There are many different forms of
creatine currently being marketed to consumers. This study compared the
effects of
creatine powder and
creatine serum on performance. A repeated cycle sprint test was performed before and after
6 days of creatine powder and 6 days of creatine serum. A seven week washout period separated the two supplementation
periods. Subjects consumed a total of 20 g of creatine powder and 20 g of creatine serum per day for 6 days during the
respective trials. After creatine powder, peak power output increased 3.4% and total work increased 9.6%. Corresponding
changes after creatine serum were -0.7 and 1.1%. Thus, creatine powder led to significant increases in performance
whereas creatine serum had no effect on performance. These data confirm what has been shown in many other studies,
specifically that loading with creatine (in powder form) improves high-intensity exercise performance. The lack of
change with creatine serum could have been due to breakdown of creatine into creatinine, which has been shown to occur
in solution.
Gill ND, Hall RD, Blazevich AJ. Creatine serum is not as effective as creatine powder for improving cycle sprint performance in competitive male team-sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 May;18(2):272-5.
