Creatine Anhydrous
One of the most recently popularized variations of creatine is creatine anhydrous, is a unique take an on old ingredient. It differs from literally every other form of creatine on the market, as it is pure creatine. Regardless of which form of creatine you use, each of them features a creatine molecule bonded to another compound.
Creatine anhydrous however is not bonded to any additional ingredients but is instead a chemically pure creatine molecule. This allows it to be 99-100% pure. From a marketing perspective, it lets companies claim a higher purity level, and say that their product offers more creatine on a gram per gram basis.
A real-world review of creatine anhydrous shows us that there are no human studies at this point in time comparing the compound to the likes of the well researched creatine monohydrate, or any other form for that matter. Anecdotal reports are also pretty clear that this form does not mix well in water, making it hard to use.
Due to the complete lack of human studies, the best explanation of this ingredient is using creatine monohydrate data as there is little reason to believe that creatine anhydrous would provide any major increase or reduction in results to this standard form.
What it does
Creatine has been shown to increase a user’s power/strength output[1], their lean body mass[2], anaerobic running capacity (endurance)[3], and fight fatigue during exercise[4].
How it works
Creatine works via its ability to donate phosphate molecules to ADP (adenosine diphopshate), creating the molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Each of the cells in our muscle tissue uses ATP to power muscular contractions, so having more creatine in our body allows more of our cells to contract during a given exercise (bigger contraction = more strength), as well as recycle ADP into ATP at a faster rate, thereby driving increased levels of endurance/stamina.
Dosing
Originally, many believed that a “loading phase” (taking a larger amount for the first 1-2 weeks of usage) of creatine was necessary to see results, however more recent science has shown us that is that is not the case.
Proper dosing of Creatine is simple, with most needing a single daily dose of 3-5g per day to saturate their muscle cells completely. Experienced athletes with significantly higher muscle mass than others can take a daily dose of 10g/day if desired.
For best results, aim to consume .05-.1g/day of Creatine per day[5]. This equates to 4.5g-9g/day for a 200lbs athlete.