There are tons of gains-boosting supps on the market, and you may have heard that creatine is one of the best (spoiler alert: you heard right).  As a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer, I often recommend creatine to clients focusing on muscle growth and weightlifting. And especially with creatine, there’s no need to overcomplicate things — a short, simple ingredients list will do the trick. 

Over the years, our team of fitness and nutrition experts have tried over 40 of the best creatine supplements on the market, and we think Thorne Creatine is an extremely solid choice. Unflavored (but not gross) and clinically dosed with the best form of creatine for gains (another spoiler: monohydrate!), we like Thorne Creatine for being a straightforward, what-it-says-on-the-tin supp. At BarBend, our team tests every product using our supplement testing methodology, and we left no stone unturned for our Thorne Creatine review.

Medical disclaimer: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.

Main Takeaways

• Thorne Creatine, by Thorne Research, is a high-quality supplement containing a clinical dosage of 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per serving. It has no other ingredients or additives.
• Some supps are all about the fruity or dessert-like flavors. Thorne Creatine is unflavored (with no artificial sweeteners), yet our tester says it tastes perfectly fine and gets the job done.
• Competitive athletes can rest assured. Thorne Research does third-party testing, and Thorne Creatine has the NSF Certified for Sport® stamp of approval. 

Thorne Creatine Specs

Thorne Creatine, by Thorne Research, is a high-quality, no-nonsense creatine supplement. Thorne Research is a solid brand that does clinical trials on all its products and offers transparent labels and clinical dosages.

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid stored in your body, mainly in your muscle cells and brain. Increasing your creatine levels can boost brain function and strengthen brain health. Cognitive function is key to training, but let’s get deeper into the muscle performance side of things (that’s probably why you’re here) — which has 50 years of solid research on its safe and ergogenic effect on exercise. (1)

Creatine helps replenish ATP quicker, which is the stored, cellular energy your body uses for high-intensity, short-duration activities like weightlifting and sprinting. (1) With quicker energy production, more stored creatine can increase your exercise capacity and power output. (1)

More endurance and the ability to bang out an extra rep can lead to strength gains in the long run. (1)

When combined with enough training and nutrition, it can also help you build muscle mass. Many studies compare two groups performing the same volume of resistance training, and the creatine group typically gains more lean body mass than the control. Back to Thorne specifically — creatine monohydrate is the most high-quality type of creatine all the studies reference. (1)(2)

Thorne Creatine is a pure micronized creatine monohydrate with no other ingredients or additives. It is unflavored, so there are no sweeteners either. It is relatively cheap, at under 50 cents per serving, and is third-party tested and verified as NSF Certified for Sport.

Who Should Use / Who Shouldn’t Use Thorne Creatine

So you know you want to take creatine, but which is the best product for you? Although Thorne Creatine is high-quality, some aspects might not make it your top choice. Here is who should and should not go with Thorne.

Recommended for:

• Those who like pure, simple products with creatine only
• People looking to maintain creatine stores for athletic performance and muscle growth
• People who don’t mind an unflavored creatine product

Not Recommended for:

• People who want more of an all-in-one supplement than creatine alone
• Those who prefer a more interesting flavor

Our Experience Using Thorne Creatine

What’s nice about creatine is that the timing doesn’t matter as much as when you’re drinking the best pre-workout supplements or your favorite post-workout protein shake. It just matters that you take it every day consistently. You can add it to your pre-workout or pop it into a shake with your protein powders of choice. You can also have it alone with water. 

In all of these cases, you want to know that what you’re getting is high-quality, so as a certified nutrition coach, I’ll provide ratings on ingredients and formulation, plus price and safety. Then, we’ll have our expert tester, also a certified nutrition coach, weigh in on taste and solubility, so you know what to expect. They’ve rated our different categories on a scale of 1 (sad) to 5 (thrilled).

Ingredients and Formulation

First, Thorne Creatine contains creatine monohydrate, the most well-researched form of creatine. It has 5 grams per serving, which works perfectly well for the two different, most up-to-date recommended ways of taking creatine from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). (1)

The ISSN states that the fastest way to increase muscle creatine is to take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate four times daily for 5 to 7 days. Then, they recommend taking 3 to 5 grams daily as a maintenance dose to keep your muscle stores full. (1)

So whether you are in that initial phase (which is not the same as a loading phase, as was previously recommended in the literature) or in the maintenance phase, Thorne Creatine has the perfect amount.

There are no other ingredients or additives in Thorne Creatine. (Disappointed? Many athletes like stacking their supplements to get more bang for their buck with one drink. If that’s you, no worries: we’ve assembled a list of the best pre-workouts with creatine just for you.) 

Since Thorne is unflavored, there are no sweeteners at all. Since it is third-party tested and verified, you can rest assured that it’s safe for use.

For these reasons, I rate ingredients and formulation a 5 out of 5.

Taste

Thorne Creatine is unflavored, but can something really taste like nothing?

On taste, our expert tester, a certified nutrition coach, states, “This product is unflavored, and it gets a 4 out of 5 for taste. If you’re experienced with the product, you can kind of tell you’re drinking creatine — but it’s not terribly noticeable and won’t ruin your drink.”

If it’s your first time trying creatine, then the creatine-y taste may be overpowering, and you might consider a different brand that offers flavors. However, flavored supplements also can get stuck with an artificially sweet taste and aftertaste. Knowing you fall in one camp or the other can help you know what to expect with this one. 

Personally, I don’t mind something tasting more like a powder or supplement if it comes with less of that fake sweet taste. On the other hand, I know plenty of clients who feel the opposite, so it’s purely personal preference and a good question to ask yourself.

Solubility

Taste is one thing. The next question is how well it mixes with water since we don’t want a clumpy, powdery drink in our quest for gains. Thorne Creatine uses micronized creatine, which theoretically should help it absorb better into liquid. All those fancy creatine benefits just won’t matter if you won’t drink the stuff because it’s a struggle to get down. 

On solubility, our expert tester, a certified nutrition coach, states, “It settles quite a lot, so unless you chug it, you’ll need to stir it a few times during the drinking process.”

For that reason, they rate it a 3 out of 5. 

This, again, comes down to personal preference, so picture yourself in the situation. If you go for this supplement knowing you may not enjoy the unflavored experience, you may be more likely to want to chug it down and get it over with. Slowing down and continuing to stir and re-mix it may make the whole thing more arduous. Plus, remember this is something you’ll be drinking daily.

Price Per Serving

One tub is $42. The serving size is one scoop, and you get 90 servings, so it costs $0.46 for each one. You’ll likely want to take creatine every day, so this section matters a whole lot. I like that there are 90 servings, so you can consider it a three-month supply at only $0.46 daily. I rate the price a 5 out of 5.

[Related: Foods With Creatine]

Third-Party Testing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements. Unlike food, medications, or other products, supplements (like creatine) to not have to be considered safe or effective to be sold. They also may contain ingredients not listed on the label (including banned substances), or the amounts listed could be incorrect.

That’s why we like products that do third-party testing to verify that what you see is what you get. Thorne Creatine is third-party tested with one of the highest verifications: NSF Certified for Sport. That means the product is precisely what the label states and is free of over 200 banned substances.

It’s a 5 out of 5 here.

What to Consider Before Buying Thorne Creatine

Before buying Thorne Creatine, think of the most important aspects of a creatine supplement to see if it has what it takes to be a great product. First, what type of creatine does it contain, and how much? Does it have any other ingredients or additives? Does it offer any flavor options? The price per serving matters a lot here because you must take it daily for the best results. Consider third-party testing for safety (everyone) and ingredients (athletes). 

• Type of Creatine: Thorne Creatine is a creatine monohydrate supplement, the most well-researched form of creatine available. It contains 5 grams, the high end of the recommended dosage of 3 to 5 grams. Creatine newbies may experience creatine side effects like more bloating by starting at the highest dosage (though side effects differ for each individual). Any dosage may cause short-term water retention initially, but going with the highest amount could cause more.
• Other Ingredients: Thorne Creatine contains no other ingredients. This one could be the one for those who like clean products.
• Flavor: Thorne Creatine is unflavored and contains no artificial sweeteners. Our tester says it tastes OK, but it’s noticeable that you’re drinking creatine if you’re having it with just water. You might want to toss this into a smoothie instead — some blended fruit will certainly override the creatine-ness of the unflavored taste.
• Price: One tub costs $42, and 90 one-scoop servings cost $0.46 per serving. Since you need to take creatine every day, consider $42 for a three-month supply and decide if that works for your budget.
• Third-Party Testing: Thorne Creatine is third-party tested and NSF Certified for Sport. This cert means it is free of banned substances and safe for competitive athletes who may get tested. Not all supps get this cert, so we weigh it heavily.

Thorne Creatine Vs. Competitors

So you’re set on trying creatine, and Thorne is sounding pretty good, but you know you have more options. To help you compare high-level specs in an accessible visual format, we like using this table to put Thorne Creatine right next to some of its top competitors.

We chose Jacked Factory Growth Surge and Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate to compare because they are both reputable, popular brands that also contain creatine monohydrate, with a few key differences. The most significant difference is that Thorne Creatine is the only one in the group that is third-party tested and NSF Certified for Sport. We know only some consumers are competitive athletes who need that clarity, though others may like it for peace of mind.

The next significant difference is ingredients — Thorne and Nutricost both contain 5 grams of creatine monohydrate only, while Jacked Factory only has 3 grams. Jacked Factory Growth is more of a post-workout supplement containing betaine anhydrous, L-carnitine L-tartrate, and BioPerine. It’s also the most expensive, while Nutricost is the cheapest. For flavor enthusiasts, Jacket Factory and Nutricost offer flavored options (with artificial sweeteners) or unflavored like Thorne.

[Related: Pros and Cons of Creatine]

Places to Buy Thorne Creatine

If you’re in the market for Thorne Creatine, here’s where to look.

• Thorne.com
• Amazon
• Target
• Walmart
• Erewhon
• Thrive Market

Customer Experience and Brand Reputation

One benefit of buying supplements on the internet is that you can find out what the customer experience will be like based on those who have already bought them. Here’s what to expect. 

• Shipping and Delivery:
  • Time: After processing, delivery will depend on the speed you choose: ground shipping takes 3 to 7 business days, 2-day air arrives 2 days later, and standard overnight delivery should arrive the next day. Note that overnight and 2-day air delivery only ship and arrive on business days, so weekends and holidays won’t count.
  • Price: All orders in the United States (except Alaska and Hawaii) come with free ground shipping. If you want it faster, you can pay extra. Those in Alaska and Hawaii can get free shipping for orders over $300. Anything under $300 will cost at least $30 for shipping, with the exact amount calculated at checkout.
• Trial Period: Thorne Research offers a 60-day satisfaction guarantee for products purchased in the United States from the Thorne website or authorized resellers. You can return it for a refund, store credit, or exchange. 
• Customer Reviews:
  • Thorne Site: Customers on the Thorne website have written 550 reviews and rate it a 4.5 out of 5.
  • Amazon: There are 10,982 reviews on Amazon and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.
  • Customer Thoughts: Customers like the taste and quality, and some rate it as the most high-quality creatine available. They report strength gains and better muscle performance after training with Thorne Creatine. Some say it mixes well; some say it doesn’t fully dissolve.

Our Final Verdict on Thorne Creatine

Thorne Creatine is a high-quality creatine monohydrate powder with no other ingredients backed by third-party testing. It is unflavored, and some say it is grainy, so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or supplement). They have a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, so if you’re on the fence, you can test the taste to see if it’s worth the clean gains.

Thorne Creatine FAQs

References

1. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.
2. Delpino FM, Figueiredo LM, Forbes SC, Candow DG, Santos HO. Influence of age, sex, and type of exercise on the efficacy of creatine supplementation on lean body mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition. 2022 Nov-Dec;103-104:111791. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111791. Epub 2022 Jul 8. PMID: 35986981.

The post Thorne Creatine Review (2024): Clinically Dosed & Personally Tested appeared first on BarBend.