Best Creatine For Cutting (2024) - Budget, Gummies, & More
While creatine has always been associated with muscle building, its qualities align surprisingly well with weight cutting. Ideally, you would...
While creatine has always been associated with muscle building, its qualities align surprisingly well with weight cutting.
Ideally, you would want to cut only fat and retain or even build muscle simultaneously to get that shredded physique or enter a weight class and still perform to your best.
Either way, creatine can help you shed the fat without losing muscle or strength, making it a great supplement when cutting.
The good news is creatine is a simple supplement but has been proven to be undeniably effective. The bad news is there are hundreds of options on the market, and they are not all equal by any measure.
I am here to help you narrow down the choices significantly. I've personally tested, researched, and read through hundreds of online reviews to present you only high-quality and high-value offerings for the best creatine for cutting.
- Best Creatine For Cutting: Lift Big Eat Big 100% Pure Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate
- Best Runner-Up Creatine For Cutting: Legion Recharge Post-Workout
- Best Budget Creatine For Cutting: Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate
- Best Flavored Creatine For Cutting: Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
- Best Creatine Gummies For Cutting: Novomins Creatine Gummies
- Best Bulk Purchase Creatine For Glute Growth: Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
- Best Creatine HCL For Cutting: Kaged Creatine HCL
Best Creatine For Cutting
Lift Big Eat Big 100% Pure Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate
Pros
- CoA testing shows 100% pure creatine.
- Creapure is the gold standard of creatines and is used in this product.
- Really flavorless, unlike many others with the same claim.
- Free shipping in the USA.
Cons
- Longer shipping times than if you buy creatine from Amazon.
===>Check Latest Lift Big Eat Big Creatine Deals<===
Creatine is a simple and highly effective supplement that does not need to be overly complicated.
This is why I always prefer the cleanest form of creatine monohydrate with proven purity and no other ingredients.
This principle I follow has made the Lift Big Eat Big Creatine my favorite product, regardless of whether I am cutting or not.
The most reassuring thing about it is the openly presented Certificate of Analyses proving the purity of the product and the absence of any unnecessary fillers.
The Lift Big Eat Big employs the purest brand, Creapure®, which has a purity of 99.9% [1][2] and is considered by many to be the best.
If you buy cheap creatine from sites like Amazon, you can get something that isn't as clean or contains components that shouldn't be there.
Only a few brands, like LBEB, will present their report cards. For example, just 8% of creatine supplements on Amazon have been tested [3].
Lift Big Eat Big contains only creatine, with no flavorings or chemicals. It's simply a natural substance that assists you in maintaining strength and muscle when cutting.
The product also provides high value for your money. A single container holds 50 scoops and costs $39.99, or 80 cents for each dose.
If you buy three containers at once, you'll pay $99 for 150 scoops, or 66 cents per serving, and free shipping in the USA, which makes the price highly competitive.
As I said, creatine is a simple supplement, and LBEB provides it in its purest form, so there is not much more to discuss.
Best Runner-Up Creatine For Cutting
Legion Recharge Post-Workout
Pros
- Third-party tested for purity and unwanted substances.
- Only natural flavors and sweeteners.
- Different flavors to choose from.
- It has L-carnitine in the formula.
Cons
- The L-carnitine addition may be a con for someone already taking it in some other form.
===>Check Latest Legion Recharge Deals<===
I may advocate for pure creatine supplements, but some additional ingredients may make a product more preferable for certain people, as with the excellent Legion Recharge.
Legion Recharge covers the most important criteria of having 5 grams of pure, third-party-tested creatine per serving.
This powder is manufactured in the United States in NSF-certified, FDA-inspected, and GMP-compliant facilities.
You can choose Legion Recharge in one of several delicious, naturally flavored, and sweetened variants.
This turns creatine from a bland additive in a post-workout shake into a treat in itself.
Then, the addition of L-carnitine and L-tartrate is what makes it more suitable for those on weight-cutting missions.
While the effects of L-carnitine for loss are not proven, it does potentially help and has been found to reduce muscle soreness after training [4].
So, if you want to use creatine for cutting but like a bit more flavor and potentially beneficial additives, Legion Recharge is a perfect option.
===>Check Latest Legion Recharge Deals<===
Best Budget Creatine For Cutting
Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate
Pros
- Amazing value for the price.
- Both flavors taste delicious.
- Natural flavors.
Cons
- The flavored doses are 7 gr with 2 gr of additives.
===>Check Latest Nutricost Creatine Deals<===
Nutricost produces one of the most popular creatines, not least because of the great value it provides. This product is made in an NSF-certified facility and is third-party tested, so you know the most critical metric of purity is met.
In addition to the classic unflavored option, you can also choose from two flavors that I've tried and found delicious.
Another benefit of Nutricost creatine is that it's available in bigger tubs containing 77, 100, or even 200 servings, so you can stock up for months.
This comes at a surprisingly low price of $0.35 per serving for the flavored version and $0.18 for an unflavored 100-serving tub.
Few brands match this price, so if budget is your main concern, Nutricost can be your favorite creatine.
===>Check Latest Nutricost Creatine Deals<===
Best Flavored Creatine For Cutting
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Pros
- Each batch undergoes third-party testing for prohibited chemicals.
- A clear Certificate of Analysis and Composition confirms the labeled components.
- There are various delicious tastes available.
- HMB and BioPerine may provide multiple benefits.
Cons
- A lot more expensive than the others.
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Creatine HMB Deals<===
A pure creatine monohydrate product must be free of contaminants and banned substances.
Transparent Labs is a high-quality creatine monohydrate, but it also contains other ingredients like HMB and BioPerine, which show promise in improving gym efforts.
Most notably, HMB can potentially improve body composition, meaning losing fat while building or at least retaining muscle, which makes it the perfect addition to creatine for cutting.
Still, it's important to say that the claims have not been yet proven in studies [5].
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB contains 5 g creatine monohydrate, 1.5 g HMB, 5 mg BioPerine, and 500 IU vitamin D per dose.
Its advantages include third-party testing certification (informed sport tick), which ensures that each batch is free of forbidden components, and a clear Certificate of Analysis and Composition.
This means athletes can utilize it without fear of failing a competition drug test.
Transparent Labs creatine also comes in a variety of great flavors. However, it is more expensive than other creatine formulations, costing $1.67 per serving, and the HMB component has an unpleasant smell.
Despite the hefty price, the product is an excellent choice for competitive athletes and muscle-building enthusiasts due to its high quality and potential benefits from the added components.
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Creatine HMB Deals<===
Best Creatine Gummies For Cutting
Novomins Creatine Gummies
Pros
- You need only 2 gummies for 5 gr of creatine.
- Negligible amount of calories – 12 per serving.
- 45 servings in a container.
Cons
- The sweetener maltitol can create stomach issues in some people.
===>Check Latest Novomins Creatine Gummies Deals<===
Creatine gummies may not be the most efficient way of taking creatine, but they are indeed one of the most convenient and fun ways to do it.
Novimins address several of the concerns commonly associated with creatine gummies. First, unlike other brands where you need 5 or more gummies to get the 5 gr of creatine, with Novomins, you need two.
Another common concern is that gummies contain a lot of sugar and other ingredients that are particularly harmful during weight loss. This product's sweetener is maltitol, which keeps calories to a minimum.
Novomins gummies are free of sugar, gluten, and GMOS.
Yet another area where Novomins are superior to other brands is that you get 45 servings in a single pack.
Novomins creatine gummies are perfect for those who are always on the move or are tired of mixing powder and want to try something different.
===>Check Latest Novomins Creatine Gummies Deals<===
Best Bulk Purchase Creatine For Glute Growth
Bulk Supplements Creatine Monohydrate
Pros
- Amazing value when buying in bulk.
- Lab-tested clean creatine monohydrate.
Cons
- All packages come in resealable bags, which quickly lose their ability to close.
===>Check Latest Bulk Supplements Creatine Deals<===
As the name would suggest, Bulk supplements offer some big packs that bring down the price significantly.
The company started by selling to businesses but now also deals with the end customers.
The more you buy, the lower the cost is. You can choose from a 100-gr test pouch to a mammoth 5-kilo bag, enough for 3 years of daily creatine intake.
Even in the 500 gr, the price is super cheap, but if you buy a bigger bag, the deal is insane. The 5 kg bag will cost you $145, which equals $0.15 per serving.
Too low prices usually indicate poor quality or some other serious problem with the product.
But Bulk Supplements have NSF certification and FDA registration as a cGMP manufacturing and distribution facility, so you know you are getting a quality product.
===>Check Latest Bulk Supplements Creatine Deals<===
Best Creatine HCL For Cutting
Kaged Creatine HCL
Pros
- Creatine HCL requires a lot less liquid to dissolve.
- Many customers claim they do not feel bloated like from monohydrate.
- Informed sports tick makes the product ideal for competitive athletes.
Cons
- More expensive than monohydrate while the benefits are suspect.
- A tub lasts only 18 days if you take the recommended 4 servings per day.
===>Check Latest Kaged Creatine HCL Deals<===
Creatine monohydrate remains the best form of creatine, but one of the other types showing promise is creatine HCL.
One of its benefits, which is easy to see without the need for clinical research, is its solubility.
It mixes with water almost instantly, and you need significantly less liquid than with monohydrate.
The other benefit of HCL is that it's more bioavailable, and you need less of it to get the same results.
While this is true, and the doses required are smaller, when the intake is matched, creatine HCL does not provide any more benefits than monohydrate [6].
I would still recommend people to buy Kaged Creatine HCL, despite my frequent advice to stick to monohydrate and the slightly higher price.
The solubility and lower dose may be a breath of fresh air for people taking creatine for years, and Kaged always makes high-quality products.
This creatine third-party tested has two flavors and an unflavored option and has the Informed sports tick, making it safe for athletes to use.
There are drawbacks, though. If you follow the instructions on the tub, you must take 4 servings per day, meaning a tub will only last 18 days. If you keep this schedule, the price is also not cheap.
But this is still a solid product for high-level athletes on a weight cut, not least because of the supposed benefits of creatine HCL.
===>Check Latest Kaged Creatine HCL Deals<===
How To Pick The Best Creatine For Cutting
Purity
Purity is the essential aspect of a creatine supplement, regardless of whether you are a competitive athlete or a hobbyist lifter.
The products worth your money all declare some form of third-party testing, while the best present their certificates.
Then, the purest form of creatine is called Creapure, which has been tested to contain 99.9% creatine monohydrate.
My top creatine for cutting choice made by Lift Big Eat Big boats this golden standard of creatine, but all of the products on this list are solid creatine supplements.
Always look for report cards, informed ticks, or third-party testing logos, and buy from reputable brands to avoid buying some unknown substance branded as creatine.
Extra Ingredients
Usually, there is no need for any additional ingredients, as creatine is one of the few genuinely proven supplements worth taking.
But if your goal is weight loss through cutting fat, a few ingredients may provide some benefits.
These include things such as L-carnitine in Legion Recharge and HMB in the Transparent Labs product.
L-carnitine has been marketed as a fat-burning substance, but studies show that the effect is modest at best and only in obese subjects [7].
Still, L-carnitine has benefits such as enhanced recovery and improved performance, so it’s a reasonable additive to creatine.
HMB also remains too speculative to give a conclusive answer to what degree it enhances muscle hypertrophy and fat loss, but there is promise in the substance.
Extra ingredients like vitamins are not active ingredients and can be beneficial, especially if you don’t take enough elsewhere.
But outside of these, steer away from any advertised miracle solutions mixed with creatine that supposedly get you a 6 pack in 4 weeks or any of the countless ridiculous promises you can find.
Type
Creatine monohydrate is the only type of creatine you need to consider for the most part.
It has been out for decades and has become the most-tested supplement ever.
This means the information on all variables has been tested, studied, and made public, and you can be certain of what you can and cannot expect from creatine.
However, there are at least a dozen other creatine types, often marketed as novel or better.
Unsurprisingly, none of the supposedly novel types has been found to work better than monohydrate [8].
Creatine HCL is the only one that works similarly to monohydrate and produces the same results.
But it comes at a higher price because it mixes better with water and is more bioavailable. But the end results are the same as with monohydrate.
Powder vs. Capsules vs. Gummies
Capsules are convenient for travel but expensive for everyday use. To achieve the required 3-5-gram dose, you must take a handful of capsules, which might be costly and tedious.
Powder, on the other hand, is far more convenient to use. It's less expensive, one pouch lasts longer, and combining it with a drink makes it simpler to consume the recommended quantity. Powder is the most economical and convenient for daily use.
Gummies are usually not optimal since they contain extra ingredients like sugar or other sweeteners, are more expensive, and you need multiple gummies to reach the recommended daily dose.
Some brands like Novomins, though, solve most of the issues and are a fun and convenient way to take creatine.
Price
A great thing about creatine, on top of being effective, is that it's relatively cheap.
If you buy unflavored creatine in bigger packages, the price is affordable for anyone interested in supplements to improve athletic performance or gym results in the first place.
What makes some creatine products more expensive are additives and flavors, both of which are not necessary if you want to pay only for reliable results and effects.
How To Take Creatine For Cutting
If you are new to creatine and want to know how to get started, you have two options: with or without a loading phase. Your choice should be determined by how quickly you want to see results.
The loading method is consuming 20 grams of creatine daily for the first six days.
This is usually done in little dosages throughout the day to make it easy on the stomach. After this period, you should consume 3-5 grams per day to maintain a high muscle creatine level [9].
If you're not in a hurry, the non-loading method may be more suitable for you. Simply take 3-5 g of creatine per day. Reaching the full benefits may take a month, but it is a consistent strategy [9].
I always recommend the second method for people not needing an almost instant result. Simply add creatine your post workout shake, or mix with a beverage at any time of the day. The most important point is to take it daily.
Frequently Asked Creatine For Cutting Questions
Is Creatine Good For Cutting?
Creatine is a great supplement to take while cutting. To reduce your body weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit, and during this period, you will inevitably also lose muscle mass and strength and potentially have a worse recovery if the deficit is too large.
Creatine can act as a counterbalance to this condition because it enhances muscle hypertrophy and increases strength, power, and endurance. So, taking creatine during cutting is a good way to minimize muscle and athletic performance losses.
How Much Creatine Should I Take While Cutting
The recommended daily dose of creatine is 3-5 grams, regardless of whether you are cutting or not. This dosage provides optimal muscle saturation with creatine and will give all of the benefits.
Which For Of Creatine Is Best
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and recommended type of creatine. It is also the cheapest, which gives it all the advantages in comparison with other types of creatine.
Some other forms, such as HCL, have their benefits, but in general, I suggest you stick to creatine monohydrate and not fall for marketing tricks.
Summary
Lift Big Eat Big is my choice for the best creatine for cutting because it provides the purest creatine without any unnecessary fillers.
But there are more worthy contenders on the market, such as the excellently flavored Legion Recharge, the budget-friendly Nutricost, and Bulk supplements products, or the tasty Novomins gummies.
Whichever option you choose, creatine can aid you in your weight-cutting journey by minimizing the negative performance and muscle mass effects resulting from being on a caloric deficit.
References
- Kreider, R. B., Jäger, R., & Purpura, M. (2022). Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: A critical review. Nutrients, 14(5), 1035.
- Jäger, R., Purpura, M., Shao, A., Inoue, T., & Kreider, R. B. (2011). Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino acids, 40, 1369-1383.
- Escalante, G., Gonzalez, A. M., St Mart, D., Torres, M., Echols, J., Islas, M., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and cost of alternative forms of creatine available for purchase on Amazon. com: are label claims supported by science?. Heliyon, 8(12).
- Yarizadh, H., Shab-Bidar, S., Zamani, B., Vanani, A. N., Baharlooi, H., & Djafarian, K. (2020). The effect of l-carnitine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 39(5), 457-468.
- Phillips, S. M., Aragon, A. A., Arciero, P. J., Arent, S. M., Close, G. L., Hamilton, D. L., … & Willoughby, D. S. (2017). Changes in Body Composition and Performance With Supplemental HMB?FA+ ATP. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(5), e71-e72.
- Tayebi, H. Arazi,Is creatine hydrochloride better than creatine monohydrate for the improvement of physical performance and hormonal changes in young trained men? Science & Sports,Volume 35, Issue 5,2020
- Talenezhad N, Mohammadi M, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Salehi-Abargouei A. Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled clinical trials with dose-response analysis. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Jun;37:9-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.03.008. Epub 2020 Apr 18. PMID: 32359762.
- Kreider, R.B.; Jäger, R.; Purpura, M. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review. Nutrients2022, 14, 1035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14051035
- Hultman, E., Soderlund, K., Timmons, J. A., Cederblad, G., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. Journal of applied physiology, 81(1), 232-237.