It’s no secret that a high-quality pre-workout supplement can make a good workout routine great; however, if you want to make your workout routine the best it can possibly be, you should totally consider taking a pre-workout supplement that is formulated with creatine. That’s because creatine is a major muscle builder that can take your strength – and your overall physique – to the next level.
Bringing together the increased stamina and energy that a good pre-workout can provide with creatine truly is like a match made in heaven, as it creates quite possibly the perfect pre-workout supplement.
To help you get the most out of your workout, and to maximize your overall physical and mental health, we’ve compiled some great information about creatine, including what it is, its benefits, and a list of some of the best pre-workout supplements that are formulated with creatine. To find out how to take your workouts to the next level, keep on reading.
What is Creatine & How Does it Work?
There’s no doubt you’ve heard of creatine before, especially if you’ve been working out for a while; however, even if you’re just about to embark on a workout journey, chances are you’ve heard of creatine before. While you may be familiar with the word, you may not be familiar with what creatine is, what it does, and how it works. Let’s do a quick overview.
Creatine is a substance that the muscle cells naturally produce. It helps the muscles generate energy when you’re engaged in intense physical activity, such as heavy lifting or high-intensity workouts. It’s for this reason that pre-workout supplements that contain creatine have become very popular amount bodybuilders and athletes, as it can help to increase muscle gains, boost strength, and enhance stamina and overall performance.
Chemically, creatine is very similar to amino acids. The body produces creatine from amino acids and arginine. There are a number of factors that impact the stores of creatine in the body, such as the amount of meat you eat, how much and what type of exercise you partake in, your muscle mass, and your hormone levels, such as IGF-1 and testosterone. Approximately 95 percent of creatine is stored in the muscles in the form of phosphocreatine, and the remaining 5 percent is stored in the liver, the kidneys, and the brain.
When you take a pre-workout supplement that contains creatine, you will increase the amount of phosphocreatine that is stored in the body. It is a type of stored energy within the cells, because it helps the body generate more ATP, a high-energy molecule. ATIP is regarded by many as the energy currency of the body; the higher your ATP levels are, the better you’ll perform when you’re engaging in physical activities, such as bodybuilding and high-intensity workouts.
In addition, creatine alters a variety of cellular processes that lead to increased strength, heightened muscle mass, and recovery.
Benefits of Pre-Workouts that Contain Creatine
Creatine has been found to have positive effects on both health and athletic performance in several ways. While engaging in high intensity workouts, for example, increase phosophocreatine stores in the muscles is the primary function of creatine. These increased stores can then be used to generate more ATP, the primary source of energy that is used for heavy lifting and high-intensity exercises.
In addition to the increased production of ATP, creatine can help you gain more muscle in the following ways:
- Increased workload. Creatine allows for increased total work or volume in a training session, which is key for building long-term muscle growth.
- Improved anabolic hormones. Several studies have found that creatine increases hormone levels, such as IGF-1.
- Strengthened cell signaling. Creatine may be able to enhance satellite cell signaling, which helps with the repair of existing muscles and promotes the growth of new muscles.
- Improved cell hydration. Studies have found that creatine increases water content within the cells of the muscles. This sparks a cell volumization effect, which may impact muscle growth.
- Lowers myosstatin levels. Increased levels of myostatin, a protein, can reduce or completely inhibit new muscle growth. Taking a creatine supplement can minimize these levels, which can increase growth potential.
- Minimizes the breakdown of protein. It is also believed that creatine may reduce muscle breakdown, which in turn, may boost total muscle mass.
Most Popular Forms of Creatine
There are actually several different types of creatine. The following are just a few examples of the different types of creatine.
- Creatine monohydrate
- Creatine ethyl ester
- Creatine hydrochloride
- Buffered creatine
- Creatine magnesium chelate
At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter which one you take. Sure, there may be some lab-based minute differences between some of the more refined forms but most published studies supporting the efficacy of creatine as a sports supplement use plain old creatine monohydrate so that’s what we stick with. Monohydrate is the cheapest too, so there’s that as well..
The Best Pre-Workouts that Have a Lot of Creatine
If you’re interested in taking advantage of a the benefits of a pre-workout supplement combined with the benefits of creatine, you’re in luck! There are a lot of pre-workouts on the market that are formulated with creatine. The following are some of the best.
- MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE – NutraBio PRE combines effective ingredients at therapeutic dosages to maximize strength, endurance, energy, and focus during your workout.
NutraBio Pre Extreme
Key active ingredients:
- 3 grams of PharmaPure creatine monohydrate
- 500 mg of creatine MagnaPower
- 2.5 grams of Betaine Anhydrous
- 3.5 grams of L-Leucine
- 6 grams of L-Citrulline
- 1.5 grams of Malic Acid
- Ingredients are proven to be effective and the dosages are optimal
No products found.
Kaged Muscle Supplements Pre-Kaged
Key active ingredients:
- 1.5 grams creatine HCL
- 6.5 grams of fermented L-citrulline
- 200 mg of quercetin dehydrate
- 3.5 grams 2:1:1 BCAAs
- 3 grams of L-Leucine
- 1.6 grams of Beta-Alanine
- 2 grams of BetaPower Betaine Anyhdrous
- 500 mg of coconut water powder
- Ingredients are proven to be very effective
- GORILLA MODE 2.0: Please note any item that shows "Sold by Gorilla Mind, LLC" will be the new and improved, 2.0 version of Mode. Anything else is sold via distribution and CANNOT be guaranteed as the latest version of Mode.
Gorilla Mode Pre Workout
Key active ingredients:
- 4,500 mg L-Citruline
- 2,500 mg Creatine Monohydrate
- 1,500 mg GlycerPump
- 1,500 mg Malic Acid
- 1,250 mg Betaine Anhydrous
- 750mg L-Tyrosine
- 500 mg Agmatine Sulfate
- 250 mg Kanna
- 175 mg Caffeine Anydrous
- 175 mg N-Phenethyl Dimethyline Citrate
- 200 mg Huperzine A
- 5mg Bioperine
No products found.
MuscleTech Vapor One
Key active ingredients:
- 3 grams of creatine monohydrate
- 3.2 grams of beta-alanine
- 2.5 grams of betaine anhydrous
- 1 gram of taurine
- 4 gams of L-citurlline
- 1.5 grams of nitrosigine
- 200 mg of hawthorn berry extract
Final Thoughts
If you want to take your workouts and gains to the next level, you should seriously consider adding a pre-workout that is specially formulated with creatine. According to our findings and the comments from numerous users, it does offer profound positive effects.
Last update on 2025-02-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
