During my past year of writing for Club Solutions, I’ve covered various topics and shared a great deal of profit-generating information. Of all my articles, none has sparked more interest or generated more questions from readers than the one I wrote about creatine. That’s why I’m revisiting the subject once again to give you even more “insider” information that anyone selling this popular supplement needs to know.
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t have the foggiest clue about what makes one type of creatine product different from another. You certainly can’t tell by looking at all those crazy ads cramming the magazines each month. Each one sounds like it’s the latest miracle. Well, that’s what I’m here for…to help you find the facts hidden somewhere in this mess…to show you exactly what to look for so you can increase your profits.
$400 Million per Year… And Growing!
It’s a fact: creatine is the most cost-effective supplement on the market today. Even after so many promising supplements and breakthroughs have come and gone since its introduction to the marketplace over 14 years ago, creatine still leads the pack as the “king” of all performance products. It’s completely legal in all professional- and collegiate-level sports. And, it works just as well for women as it does for men.
That’s why it’s not hard to understand why the U.S. creatine market continues to grow each year, now pushing well past the $400 million mark. In fact, I believe every gym in America should be selling this extremely high-demand, high-profit product. If you aren’t, I guarantee you’re letting thousands of dollars walk out of your door every day.
Which creatine is the best?
Is one form or type actually better or more effective than the original: creatine monohydrate? The answer is simple…No. Creatine monohydrate is the only type of creatine you need. Here’s why: creatine monohydrate always has been (and still is) the “gold standard” when it comes to creatine. You see, it has no less than 200 studies backing it, of which 70 have been published in peer-reviewed journals. This fact alone makes it the single, most studied sports supplement ever.
To synthesize creatine, you “react” two chemicals, called Sarcosine and Cyanimide, inside a large, glass-lined reactor filled with water at high temperatures. Key Point: the end result of this process is ALWAYS creatine monohydrate. In other words, creatine monohydrate is the ONLY form of creatine that can be made from scratch. That’s why it’s the most prevalent form.
Therefore, to make any “new” form of creatine, you must “react” finished creatine monohydrate with the desired bonding compound in water to create the new version. However, this is precisely where the problems begin from a manufacturing standpoint.
You make more money when you sell creatine, not creatinine. Traditional creatine actually “falls apart” once it’s activated by a fluid, degrading into something called creatinine – a mostly useless byproduct. By the way, creatinine is also what may cause side effects like bloating, diarrhea and cramping – usually associated with creatine. Similarly, Chemistry 101 also tells us that reacting creatine with an acid actually destroys the creatine molecule and converts it into creatinine. That’s why they can’t be bound together to make a “new” creatine. Remember, even if you could bond an acid to creatine, you must still use water or another fluid as a medium for the chemical reaction. Either way, you get creatinine.
So, what are all of these “new” creatines on the market?
At best, they are one of three things:
1. Ordinary creatine monohydrate labeled as something else.
2. A simple mixture of creatine monohydrate and the compound with which it’s supposedly bonded.
3. A botched version created by a manufacturer who tried to “bond” creatine monohydrate to an acid without knowing the associated problems. Furthermore, terms such as, “di” and “tri”, as they relate to creatine, are simply made up.
It’s important to note that most supplement companies actually aren’t necessarily at fault. They’ve simply bought-in to the idea that these compounds might sincerely give their customers a superior product. Unfortunately, most supplement companies don’t know what you now do – you know how creatine is actually made.
Make even bigger profits from creatine with these two critical tips:
1. When it comes to creatine, stick to the basics and choose products that are backed by proven science…not advertising hype. Of course, that also means it should have creatine monohydrate as its base.
2. Always buy creatine based on quality, never the lowest price. You’ll get what you pay for. The difference in results will keep your clients buying from you many times over.
Based on the number of studies backing it – not to mention the problems associated with reprocessing creatine to make a “new” version – it should be obvious by now that it doesn’t get any better than the gold standard: creatine monohydrate.
If you’d like to read my book that explains this in much greater detail, you can download it right now from my website – for free. Or, send me an email at bandrews@aaefx.com, and I’ll mail you a printed copy.
Brian Andrews is President of All American EFX, a sports nutrition company. He can be contacted at 800.659.3406, or by email at bandrews@aaefx.com. You can download his new FREE book called “CREATINE: Industry Insider Secrets Revealed”. Or simply contact him to have a printed copy mailed to you.
