Is Creatine Nitrate Worth It? What the Research Really Says

April 15, 2025

If you’ve ever found yourself hunting for the next edge in performance or vascularity, you’ve probably seen Creatine Nitrate popping up in flashy pre-workouts. Marketed as a more soluble, pump-enhancing version of creatine, it’s got hype but does it deliver?

Let’s break down what creatine nitrate actually is, what science says about it, and whether it’s worth your time and money.

What Is Creatine Nitrate?

Creatine Nitrate (CN) is a compound that binds traditional creatine with a nitrate group.

This combo is marketed to:

Improve water solubility compared to Creatine Monohydrate (CM)
Boost nitric oxide (NO) levels for better blood flow, muscle pumps, and vascularity

In theory, it sounds like the ultimate pre-workout creatine. But let’s look at the actual research.

Study Breakdown: Safety of Creatine Nitrate (Joy et al., 2014)

Study Title: 28 Days of Creatine Nitrate Supplementation is Apparently Safe in Healthy Individuals

Subjects:

58 healthy men and women
Split into three groups:
Control (no supplement)
1g/day CN (Group 1)
2g/day CN (Group 2)

Product Used: Iron Cre3™ by MusclePharm
Duration: 28 days

Key Results:

1. Safety:

No major changes in kidney (BUN/creatinine), liver (ALT/AST), or blood markers.
A few participants had minor fluctuations, but all remained within clinically normal ranges.

✅ Takeaway: CN is safe up to 2g/day for short-term (28 days) use in healthy people.

2. Performance Benefits?

Here's the catch: The study didn’t test performance.
No tracking of strength, endurance, muscle size, or pump.
It only measured safety — not effectiveness.

❌ Takeaway: There’s no direct evidence from this study that CN increases strength, size, or vascularity.

What Do Other Nitrate Studies Say?

While creatine nitrate itself lacks performance data, nitrates in general (like from beetroot juice) are known to:

Improve oxygen efficiency
Boost endurance in high-rep training
Lower blood pressure

So theoretically, CN could provide some of these benefits — but it hasn't been well-tested in this exact form.

Should You Use Creatine Nitrate?

Use CN If You:

Want a pump-focused pre-workout with nitric oxide benefits
Are cutting or aiming for vascularity without water retention
Have trouble tolerating monohydrate (due to bloating or GI issues)
Are curious and want to experiment for 28 days

Avoid CN If You:

Want proven strength or hypertrophy results (stick to CM)
Are budget-conscious — CN is usually more expensive
Expect it to replace a full creatine stack

Final Verdict: Worth Trying, But Not a Game Changer

Creatine Nitrate is safe in the short term and may enhance blood flow — but it lacks the robust research backing Creatine Monohydrate. Use it as an add-on or a pre-workout pump tool, not your foundational creatine.

Best Stack (Science + Feel): Stick with your hybrid of Creatine Monohydrate + Creatine HCl for proven performance — and layer in CN only if you want an extra vascular edge.

Reference
Joy, J.M., Lowery, R.P., Falcone, P.H., Mosman, M.M., Vogel, R.M., Carson, L.R., Tai, C.-Y., Choate, D., Kimber, D., Ormes, J.A., Wilson, J.M. and Moon, J.R., 2014. 28 days of creatine nitrate supplementation is apparently safe in healthy individuals. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), p.60.

Keywords: creatine nitrate benefits, creatine nitrate vs monohydrate, pre-workout vascularity, nitric oxide supplements, safe creatine alternatives, pump-enhancing supplements, creatine nitrate review, MusclePharm Iron Cre3