Buffered Creatine (Kre-Alkalyn) vs. Monohydrate: The pH Claim

Kre-Alkalyn is a patented form of creatine monohydrate processed at a higher pH (around 12). The core marketing claim is straightforward: creatine degrades into creatinine in acidic environments, the stomach is acidic, therefore a buffered form that resists acid degradation delivers more intact creatine to the muscles. The patent (US 6,399,611) explicitly describes this pH-stabilized approach.

The claim has scientific vocabulary and a logical structure. It also has a fundamental problem: the premise about creatine degradation in the stomach does not hold up under scrutiny.

The Conversion Problem That Is Not a Problem

Creatine does convert to creatinine through a non-enzymatic cyclization reaction. This is an established chemical fact. The rate of conversion depends on pH, temperature, and time. In an acidic solution at body temperature, this conversion occurs, but the critical detail is the kinetics: how fast does it actually happen?

In vitro studies examining creatine stability in simulated gastric fluid show that the conversion rate at stomach pH (1.5-3.5) and 37 degrees Celsius is slow relative to gastric transit time. Creatine spends approximately 30 to 90 minutes in the stomach before moving to the small intestine. During that window, the conversion to creatinine is minimal, on the order of a few percent at most.

Persky and Brazeau (2001) reviewed the pharmacokinetics of oral creatine and reported bioavailability close to 99%. If significant degradation were occurring in the stomach, this number would be considerably lower. The near-complete absorption of creatine monohydrate means there is very little room for a buffered form to improve upon.

The Jagim et al. 2012 Study

The most significant head-to-head comparison of Kre-Alkalyn and creatine monohydrate was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition by Jagim et al. in 2012. This was a randomized, double-blind study with 36 resistance-trained participants over 28 days.

The study compared three groups: creatine monohydrate at the manufacturer-recommended dose (20 g/day loading, 5 g/day maintenance), Kre-Alkalyn at the manufacturer-recommended dose (1.5 g/day), and Kre-Alkalyn at an equivalent dose to the monohydrate group (5 g/day maintenance after 20 g/day loading).

The results were clear. When Kre-Alkalyn was taken at the manufacturer-recommended lower dose (1.5 g/day), it produced significantly less increase in muscle creatine content compared to monohydrate at 5 g/day. When Kre-Alkalyn was taken at the same dose as monohydrate (5 g/day), the two forms produced equivalent increases in muscle creatine content. There was no advantage to the buffered form at any dose.

The study measured muscle creatine content via muscle biopsy, the gold standard. It also measured performance outcomes including one-rep max, sprint performance, and body composition. None showed a significant advantage for Kre-Alkalyn over monohydrate at equivalent doses.

What the Study Means

The Jagim et al. findings are damaging to the Kre-Alkalyn value proposition on two fronts. First, the buffered form did not show superior absorption or retention at equivalent doses, undermining the claim that pH buffering preserves more creatine. Second, the lower dose recommended by the manufacturer was insufficient to match monohydrate's muscle loading effect, undermining the claim that you need less of it.

The Patent vs. the Evidence

The Kre-Alkalyn patent describes a method for making pH-buffered creatine and claims that this buffering prevents degradation during digestion. The patent was granted, but patent approval does not require clinical evidence of efficacy. The patent office evaluates novelty and utility of the method, not whether the resulting product outperforms alternatives in controlled trials.

This distinction matters because marketing materials frequently reference the patent as if it were scientific validation. A patent proves that the manufacturing process is unique. It does not prove that the product works better than what already exists.

The Creatinine Conversion Misconception

There is a deeper issue with the entire premise. Even if some creatine converts to creatinine in the stomach, this does not automatically represent wasted product. Research on creatinine kinetics suggests that some creatinine may be re-converted to creatine in vivo, though this pathway is not a major contributor to creatine pools. More importantly, the fraction that does convert in the stomach is small enough that it does not meaningfully impact the total creatine reaching the intestine for absorption.

The supplement industry has built a narrative around the creatine-to-creatinine conversion that treats it as a catastrophic loss. In reality, it is a minor side reaction that occurs continuously in the body (approximately 1.7% of the total creatine pool converts to creatinine daily, regardless of supplementation). The body manages this turnover as a normal part of creatine metabolism.

Side Effect Claims

Kre-Alkalyn marketing often claims reduced side effects compared to monohydrate, particularly less bloating, cramping, and water retention. The Jagim et al. study assessed side effects through self-report questionnaires. There were no significant differences in reported side effects between Kre-Alkalyn and creatine monohydrate groups at equivalent doses.

This is consistent with the broader literature on creatine monohydrate safety. At the recommended dose of 3 to 5 grams per day, gastrointestinal side effects are uncommon. The side effects that do occur are typically associated with the loading phase (20 grams per day), which can be avoided entirely by using the lower daily dose from the start.

Cost Analysis

Kre-Alkalyn products are typically sold in capsule form at 1.5 to 3 grams per serving, priced at $0.30 to $0.80 per serving. Standard creatine monohydrate powder at 5 grams per serving costs $0.10 to $0.30 per serving.

If a consumer takes the Kre-Alkalyn manufacturer's recommended dose (1.5 g/day), they spend more per day while receiving a dose that the Jagim study showed to be insufficient for optimal muscle creatine loading. If they increase to 5 grams per day to match monohydrate's evidence base, the cost difference becomes even more pronounced.

Factor	Creatine Monohydrate	Kre-Alkalyn
Chemical form	Creatine monohydrate	pH-buffered creatine monohydrate
Manufacturer dose	3-5 g/day	1.5 g/day
Muscle creatine increase at mfr. dose	20-40% increase	Significantly less (Jagim 2012)
Muscle creatine at equivalent dose (5g)	20-40% increase	Equivalent (no advantage)
Cost per effective serving	$0.10-$0.30	$0.30-$0.80+
Peer-reviewed head-to-head trials	Gold standard	No advantage shown

The Bigger Pattern

Kre-Alkalyn follows a pattern common in the supplement industry. Take a well-researched compound. Apply a novel processing technique. Patent the technique. Build a marketing narrative around a theoretical mechanism (acid degradation). Price the product higher. Let consumers assume the patent and the premium price indicate superiority.

This pattern works commercially even when the science does not support the claims, because consumers reasonably assume that a higher price reflects a better product and that a patent means scientific validation. Neither assumption is necessarily true in the dietary supplement space.

Practical Takeaway

Buffered creatine is creatine monohydrate processed at a higher pH. In the only muscle-biopsy-validated head-to-head study, it performed equivalently to monohydrate at equal doses and worse at its own recommended lower dose. It costs more. The degradation problem it claims to solve appears to be clinically insignificant.

Consumers who prefer capsules over powder may find Kre-Alkalyn convenient, but they should take enough capsules to reach the research-supported dose of 3 to 5 grams per day. At that dose, there is no evidence of advantage over plain creatine monohydrate.

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