The best muscle-growth supplement?
BPI Sports is a sports nutrition company that provides high-quality supplements, gives free workout programs, diet recommendations, and fitness and wellness tips to customers and followers of the brand.
They’ve been in the business of workout supplements for the past 10 years and in that short period of time they have become one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. Their products are being used regularly by elite athletes, regular sports and fitness enthusiasts, and beginners who are looking for that much needed edge to get their fitness journey on the fast track to success.
And for the most part, gym-goers and athletes alike have a goal of building lean muscle. This is why creatine products like BPI sports’ Micronized Creatine are very popular.
We wanted to see if BPI’s reputation built on its 10-year run has really produced an effective muscle-building product. This is our in-depth review of BPI Sports Micronized Creatine.
Note: Despite the reputation of the ingredients listed in the product, the statements made by the manufacturer have not been evaluated by the drug and food administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Pros
- Uses 100% pure creatine
- Quickly absorbed by the body
- Unflavored and can be mixed with any other supplement drink
- 100% money-back guarantee
Cons
- Can cause some digestive issues and bloatedness
- Needs extra care for storing away from moisture
- Can take effort to dissolve
- Doesn’t taste good if drank unmixed with other flavored drinks
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Ingredients and Nutritional Information
BPI Sports Micronized Creatine only contains one ingredient as listed on the packaging: creatine monohydrate
5g Creatine monohydrate / serving
BPI Sports Micronized Creatine Benefits
Let’s take a look at creatine monohydrate does and how it can help your body build lean muscle.
Note: Creatine monohydrate is not harmful to the body. However, as with any nutritional supplement, consulting a doctor or a medical professional is a highly-advised first step to ensure safety.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is a compound that can be found in nature, specifically protein sources like meat and fish, and it plays a critical role in creating energy during muscle contraction.
It is one of the most intensely researched natural supplement compound today, with the central focus on how creatine monohydrate can increase physical performance and overall health and well-being.
As such, it is very popular in the health and fitness industry to take creatine monohydrate supplements to improve strength, gain muscle, and increase overall performance.
How does it work?
Creatine monohydrate works in a number of ways.
During intense workouts, its main purpose is to improve your muscles’ phosphocreatine stores, which is used to produce the energy source known as ATP, which is very important in high-intensity and heavy lifting workouts. Studies have shown that ATP stores are boosted and can help improve the amount of workload your muscles can take. (1, 2)
Because of this, a person doing fitness activities can end up doing more work, which results in muscle growth. It is important that the volume during a single training session is significant enough to trigger the muscle-growth system our body uses. One study has shown that creatine monohydrate can boost an athlete’s workload which in turn results in more work done. (3)
This process of repairing and improving the muscle is reliant on a system called satellite cell signaling. One study has shown that creatine monohydrate can increase the cell signaling system thus improving muscle repair and growth. (4)
Cell volumization effect is believed to play a role in muscle growth. And studies have shown that creatine monohydrate can lift the water amount in the muscle cells triggering the cell volumization effect. (5, 6)
And lastly, studies have shown that creatine is also able to reduce the breakdown of muscles during use, which in turn helps in increasing the total muscle mass during the muscle repair and growth periods. (7)
One other potential benefit of creatine monohydrate consumption is that it can improve brain health and help stave off neurological diseases and ailments. Studies have shown that taking creatine monohydrate can also raise the levels of phosphocreatine stores in the brain. (8, 9, 10)
How Much Should I Take?
BPI Sports suggests at the very least taking one serving, (1 scoop) and mixing it in 8 oz of water or any other flavored exercise drinks, before and after a workout. This is during training days. On non-training days, the manufacturer suggests taking one serving, mixed in the same manner, during the mornings while the stomach has nothing in it.
However, there are some risks to creatine monohydrate consumption such as digestive ailments. So it is best to start consulting a qualified healthcare professional before starting to take the product.
Best Time To Take BPI Sports Micronized Creatine
The best time to take BPI Sports Micronized Creatine depends on whether or not you are training on that day. If you are going to the gym, one serving before a workout and one serving after is for the best results.
On non-training days, take Micronized Creatine first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Why BPI Sports?
BPI Sports is a well-known and trusted fitness supplements company with a team that is passionate about their health and fitness in all aspects, from actual training methods to the supplements they create.
For 10 years the team of BPI Sports have used the discipline and commitment they had to build their own physiques and improve their own health and wellness, to create great supplements everyone can benefit from.
Drawbacks
There are some drawbacks to buying, storing, and using creatine monohydrate products like BPI Sports Micronized Creatine.
One is the risk of bloating, which is from retaining the water the muscles need to grow. Another is indigestion or stomach aches. But for the most part, these drawbacks are easily solved by not overdosing on the product.
Overdosing can cause a variety of side-effects like nausea, headaches, and the like, so it is important to use the product as directed.
It is important to buy Micronized Creatine from reputable sources. Incorrectly stored or mishandled creatine products can result in moisture getting in and ruining the product. So make sure to purchase your Micronized Creatine from a reputable source.
How Much Does It Cost?
Each bottle 21.16 ounce bottle is said to have 120 servings and costs $12.99. This amounts to just $0.10 a serving.
The manufacturer says the optimal dosage for training days would be to take at least one serving before a workout, and one serving after. And for non-training days, one serving in the morning. Assuming that the person follows a 2-days-on, 1-day-off scheme, a total of 50 servings will be consumed in a 30-day period. So it will take just a little over 2 months to finish one bottle.
This is quite a cost-effective product if that’s the case especially because of all the muscle-building benefits of creatine monohydrate.
Review Rating Of BPI Sports Micronized Creatine
- Effectiveness – 9/10 Stars
- Ingredients –10/10 Stars
- Taste – 3/10
- Price – 9/10 Stars
Final Thoughts
BPI Sports has been in the industry for just 10 years but has quickly gained a reputation for creating effective products. Their passionate team talks the talk and walks the walk, and is reflected on their creations like Micronized Creatine.
If you are looking to really get a leg up on building lean muscle effectively and efficiently, BPI Sports Micronized Creatine is definitely a great addition to your supplement regimen. Just be careful to not misuse the product and to follow the manufacturer’s suggested dosage or that of your healthcare professional.
References:
1 – Rawson ES1, Clarkson PM, Price TB, Miles MP, Differential response of muscle phosphocreatine to creatine supplementation in young and old subjects. Acta Physiol Scand. 2002 Jan;174(1):57-65.
2 – Terjung RL1, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH, American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17.
3 – Dangott B1, Schultz E, Mozdziak PE Dietary creatine monohydrate supplementation increases satellite cell mitotic activity during compensatory hypertrophy. Int J Sports Med. 2000 Jan;21(1):13-6.
4 – Becque MD1, Lochmann JD, Melrose DR. Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar;32(3):654-8.
5 – Häussinger D1, Roth E, Lang F, Gerok W. Cellular hydration state: an important determinant of protein catabolism in health and disease.Lancet. 1993 May 22;341(8856):1330-2.
6 – Schoenfeld BJ1.The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2857-72. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3.
7 – Parise G1, Mihic S, MacLennan D, Yarasheski KE, Tarnopolsky MA. Effects of acute creatine monohydrate supplementation on leucine kinetics and mixed-muscle protein synthesis. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2001 Sep;91(3):1041-7
8 – Saks VA1, Kongas O, Vendelin M, Kay L. Role of the creatine/phosphocreatine system in the regulation of mitochondrial respiration. Acta Physiol Scand. 2000 Apr;168(4):635-41.
9 – Dechent P1, Pouwels PJ, Wilken B, Hanefeld F, Frahm J. Increase of total creatine in human brain after oral supplementation of creatine-monohydrate. Am J Physiol. 1999 Sep;277(3):R698-704. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.1999.277.3.R698.
10 – Caroline Rae, Alison L Digney, Sally R McEwan, and Timothy C Bates, Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 22; 270(1529): 2147–2150. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2492
