Not All Creatine Is Created Equal: Why Quality Matters

Well Researched – But Not All Creatine Is Equal

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most extensively studied dietary supplements in existence. The ISSN Position Stand by Kreider et al. (2017) in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition summarises the current state of research and contextualises the published evidence.

What is often overlooked: not every creatine monohydrate on the market has the same quality. Purity depends largely on the manufacturing process – and that is exactly what this article is about.

What Can Go Wrong During Manufacturing

Creatine is produced synthetically – from sarcosinate and cyanamide. Depending on the production process, quality of raw materials, and filtration methods, varying amounts of by-products are created.

Known Contaminants

A study in Food Chemistry (2011) analysed commercially available creatine supplements using HPLC and found:

Why this matters:

• DCD (Dicyandiamide) can be converted to cyanide in the stomach.
• DHT (Dihydrotriazine) is suspected to be carcinogenic.
• Creatinine is the inactive, already metabolised form – a high proportion means less actual creatine in the product.

A more recent analysis found that 41.67% of 36 tested creatine supplements had a purity below 85%.

Creapure: The Gold Standard

Creapure is manufactured by AlzChem Trostberg GmbH in Trostberg, Bavaria – in a facility purpose-built for creatine production. Learn more about the research at creatine studies on creapure.com and the Creapure quality seal.

What Sets Creapure Apart

Purity: Guaranteed minimum quality of 99.9% pure creatine monohydrate, produced using a patented process (US Patent 5,719,319).

Contaminant levels in Creapure:

• DCD: maximum 10–20 mg/kg (well below the EFSA limit of 50 mg/kg)
• DHT: not detectable
• Thiourea: not detectable

Dedicated production line: The entire manufacturing process takes place in a closed facility used exclusively for creatine production. This eliminates the risk of cross-contamination.

Batch testing: Every single batch is tested via HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) for purity and contaminants, and individually certified.

Certifications

Not on the Doping List

Creatine has never been on the WADA Prohibited List and is classified as a legal dietary supplement. The listing on the Cologne List additionally confirms that Creapure is free from unintentional doping substances.

Safety: What Does the Research Say?

Kidney Function

A frequently discussed topic is the relationship between creatine and kidney function. Several independent review papers exist on this subject:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Renal Nutrition (2019) found no evidence of impaired kidney function from creatine supplementation at the dosages and durations studied.
• A meta-analysis in BMC Nephrology (2025) observed a slight, transient increase in serum creatinine – the authors classify this as a normal metabolic effect, as the GFR (glomerular filtration rate) remained unchanged.

Note: Anyone with pre-existing kidney conditions should always consult their doctor before taking dietary supplements.

General Tolerability

An analysis in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2025) evaluated the side effects reported in clinical trials. The authors concluded that creatine was well tolerated in the studies examined.

Current Areas of Research

Beyond its established use in sport, creatine is currently being studied in various fields. The following findings come from ongoing or recently completed studies and do not represent confirmed health claims.

Cognition

A systematic review and meta-analysis (2024, PMC11275561) examined the relationship between creatine supplementation and memory performance. Effects were observed primarily in studies involving older adults (aged 66–76). In younger, healthy individuals, the evidence was less conclusive.

Regulatory note: In October 2024, EFSA rejected an application for a health claim linking creatine to cognitive function. A cause-and-effect relationship could not be sufficiently established.

Neuroprotection and Traumatic Brain Injury

The US Department of Defense Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence published an information paper on creatine and traumatic brain injury in September 2025. Clinical trials are currently underway:

• NCT06644131 – Creatine monohydrate for mild traumatic brain injury
• NCT05562232 – Effect of creatine on persistent post-concussive symptoms

Sleep Deprivation

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in Scientific Reports (2024) examined a single high dose of creatine (0.35 g/kg) during 21 hours of sleep deprivation. The results suggest effects on cognitive performance and cerebral energy phosphates.

Ageing

A pilot study (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025) tested 8-week creatine supplementation in Alzheimer’s patients and observed changes in muscle strength and size. A further review (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025) examines the so-called “muscle-brain axis” – combined effects of creatine and exercise on cognition and physical health in ageing.

Authorised Health Claims (EU/Switzerland)

In the EU and Switzerland, exactly two health claims are authorised for creatine:

1. “Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise.” – Condition: daily intake of 3 g creatine.

2. “Daily creatine consumption can enhance the effect of resistance training on muscle strength in adults over the age of 55.” – Condition: 3 g daily in combination with resistance training at least 3 times per week at an intensity of at least 65–75% of 1RM.

Dosage

The recommended dosage is 3 g creatine monohydrate daily. A loading phase is not necessary.

What to Look for When Buying

1. Check the origin: If “Creapure” is on the packaging, the creatine is guaranteed to come from Alzchem’s production in Germany.
2. Purity declaration: At least 99.9% creatine monohydrate.
3. No unnecessary additives: Pure creatine monohydrate needs no sweeteners, flavourings, or fillers.
4. Cologne List / anti-doping clearance: Particularly relevant for competitive athletes.
5. Batch number: Reputable manufacturers enable traceability for every batch.

Sources:

• Kreider RB et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 14:18. PMID: 28615996.
• Levels of creatine, organic contaminants and heavy metals in creatine dietary supplements. Food Chemistry (2011).
• De Souza e Silva A et al. (2019). Creatine supplementation and renal function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Renal Nutr. PMID: 31375416.
• Meta-analysis kidney function. BMC Nephrology (2025).
• Safety of creatine supplementation: analysis of reported side effects. J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2025).
• EFSA (2011). Scientific Opinion on creatine in combination with resistance training and physical performance. EFSA Journal.
• EFSA (2024). Creatine and contribution to improvement of cognitive function. EFSA Journal 2024;22(11):e9100.
• Alzchem / Creapure: creapure.com