Creatine Nitrate vs. Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride)
Among 442 on-market creatine products with an identifiable primary form, 48.4% use Creatine Nitrate (214 products) and 24.4% use Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride) (108).
| Creatine Nitrate | Creatine HCl (Hydrochloride) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Tier 2 |
| Creatine by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 48.4% | 24.4% |
| On-market products | 214 | 108 |
| Median declared dose | 1,000 mg middle half: 1,000–1,000 | 1,000 mg middle half: 1,000–1,625 |
| Most common brands | PS ProSupps, Cellucor, Nutrabolt | 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 Creatine Nitrate is tier 2
A dose-ranging safety/efficacy trial found comparable safety markers and performance outcomes to monohydrate, but the evidence base is much smaller and mostly industry-affiliated.
Source: Galvan E et al. 2016, J Int Soc Sports Nutr 13:12, DOI 10.1186/s12970-016-0124-0
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