Need help drinking Creatine HCL, WOW

[xwhitesky]

So I decided to switch from monohydrate to creatine HCL after reading about some of the benefits (better bioavailability, less bloating, etc).

So far good, but the taste is just almost too much for me. Currently using Bulk Supplements HCL, great reviews and price/quantity. But I'm guessing this is just what all HCL tastes like - literally super sour and SALTY at the same time.

I literally can't mix it with anything - completely destroys all protein shakes, tried with orange or apple juice and it makes them disgusting, and with plain water and sugar it's bearable.

Also, couldn't find anything on it here, but is the dosage the same whether it's mono or HCL? I've been taking 5g 3x a day (morning, pre-workout, post-workout). This is what makes the HCL so unbearable though.. the bag's dosage is only 750mg-1500mg, so I take over double this amount to get near 5g. And the acid/salty flavor literally feels like it's melting my teeth, LOL.

Any experience and thoughts?

[MentalistMan]

If you used a pre-workout, try mixing it with that.

[Jammer02xd]

I would suggest going back to monohydrate as well as stopping in on AE's supplement science thread. Also, stop taking so damn much! You don't need 15g a day.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1473025711

[vapedup247]

So I decided to switch from monohydrate to creatine HCL after reading about some of the benefits (better bioavailability, less bloating, etc).

So far good, but the taste is just almost too much for me. Currently using Bulk Supplements HCL, great reviews and price/quantity. But I'm guessing this is just what all HCL tastes like - literally super sour and SALTY at the same time.

I literally can't mix it with anything - completely destroys all protein shakes, tried with orange or apple juice and it makes them disgusting, and with plain water and sugar it's bearable.

Also, couldn't find anything on it here, but is the dosage the same whether it's mono or HCL? I've been taking 5g 3x a day (morning, pre-workout, post-workout). This is what makes the HCL so unbearable though.. the bag's dosage is only 750mg-1500mg, so I take over double this amount to get near 5g. And the acid/salty flavor literally feels like it's melting my teeth, LOL.

Any experience and thoughts?

Ive had the same thing with unflavored HCL, I have used a few different brands and always get that taste, I just chug it as fast as I can. I tried mixing it with tons of stuff, even Gatorade tastes pretty interesting(bad) with it in my opinion. If I throw it in my shake or pre workout I barely notice it, but if its a regular drink its pretty obvious its there.

I use HCL over mono because of stomach issues but I am going with capsules next time to avoid this!

[xwhitesky]

Thanks for the comments.. I'm noticing literally EVERYONE and every resources/article has a different view on creatine dosage. Hard to decide with so little consensus..

Anyways I'll check out that thread^ and try a pre-workout to mask the flavor a bit :-/. If not maybe will go back to mono.. it's nice not having to drink it separate and have to take yet another drink/supplement. Throwing everything into one shake is so easy xD

[TMac26]

I mixed mine with sugar free lemonade (crystal light).

I just make the water a little less to concentrate the lemonade flavor to offset the sourness of the HCL

[vapedup247]

Thanks for the comments.. I'm noticing literally EVERYONE and every resources/article has a different view on creatine dosage. Hard to decide with so little consensus..

Anyways I'll check out that thread^ and try a pre-workout to mask the flavor a bit :-/. If not maybe will go back to mono.. it's nice not having to drink it separate and have to take yet another drink/supplement. Throwing everything into one shake is so easy xD

Yeah you shoot for 5g tops a day, the taste will probably be easier for you to handle vs 15g. I couldn't imagine taking that much lol
If you can go back to mono I would op, I have the worst stomach issues with mono and that's the ONLY reason I prefer HCL

[Luiscuba98]

Since HCL is acidic (low pH), buy high alkaline water. try to look for pH 8-10. This is neutralize the HCL. I have tried it and it works. I usually take 2-4g everytime i work out with about 8-10 oz of water.

[MentalistMan]

Since HCL is acidic (low pH), buy high alkaline water. try to look for pH 8-10. This is neutralize the HCL. I have tried it and it works. I usually take 2-4g everytime i work out with about 8-10 oz of water.

Yeah, alkaline water would definitely take some of the bite out of the HCl. Personally, I use C-HCl caps instead of powder.

[wheytoosexy]

Since HCL is acidic (low pH), buy high alkaline water. try to look for pH 8-10. This is neutralize the HCL. I have tried it and it works. I usually take 2-4g everytime i work out with about 8-10 oz of water.

Agree.

[Gambino72]

That's exactly what i do too. Makes it drinkable!

[Heizz]

I'd recommend just adding it to either your preworkout or just in a protein shake throughout the day.

Do not be concerned with timing.

[reachingformars]

Since HCL is acidic (low pH), buy high alkaline water. try to look for pH 8-10. This is neutralize the HCL. I have tried it and it works. I usually take 2-4g everytime i work out with about 8-10 oz of water.

Genius! Thanks.

[james29052014]

I recently bought myprotein creatine watermelon flavour and I can't even handle the smell or taste of it, so I threw it and bought unflavoured, 5g scoop of powder in my mouth with a bit of water, swish and swallow

[Lankyyy]

So I decided to switch from monohydrate to creatine HCL after reading about some of the benefits (better bioavailability, less bloating, etc).

So far good, but the taste is just almost too much for me. Currently using Bulk Supplements HCL, great reviews and price/quantity. But I'm guessing this is just what all HCL tastes like - literally super sour and SALTY at the same time.

I literally can't mix it with anything - completely destroys all protein shakes, tried with orange or apple juice and it makes them disgusting, and with plain water and sugar it's bearable.

Also, couldn't find anything on it here, but is the dosage the same whether it's mono or HCL? I've been taking 5g 3x a day (morning, pre-workout, post-workout). This is what makes the HCL so unbearable though.. the bag's dosage is only 750mg-1500mg, so I take over double this amount to get near 5g. And the acid/salty flavor literally feels like it's melting my teeth, LOL.

Any experience and thoughts?

yeah same, i got my cell tech creactor creatine HCL unflavored and the taste is really sour bitter and almost impossible to drink. best solution i found is to take a big sip of water keep it in my mouth and top it off with a scoop of creatine and just rinse quickly and swallow. this method proved the best for me since it goes down quickly and once already mixed with water within the mouth it makes it more bearable. also another thing you can try is, as already stated by a a previous comment, is to use half scoop of pre workout, if you have, and one scoop of creatine mix and drink. the taste is masked atleast. look out for them beta alanine tho don't want butt itches during or post workout.

[joewattie]

Embrace the taste. I too was caught by surprise. Eyuch! But I've adapted.

The water from the 'fridge is colder. I drop 2 grams (one mini-scoop) into a six oz. glass and fill with cold water. No stirring necessary, it simply mixes "auto-magically". Then I simply sip it like I would with two fingers of bourbon while reading the paper. It's become a most pleasant ritual. I swear, I can almost feel the "buzz". Then I "chase it" with a glass of water.

Next up - quantity. They recommend only two grams of C HCL. Less than half of the recommendation for Mono, which is 5 ... NOT 15 grams! Why so much! "More" isn't always better.

That's the advantage of HCL. Better bioavailability = less product, less tummy aches.

[Brankov88]

I have tried Kre-Alkalyn pills and it was very convenient but did not feel any results. Went back to 5g creatine mono but im curious about the creatine HCL, is it pill dosage or powder ?

[joewattie]

I have tried Kre-Alkalyn pills and it was very convenient but did not feel any results. Went back to 5g creatine mono but im curious about the creatine HCL, is it pill dosage or powder ?

Creatine Mono remains the gold standard. Others try, maybe some will pan out.

Personally I'm having good luck with Cr HCL and, finally, a couple independent studies are starting confirm that.

IF I recall right Cr HCL is available in tablets and capsules. Myself, I use the powder. It works just fine.

[TheFugitive]

I prefer the capsules

[Uxleumas]

Since HCL is acidic (low pH), buy high alkaline water. try to look for pH 8-10. This is neutralize the HCL. I have tried it and it works. I usually take 2-4g everytime i work out with about 8-10 oz of water.

Neutralizing the HCl turns the creatine into its monohydrate form, but it does remove the sour taste quite well. If alkaline water is too expensive (most brands also have a somewhat low neutralization capacity), half a gram to a gram of baking soda also works, and so does a crushed up tums tablet. Neither really help with how salty it is though, which is not surprising considering how NaCl/CaCl2 is formed. Personally i'd suggest to either endure or mask the taste, as neutralization makes using HCl useless as the HCl.

[divyamiller]

HCL's super sour-salty taste is normal, the acid can be harsh. Skip mixing, try capsules, flavored powders, or chase with water. Dosage: generally same as mono (check brand), you only need 1.5-3g HCL vs 5g mono due to better absorption. Consider splitting your HCL dose to lower per-serving intensity. Experiment, find what works!

[vanya1054]

15g a day it's too much I think.

[zakandrews398]

In addition to changing your diet and exercise routine, getting enough sleep each night may be beneficial for weight loss.