This creatine buying guide starts with one rule: read the label before the marketing. A tub of creatine should tell you what is inside, how much is inside, and who stands behind it. Five items are required on a supplement label, and most of the useful checks come from them.
Start with the form
Creatine comes in several forms. The one with the longest research record is creatine monohydrate. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) calls it the most commonly studied form in the literature. Its 2017 position stand also says clinical evidence has not shown that other forms do better at raising creatine in the body. Those forms include creatine citrate, creatine serum, creatine ethyl ester, buffered creatine and creatine nitrate.
That does not make the other forms useless. It means a higher price or a new name is not proof of a better product. If a label sells a fancy form, ask what study backs it. For a first tub, plain monohydrate is the safe, well-studied choice.
Read the five required statements
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists five statements that a dietary supplement label must carry. They are the name of the product, the net quantity of contents, the nutrition labeling, the ingredient list, and the name and place of business of the maker, packer or distributor.
Use that list as a quick scan. If one is missing, put the tub back. A label with no business name or address is hard to trust, because you have no one to ask when something looks wrong.
The nutrition labeling on a supplement is called the Supplement Facts panel. For creatine, check that the panel names the form, such as creatine monohydrate, and gives the amount per serving along with the serving size. Then check the size of the tub against the serving size. A tub can look cheap until you count the servings.
Look at the other ingredients
Plain creatine can have a very short ingredient list. FDA says a product that lists all of its source ingredients in the Supplement Facts panel, and has no fillers or other ingredients, does not need a separate ingredient statement.
When there are other ingredients, the label must introduce them with the words "Other Ingredients." They must be listed in descending order of predominance by weight. That means the heaviest ingredient comes first and the lightest comes last.
This order helps you spot fillers, flavors and sweeteners. If a "creatine" tub lists sugar or a flavor blend near the top, you are paying for more than creatine. Flavored mixes are fine if that is what you want. Just know what you are buying, and compare the price per serving of creatine, not per scoop of powder.
Check for a brand name and an outside seal
Some tubs name the raw material they use. Creapure is one example. It is a registered brand of creatine monohydrate that AlzChem, a company in Trostberg, Germany, sells to makers of sports nutrition products. AlzChem describes it as pure creatine made in Germany.
A raw material brand tells you where the powder came from. It does not tell you how the finished tub was made, mixed or tested. A product that uses a branded ingredient should still pass every check above.
Some products also carry a seal from an outside testing group. A seal is only worth something if the group is real and the seal can be checked. Look up the group by name and see whether the product is on its list. A seal that you cannot look up should count for nothing.
A short checklist for the shelf
- The form is named, and it is creatine monohydrate unless you have a reason to pick another.
- All five required statements are on the label, including a business name and place.
- The Supplement Facts panel gives a serving size and an amount per serving.
- Any "Other Ingredients" are short, and sugar or fillers are not high on the list.
- Any seal or brand name can be looked up with its owner.
- The price per serving makes sense next to similar tubs.
One limit to keep in mind: a label is a claim made by the seller. FDA's guide covers what the label must say, not whether each tub matches it. Use the label as a first filter, then buy from a seller you can contact. This guide is general information about reading labels. It is not medical advice. For questions about creatine and your own health, a pharmacist or doctor can give advice that fits you.