Walk into any supplement store and you'll see creatine sold as HCL, ethyl ester, buffered, micronized, and half a dozen other variations, each marketed as "better absorbed" or "no bloating." Here's the uncomfortable truth: none of them have the research behind them that plain creatine monohydrate does.
Why we only use monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is, by a wide margin, the most studied supplement ingredient in existence — over 500 studies spanning decades, consistently showing benefits for strength and power output. Newer forms are typically more expensive to produce and are marketed on theoretical advantages that haven't held up when actually tested head-to-head against monohydrate.
The dose that matters
FLOW CREATINE delivers 5,000mg (5g) of creatine monohydrate per serving — the standard maintenance dose used across the research. You don't need a "loading phase" of higher doses for it to work; consistent daily use at 5g is enough to saturate your muscle creatine stores over roughly 3–4 weeks.
What it actually does
Creatine helps regenerate ATP, the molecule your muscles use for quick, high-force output — the kind of effort involved in a heavy set, a sprint, or a jump. That's why the research consistently shows benefits for strength and power-based training, not for "bloating you look bigger."
The water weight question
Creatine does pull water into your muscle cells (that's part of how it works), so a small amount of water weight gain is normal and expected — it's not fat gain, and it's not the "bloating" that gets blamed on lower-quality forms of creatine.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.