Magnesium Creatine Chelate vs. Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride)
Among 442 on-market creatine products with an identifiable primary form, 27.1% use Magnesium Creatine Chelate (120 products) and 24.4% use Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride) (108).
| Magnesium Creatine Chelate | Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 3 | Tier 2 |
| Creatine by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 27.1% | 24.4% |
| On-market products | 120 | 108 |
| Median declared dose | 550 mg middle half: 550–550 | 1,000 mg middle half: 1,000–1,625 |
| Most common brands | NutraBio, Axe & Sledge Supplements, Seeking Health | PS ProSupps, Gaspari Nutrition, NutraBio |
Doses are declared per serving in mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Magnesium Creatine Chelate is tier 3
A single small (n=35) 2003 RCT showed greater increase in intracellular water vs plain creatine+MgO, but never independently replicated and no trial has shown superior strength/performance outcomes vs monohydrate.
Source: Brilla LR et al. 2003, Metabolism 52(9):1136-40, PMID 14506619
Why Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride) is tier 2
Marketed on higher-solubility claims, but the only real head-to-head human RCT (5g/day, 8wk, elite team-sport athletes) found similar effects on strength/jump/body composition to monohydrate -- no demonstrated superiority.
Source: Londono-Velasquez D et al. 2025, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, PMC12291177