Why Creatine Gummies Don't Stack Up To Powders

Creatine supplements have been a go-to choice for athletes and extreme fitness enthusiasts for about 30 years. But their popularity outside of the gym has more recently skyrocketed as people (especially women) learn about the compound’s many research-backed benefits for building muscle, increasing strength, and supporting brain health. 

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound—composed of three amino acids: methionine, glycine, and arginine—that the body uses to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). 

“About 95% of creatine in the body is actually in your skeletal muscle. The remaining 5% is in the bones, brain, or other tissues,” notes leading creatine researcher Darren Candow, Ph.D., on a recent mindbodygreen podcast episode. “So since the vast majority is in our muscles, that’s where we use it the most.” (Which is why it gained popularity with athletes first.)  

Taking creatine supplements has been shown to improve strength, power, and overall athletic performance. “Anecdotally, a lot of people say they can do more repetitions, they’ve gotten stronger, their muscles don't seem to be as sore, so that allows them to train more frequently,” Candow shared about creatine on the podcast. But the benefits don’t stop there. 

Creatine also supports:

Brain health: Researchers of a 2023 study concluded that taking the supplement enhanced measures of memory performance2 in older adults. And those who were between the ages of 66 and 76 experienced the most benefits. 

Lean mass: Creatine, along with strength training, can help you increase your lean mass—including muscle and bone mass. Bone mass tends to decline with age (especially for women after menopause), so anything you can do to help combat that is a smart idea.

Only one of these methods has been scientifically studied… for decades: powder. 

Candow noted that while gummies may seem more convenient, “we don’t have any studies to show that those delivery agents get [creatine] into the blood and into the tissue compared to the powder.” 

Creatine gummies often provide a lower dose of creatine per serving than powders—around 4 grams instead of 5—and it typically takes 3 to 5 gummies to hit that dose. 

Many folks have been raving about the taste of creatine gummies, because they do resemble, well, candy. The downside is that this sweetness and texture also come with 2 or more grams of added sugar per serving, artificial colors, and maltodextrin. 

People like the convenience that creatine gummies offer. They are ready to eat right out of the bag, whereas creatine powders have to be combined with a liquid (like water or coffee) or food (like smoothies, oats, or yogurt). 

However, gummy supplements can melt in the heat (and still shouldn't be stored in the car, for example).

Many supplement powders come in large bags that aren’t easy to travel with. But some do come in individual stick packs (similar to electrolyte powders) that are much easier to take on the go. 

Gummies are going to have a lot more additives than creatine powders (including the sugars, gums, and acids mentioned earlier). 

Creatine gummies are, on average, more expensive per serving than creatine powders. Gummies typically cost $1.20 to $2.33 per serving and creatine powder can get as low as 22 cents per serving. 

Overall, creatine powders are the clear winner in terms of effectiveness and quality (and convenience in my opinion). 

Creatine monohydrate powder specifically is the most researched form of the supplement and that fact that it hasn’t been studied as a gummy is concerning.