Creatine Nitrate vs. Magnesium Creatine Chelate
Among 442 on-market creatine products with an identifiable primary form, 48.4% use Creatine Nitrate (214 products) and 27.1% use Magnesium Creatine Chelate (120).
| Creatine Nitrate | Magnesium Creatine Chelate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
| Creatine by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 48.4% | 27.1% |
| On-market products | 214 | 120 |
| Median declared dose | 1,000 mg middle half: 1,000–1,000 | 550 mg middle half: 550–550 |
| Most common brands | PS ProSupps, Cellucor, Nutrabolt | NutraBio, Axe & Sledge Supplements, Seeking Health |
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, PMID 27034623, DOI 10.1186/s12970-016-0124-0
Why Magnesium Creatine Chelate is tier 3
A small (n=35) 2003 RCT (Brilla) showed a greater increase in intracellular water than creatine + MgO; a second small trial (Selsby 2004, n=31, 2.5 g/day x10 d) found Mg-creatine chelate no better than low-dose creatine monohydrate on bench-press work. No trial has shown superior strength/performance versus monohydrate.
Source: Brilla LR et al. 2003, Metabolism 52(9):1136-40, PMID 14506619; Selsby JT et al. 2004, J Strength Cond Res 18(2):311-5, PMID 15142029