NOW Foods Sports Nutrition, Micronized Creatine Powder 500 g, Mass Building*/Energy Production*, 1.1-Pound

What can I say, it's creatine. I noted that, since I've started using this stuff, I have a lot more energy in the gym. I have broken through the plateau that I have been stuck at for months and my bench has gone up - haven't maxed lately since I work out alone and that can be risky, but my working rep sets have gone up by a good 20 lbs. And 45-50 minute sessions are now the norm - I could go longer, even, but I have a family so I can't spend hours upon hours at the gym. Overall, with the gains in strength and endurance, not bad for a suburban dad who works in an office all day and is rapidly approaching 35.It doesn't taste like anything, so that that for what you will. Some people like the artificially sweetened stuff, I have no need. Just give me the powder and a glass of water - I'm drinking it for what it is, not because I'm looking for a taste experience that will blow my mind and transcend understanding.I selected this product admittedly for the price, which seemed to be the best price-per-use by far. If you're looking for a good, solid product that is 100% creatine monohydrate, and has no filler, no colors, no flavoring, just a no-frills, all-business creatine supplement at a reasonable price, this is the product for you. I will probably buy a second tub when the first runs out.

nice product and I can feel the results

Made in the USA. 100% pure creatine monohydrate with no fillers. I use lots of NOW products and love them all. They are all all-natural and most are Made in the USA.Creatine monohydrate is one of the only legal substances that is proven to increase muscle mass long term in hundreds of clinical studies, with only one study citing a negative impact (possibly reacts badly if you are on medication that adversely affects kidney function). It has a ton of research to back it up, many of which you can just look up on wikipedia so I won't repeat them here. It is the only thing I supplement with other than protein.The way creatine works is as a energy reserve for your muscles so when you are deep into intense exercise it can be called on.. like a long-term storage-sugar that waits in your muscles until it is ready to be used. Make sure you drink plenty of water when supplementing with creatine because it is similar to a salt, if you let yourself get dehydrated much of its benefits will be countered.THE REST OF THE REVIEW IS FROM A VEGETARIAN BODYBUILDERS PERSPECTIVEPersonally, I am vegetarian, so naturally I get zero creatine supplemented by my diet. There was one study done on creatine with vegetarians that showed they far out-preformed meat-eating creatine users in cognitive tests. And out-preformed vegetarians who weren't supplementing with creatine. So that is just a double bonus. There is a difference in mental clarity although you do not need the mega-doses prescribed for body building for that effect. HOWEVER, creatine is typically not sourced from plant sources, although a plant sourced creatine exists it is extremely expensive, most creatine is actually synthesized from amino acids. The amino acids could be sourced from any number of plant or animal sources, from whey, to eggs, to plants, or all of the above. Likely they are sourced from the cheapest and most commonly available sources but it's hard to find that stuff out.It doesn't say on the bottle but two reviewers posted helpful links in the comments after the review that this is suitable for vegetarians/vegans.I'm a vegetarian body builder so with creatine I am willing to bend because there are so many studies backing it up in addition to the vegetarian study. After beginning supplementation I could instantly push myself for 20% more reps.. and I always do reps until muscular failure so I doubt it is a placebo effect. Other clinical studies also dual tested with placebo's of course so there is more than just my personal experience supporting that.BUT there is less effect for meat eaters because creatine is already naturally found in meat. Vegetarians will notice a much larger impact in their workouts. I have been vegetarian for 12 years, but I used creatine before I became vegetarian. My memory is hazy, but I remember it basically doing nothing. But as a vegetarian BAM! instant results.I used creatine for a year when I thought a glass of red wine a day was good for you. That will mess you up. Body building, creatine, and alcohol in any quantity do not mix. Creatine already dehydrates you because it is a salt, as does hard workouts. Throw a bit of alcohol into the mix, which also dehydrates you due to sulfates, and it made me physically ill. Some studies in the past have shown that creatine can affect the liver or kidneys, but those studies have been refuted and even the European union's medical board gave the opinion that 3G of creatine a day for years of use is completely harmless. But alcohol does effect liver and kidneys so drinking alcohol is essentially the same thing as taking a medication that affects those organs, so I would highly advise against mixing creatine with alcohol.Hope this review helped.

Creatine is one of the few health supplements on the market that most experts agree on will promote muscle growth and possibly increase high-intensity workout performance. Since I can find no proven data that shows one brand of creatine is better than the other I look for and buy the least expensive creatine supplement from a reliable source that I can find, which is why I have used this NOW Sports Monohydrate Creatine Powder several times over the last couple of years.I will admit I was drawn into buying a micronized creatine powder previously as this powder was supposed to dissolve better when mixing in liquids. What I found was that this more expensive micronized powder did dissolve just a little bit better than standard creatine powder, however it still did not dissolve completely in liquid so for me the slight benefit was not worth the extra cost.Also, I was a little worried before after my last order after reading a few reviews stating that the NOW Sports Monohydrate Creatine Powder had changes and now has a "horrible taste and smell". However, the monohydrate creatine powder I ordered has no weird smell or taste.So does this NOW Sports Monohydrate Creatine Powder work? I couldn't tell you as I'm not sure if any muscle growth or extra energy can be attributed to this powder, or to working out and eating better. But for the rather inexpensive price, even if any muscle or stamina gains are purely coincidental I'm still going to keep using creatine powder.I've posted two pictures below.1) Shows the creatine powder in a glass of room temperature water after stirring vigorously for 15 seconds and then letting the powder settle in the water. (Yes I wish the powder would dissolve completely after a few stirs, but this is not a deal breaker to me.)2) This pic shows suggested usage and other information found on the product label.I hope some of this information was helpful.Update: I stored the sealed jar with water and creatine powder that I used for the pic below in the fridge to drink later. Over the last 9 days I shook the jar to mix the contents at least once per day. To my astonishment 9 days later the creatine powder still settles back to the bottom of the jar every time, looking pretty much like the first time I originally attempted to mix it. 🤔

Now has always been a solid brand. Piece of mind with this purchase. They have been making solid products since at lost 1745 if I remember correctly.