Amplified Creatine 189 offers a different way of ingesting creatine: through tablets instead of shakes. We investigated to see whether this is an effective way to get creatine into your system, and how the product performs.
A Closer Look
Each serving (two tablets) gives you 1250mg of creatine hydrochloride (HCL). This is supposed to be vastly more beneficial and more easily absorbed than the common creatine monohydrate, which you’ll find in most creatine shakes. The main reason for this is that the HCL molecules are more soluble, and therefore more easily absorbed.
Creatine HCL vs Creatine Monohydrate
There is no extensive research to confirm that HCL offers a practical advantage over regular monohydrate, so right now any claims as such can be considered to be mostly logical deductions and personal opinion rather than extensively proven scientific fact. Part of the reason for the lack of studies is that C-HCL was only patented as recently as 2009.
So, the jury is still out on the real benefits of HCL over monohydrate. Many serious athletes and muscle builders swear by monohydrate regardless of the theoretical superiority of HCL, especially because monohydrate is often much cheaper than HCL.
Two definite advantages of HCL have been identified though:
- It is less likely to produce the bloating or cramping associated with regular creatine
- It may not be necessary to go through a “loading phase” as is recommended with regular creatine
The product label claims that the 1250mg creatine HCL you get from two tablets is about equivalent to 5g of regular creatine. The reason for this is that HCL is a highly concentrated form of creatine, so you need less of it to achieve the same results. As it stands, a 1250mg dose is more than enough per serving to get you results.
Taking the Tablets
The tablets are quite large, so if you have trouble swallowing them you should break them in half. This is a good idea for another reason: there are many complaints about the tablets not digesting at all. Breaking them before ingestion is a good way to solve this problem, and it makes it easier to get them down at the same time.
Economy
Many people raise the cost as a complaint. We don’t think that’s particularly valid, depending on where you buy. GNC sells the product at $39.99 for 120 capsules, while you can buy
Results
Beyond all the science and hydrochlorides and monohydrates, one question needs answering: does Amplified Creatine 189 produce results? To find out we set off on an extensive piece of web research, looking up all the reviews we could find on this product to get an accurate overall picture of whether people actually get results when using it .
The product gets about 70% positive reviews, with the biggest complaints being the digestion issues and the price. We already provided solutions for both those problems though.
Here are some comments from Amplified Creatine 189 users:
“This purchase was the 2nd time I’ve bought this product. It’s given me great results every time with weightlifting, and I can definitely see an increase in performance over the course of the time I take it. The actual results from this product are pretty prominent, as I tend to not be able to fit my shirts as well any more” D. Heefner, Amazon.com
“It works. I split the pill in half and have had no digestion issues. I have notived a substantial increase in strength and endurance, especially with legs, and interestingly enough forearms (holding bar for various excercices). Its far more convenient than the powder and has no discernable side effect. No stomach issues. No skin issues (my facial skin looked odd with monohydrate).” Gonoles71, Supplementreviews.com
“As far as results go, this product did help improve my strength while I took it. I was kind of a noob to supplements when I took this product, so maybe I just had beginners luck, but I consistently and substantially made gains in strength and endurance whilst on this product. It’s nothing that I haven’t achieved with other forms of Creatine however.” Shinndigg, Certified Expert Review, Supplementreviews.com
Verdict
For most people who use it correctly, Amplified Creatine 189 seems to produce measurable results. It’s a pity about the digestion issues of the tablets, but breaking them before ingestion seems to solve it. You can expect less unwanted effects than you would get from using cheap creatine monohydrate powders, but this is ultimately just a pure creatine supplement not stacked with BCAAs or proteins.
The price doesn’t work out too badly, especially if you get it at a big discount at online stores like Amazon.com instead of from the GNC counter. Taking tablets is convenient and overall we feel that this product is worth a try, especially if you struggle with bloating or other side effects from regular creatine.
Pros:
- It works
- You get the benefits of HCL
- Tablets are convenient to take, although you may have to break them
- Aids muscle recovery
- Reasonably priced if you shop at the right stores
Cons:
- Tablets don’t digest well and you have to break them
- It’s just creatine, not stacked with BCAAs or any other muscle food
Six Star Whey Protein Plus Review
Leave a Reply