid-free creatine, so you’ll get more creatine per dose. Free-acid creatine is pure creatine, not bound with hydrochloric acid (like creatine hydrochloride) or combined with water (like creatine monohydrate).
Is this superior? It’s not really clear, to be honest. As long as you’re getting 1.5 g of creatine HCL per day, you should be good.
Key ingredients:
- Creatine HCl – 750mg
- Free-Acid Creatine – 750mg
Muscle Force – Crea-Gainz Advanced Creatine System
Crea-Gainz is a blend of creatine HCL, beta alanine, Himalayan pink sea salt, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and astragin.
The massive 4 gram dose of creatine HCL in each serving meanings you could actually take half servings (2 grams each), doubling the serving count to 60 per tub!
Available in unflavored and blue raspberry.
- Quality creatine HCl
- Beta-alanine boosts carnosine levels
- Beta-alanine helps burn lactic acid
- Astragin helps you absorb the other ingredients
- Potassium and sodium help with hydration
Muscle Force delivers a unique supplement that mixes creatine HCL, beta-alanine, and astragin. You’ll get more for your money since astragin helps you absorb more of the creatine.
It’s also worth noting the colossal 4 gram dosage of creatine HCL in each serving of Crea-Gainz. This significantly exceeds to recommended 1.5 g daily dosage and you could probably get by with half scoops of this product, which doubles the number of effective doses to 60. This also helps make the price more reasonable.
Key ingredients:
- Creatine HCl – 4 g
- Beta-Alanine – 1 g
- Astragin – 50 mg
- Himalayan pink salt
- Sodium phosphate
- Potassium phosphate
Inspired Nutraceuticals – CR3 Creatine HCL Capsules
Conveniently packaged in pill form, CR3 Creatine by Inspired Nutraceuticals delivers a clinical dosage of creatine HCL with agmatine sulfate and Senactiv. This helps with power output, blood flow, and muscle pumps.
Discount codes:
LV15 = 15% off at Muscle Factory SC
LIFTVAULT = 15% off at Nutri Cartel
Creatine capsules are an excellent on-the-go option when consuming creatine powder isn’t feasible or convenient. Inspired Nutraceuticals CR3 tablets are the best choice for creatine HCL capsules. Each serving contains 2 grams of creatine HCL, which is plenty for just about everyone.
CR3 also contains agmatine sulfate, which may help a bit with muscle pumps and blood flow if you take CR3 prior to working out.
On top of that, the pills are vegan, all-natural, and dye-free.
If you want top-of-the line creatine HCL in capsule form, CR3 is about as good as it gets.
- Key Ingredients:
- Creatine Hydrochloride – 2000 mg
- Agmatine Sulfate – 750 mg
- Senactiv – 50 mg
- Astragin – 50 mg
What to Consider Before Taking Creatine HCL
Creatine HCL is generally safe to use. It’s easy to absorb compared to other forms of creatine. It helps you build muscle mass. Combine it with strength training for some serious gains.
Creatine HCL Benefits
The best creatine HCL supplements can yield the following benefits.
Better Exercise Performance
Creatine increases levels of phosphocreatine in your body. These molecules are building blocks for ATP. With higher levels of phosphocreatine, your body can synthesize more ATP. ATP can then bring more energy to your muscles.
Muscle Growth
Creatine supports the creation of proteins. Your body uses these proteins to build new muscle fibers.
By supporting water absorption, creatine increases the size of your muscles. It makes them more powerful.
Some experts believe that creatine boosts hormone production, which can increase hormones that promote muscle gains.
Other Benefits
Creatine HCL could support brain function and improve things like short-term memory. Other studies suggest it has a positive effect on fatigue. Reducing fatigue helps you work out longer and better perform high-intensity exercises.
Creatine HCL Side Effects
It’s important to consider the potential side effects of creatine HCL. You can prevent side effects. Choose a quality product and follow the recommended dosage. Creatine HCL has fewer side effects than other forms of creatine. It’s a good alternative if other supplements cause bloating.
The good news is that creatine HCL is safe to use. There is a common belief that creatine can affect kidney and liver function. You might have read that it causes dehydration. However, there is no evidence that creatine HCL causes these side effects.
Digestive Problems
Digestive problems are the most common issue you’ll encounter with creatine supplements. It’s possible to experience bloating, upset stomach, gas, or diarrhea. Creatine HCL is more soluble than other forms of creatine. It should lessen these side effects.
Weight Gain
You might notice weight gain linked to water retention. Creatine HCL helps cells absorb more water. Taking this supplement can cause water weight.
Muscle Cramps
Some experts believe that creatine can prevent muscle cramps. Other studies suggest that creatine can increase your risks of getting muscle cramps.
FAQs About Creatine HCL
Here are some common questions about the different forms of creatine.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is an organic compound. It’s present in muscle cells and plays an important part in recycling ATP.
Creatine improves strength, increases lean muscle mass, and can assist muscle recovery. It is especially useful for sports that require short bursts of energy, like powerlifting, weightlifting, or sprinting.
What Is Creatine HCL?
Creatine HCL is a form of creatine that is bound with hydrochloric acid. This property makes creatine HCL more soluble.
Your stomach can digest creatine HCL without any issues. Your digestive system will absorb more of this molecule. You can get better results because you’re getting a higher dose.
Do I Need a Loading Phase When Taking Creatine HCL?
Because it’s more soluble than other creatine forms, you can use creatine HCL without a loading phase. You shouldn’t run into any of the side effects associated with other forms of creatine.
How Is Creatine HCL Different from Creatine Monohydrate?
You can expect similar benefits between creatine HCL and creatine monohydrate. There is a wider range of studies that focus on creatine monohydrate, giving it a significantly larger body of research supporting its efficacy as an athletic supplement.
Compared to creatine monohydrate powder, creatine HCL has a higher rate of bioavailability. It’s more soluble and easier to absorb. Another benefit of creatine HCL is that you don’t need to go through a loading phase. You shouldn’t take creatine monohydrate without loading.
What Is the Recommended Daily Dosage of Creatine HCL?
A typical dose of creatine HCL is 750mg. You can take it once or twice a day, depending on your goals and fitness regimen.
Much of the research around creatine HCL supports a daily intake of 1.5 grams.
This study shows that 1.5 g of Creatine HCL was sufficient in increasing strength and improving body composition.
Do I Need to Cycle Creatine HCL?
There is no need to cycle creatine HCL or take a break from it. There are benefits to cycling other forms of creatine. Creatine HCL is a supplement you can take on an ongoing basis due to its excellent solubility.
Other Popular Creatine Supplements
- Transparent Labs – Creatine HMB
- Kaged Muscle – CreaClear
- Performance Lab – Maintain
- Legion – Recharge
- Universal Nutrition – Creatine Chews
- MuscleTech – Cell-Tech
- Bulk Supplements – Creatine Monohydrate
- Promera Sports – Con-Cret
- NutraKey – Creatine HCL
- Optimum Nutrition – Micronized Creatine Monohydrate
- BPI Sports – Best Creatine
Conclusion
Kaged – Creatine HCL is the best creatine HCL supplement. Kaged Muscle spent years developing this molecule. You’ll get excellent results with this supplement. Besides, you can choose between pills or powder for convenience.
If you want to bulk up on a budget, we recommend Bulk Supplements – Creatine HCL. It’s an ultra-pure creatine HCL powder available at a low price. The cost of supplements can add up, especially for long-term use or stacking. You can add creatine HCL to your fitness regimen without overspending.
Muscle Force – Crea-Gainz Advanced Creatine Formula is worth a second look. This supplement uses a unique blend. The other ingredients, beta-alanine, and astragin prevent fatigue and increase absorption.
