Creatine Nitrate

Creatine nitrate is creatine bound to a nitrate group. It is considerably more water-soluble than monohydrate, which is the honest advantage and the reason it appears in ready-to-drink products.

The pitch is that you get creatine and nitrate together, with the nitrate contributing to blood flow the way beetroot does.

The arithmetic undermines that. A 2 g serving supplies roughly 500 mg of nitrate, well below the 300 to 600 mg of nitrate used in performance research, and far below what a beetroot shot delivers.

Once dissolved and absorbed, the creatine and nitrate separate and act independently. There is no combined molecule doing anything novel inside the body.

The creatine portion increases muscle phosphocreatine stores exactly as any absorbed creatine does. The nitrate portion converts to nitrite and then nitric oxide, supporting vasodilation.

Stability is the practical issue. Creatine nitrate degrades faster in solution than monohydrate, particularly in acidic drinks, so a ready-to-drink product may contain less active creatine than the label states by the time you open it.

Safety and tolerability studies have found creatine nitrate well tolerated at doses up to 3 g daily over several weeks.

Performance research is limited, and trials comparing it directly with monohydrate have not shown it to be superior.

Creatine itself works, and that is not in question here. What has not been established is any advantage from this particular form, and the nitrate dose is too small to add the second effect it is sold on.

Creatine nitrate has been well tolerated in the trials conducted, with no significant adverse effects at doses up to 3 g daily.

The nitrate content is modest and within normal dietary ranges, so it adds little to your overall intake.

Tell your doctor about any creatine use before a blood test, since creatine raises creatinine, a marker used to assess kidney function. Speak to your doctor before use if you take regular medication.