Does Creatine Prevent Definition?

Q: "Just one question, I heard I can't get my abs in shape while on creatine, I remember working my abs out ALOT when I was on creatine and they never got the proper 6 pack shape."


A: Creatine needs to be attached to something to be stable and enter the blood stream in a stable fashion. Once inside your system, it breaks down into creatine and whatever else it's attached to. The most common form of creatine (you were probably taking it) is creatine monohydrate. This form of creatine is attached to a salt, and as we both know salt helps you retain water. This is why a lot of people complain that creatine is "just water weight" or creatine "makes you bloated." It's not actually the creatine doing any of it, but the salt that it's attached to.

Creatine monohydrate is the cheapest form of creatine, but other forms are available. Kre-alkalyn, creatine hydrochloride, creatine ethyl ester...you name it. Now, for creatine to be properly absorbed, it needs sugar...about 7g of sugar for every 1g of creatine you take in. Since creatine needs sugar and creatine needs to be attached to something, Gaspari Nutrition made a form of creatine (creatine gluconate) that's, yep, attached to a sugar. This way, the compound enters the system then breaks down into creatine and sugar. Why didn't anyone think of that before?! Their product is called SizeOn and, like other creatines, it is a post-workout.