Customer Reviews

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Unflavored, 4.4 lbs (2000g)

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been lifting seriously for 15 years (minus 14 months when I was recovering from a severe shoulder injury) I've had more success using creatine, in terms of overall gains, than probably any other supplement in this time. Optimum has always been my number one choice for creatine, probably EAS a close second. Whether I'm taking creatine or I'm on a rest cycle, I've always had dramatically better results when stacking my glutamine separately, always in powder form. The best glutamine that I have personally found was on amazon; 250 grams L Glutamine Bulk Powder. Price is pretty good too. I've found that my muscle recovery as well as overall strength and endurance increases so much more when I'm taking glutamine, especially when I'm not on creatine. Hope this helps someone!

I've tried numerous creatine products, including CellMass and No-Xplode by BSN, and have to say this is far superior. I had no changes in terms of size, recovery rate, or strength with the BSN products but only one and a half weeks after starting taking ON's creatine I've noticed a growth of my muscles.

I take 1 tablespoon (5 grams of creatine) 10 minutes before the end of my workout with 8 ounces of Powerade, providing simple carbs that aide in the delivery of the creatine to the necessary muscles. I use a Nalgene to shake it up in and find that it mixes very well. The powder doesn't dissolve but it's not difficult to get it down, just shake between sips. This method helps cover any taste it may or may not have and also makes it easy to mix before drinking. I've definitely noticed a change in the size of my triceps and biceps although I have not altered my workout significantly, suggesting the creatine is the cause.

I would suggest this product, and above drinking directions, to anyone interested in taking creatine.

Remember: work hard; eat healthy; rest up; and stay natural!

This product uses CreaPure creatine as its raw material, a branded raw material manufactured by Degussa AG Trostberg (formerly SKW) in Germany and licensed as a pharmaceutical would be there. Optimum Nutrition is one of only a few brands in North America that use only CreaPure raw material, and like Universal Micronized Creatine Monohydrate, 1000-Gram Tub is an exceptionally good value for this expensive raw material in a supplement market dominated by cheap Chinese and other amateur manufacturers. I began looking into the question of creatine purity after having bought some creatine from a company that I generally consider to be quite reputable and from whom I often buy commodity-item supplements, and was disturbed by its very bitter and (surprisingly) soapy taste. The company insisted that the lot number was fine, but my subsequent research suggests it was not. The important issues are nicely laid out in two very good articles by Will Brink and readily available on the internet: "What's in your Creatine?" and "What's Really in Your Supplements? - An Update on Creatine". I proceeded to order some CreaPure-sourced creatine and was surprised that, for the very first time, the stuff had absolutely no bitter taste to it: the suspicious supplement had been the only one with the weird soapy taste, but *every* other creatine I had purchased had a mild bitterness to it, which I'd just assumed to be intrinsic to creatine itself, rather than a sign of impurity. Subsequently, I've bought several of the few products that use exclusively CreaPure, and found them to be similarly free of these widespread off-flavors. There is still no proof that the common creatine contaminants responsible for these flavors (dicyandiamide or dihydrotriazine) are harmful -- but why anyone (let alone a life extensionist!) would knowingly put high (relative to likely dietary intakes) levels of organoleptically-detectable impurities of unknown toxicity into hir body is beyond me, especially with a CreaPure product as inexpensive as this one available.

I used this together with ON's Whey Protein powder, gained 23lbs in just 3 months (the first month without creatine).

Neither the creatine nor the protein have had any side-effects so far, more than satisfied. Highly recommended. Whatever creatine you get, get the micronized one because the non-micronized one seems to cause stomach problems for some people.

This creatine is great, but it's not quite up to amazon's hype. Why? Because it's supposed to be tasteless/odorless, and a better description would be mild taste/wierd odor. In water, it stays relatively suspended, but has a gritty feel to it. It's much, much better mixed into your protein drink/shake. You can't even tell that it's in it that way!

As far as potency and such, a powder is a great way to go b/c you can monitor your dosages very easily.

Overall, it worked well for me, and I would buy it again.

Good stuff. made some gains in just a few weeks. no cramping. good idea to do a load faze for 3-5 days. then take daily for about 4-6 weeks but should take two weeks off to clean your system out. i will buy again. also use a good whey protein with it should boost your results.

I have used creatine for about the last 15 years. I worked at GNC when it first came on the market and have watched brand after brand bring a creatine supplement to the market. This is an inexpensive, good quality supplement without the unnecessary crap that you often see in other products. The balance between quality to cost for this particular product is great. It is essentially tasteless. Of the other creatines that I have tried, it disolves as well as any other.

I'm bought this to help me live through the "Insanity" program. Seems to have done its job well.

I like how I can mix this in with a protein shake before workout and not have it change the taste. I previously had a "fruit punch" creatine drink from Walmart and that was a pain - way too sweet and had to drink it separately from my protein shake.

This is also more cost effective because the small-looking bottle has a LOT of servings.

I have been using Optimum Nutrition Protein powder for years and decided to try their creatine powder. In the past, I have only used flavored creatine powders that were loaded with high carbs and sugar. From my research, I found that Micronized Creatine was the best choice considering it did not add the extra sugars found in flavored versions. It's difficult to compare this product to other creatine powders based on taste since it is unflavored and others I've tried were flavored. However, I do add to my protein shakes for palatability. Although I have not tried this you can add it to your favorite juice.

Texture - I expected to see lumps in this powder but was not the case with this brand whereas other inferior brands can be lumpy.

Effectiveness - From an efficacy standpoint, I have seen positive results helping to maintain and build muscle.

Mixability - I simply mix this with my favorite protein drink once per day and I am good to go. It does not clump up as some other brands have a tendency of doing.

Conclusion - Optimum Nutrition 100% Micronized Creatine Powder is an effective product and overall good value

First of all, for the money (money off for subscribing and free shipping is under 48 hours to my door from the Reno warehouse) this is best value creatine on the market.

As far as use, when properly used, ON creatine does two key things for you and does it well:

1) it allows you to get more out of your workouts more often. After being on this for the loading week only 3 days in, I already noticed I was able to get in more reps and my workouts were longer by 25% or more. In addition, this product (combined with ON Glutamine and ON Whey protein) has shortened the recovery times between my workouts by half. With that combo, and over two creatine cycles (about 7 months), you have the ability to nearly TRIPLE the reps you are doing.

2) creatine assists in hydrating muscle cells and when you hydrate cells, what happens? That's right-they get bigger. My muscle definition increased within 4 DAYS of using this and continued to increase throughout the cycle. By the time I was nearing the end of the washout phase of the cycle my muscle size did visually decrease, but not to what it was before because my gains from TRIPLE the reps had added significant mass. The nice side effect is that, while you know you are building more and more permanent muscle on this, you get a nearly immediate gratification or reward of size increase with no side effects.

As for taste and upset stomach: this is not tasteless....its actually a little like mixing salt in water and drinking it. The more water you mix it in the more the taste in minimized...but you are still aware that something is there. ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: creatine MUST be dissolved to get the full effect and the only way to do it is use hot HOT water (I use the hot side of my tap). Once dissolved you can then mix it into whatever you want. As for upset stomach....nothing has bothered me so if that happens to some, its a case by case basis.

In short: great product, great value, easy purchasing and shipping and easy to use.