Creatine Monohydrate: How to Read the Label

Creatine is one of the simplest supplement labels you will read, which makes it a good place to learn what each line means. This explainer walks through a creatine monohydrate tub from the Supplement Facts panel to the small print, using two unflavored powders we carry: Thorne Creatine and Momentous Creatine Monohydrate. Both are listed in NSF Certified for Sport, which we cover in depth in NSF Certified for Sport: what it tests and who needs it.

How we wrote this: every fact comes from the brands’ own product pages, the NSF certified product listings, the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) and PubChem, all linked in each section. We describe what the labels say. We have not tested either product, and this is not diet, training or medical advice.

What creatine monohydrate is

Creatine monohydrate is creatine bound to one molecule of water. PubChem, the chemistry database run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, lists it as a creatine hydrate with the formula C4H11N3O3, and describes creatine itself as a glycine derivative that is a natural human metabolite. Creatine monohydrate is the form named on both labels in this guide.

The Supplement Facts panel

Start with the serving size, because every other number depends on it. Both tubs use the same layout:

• Serving size: 1 scoop (5 g).
• Servings per container: 90.
• Amount per serving: 5 g of creatine monohydrate.
• % Daily Value: not established, because there is no Daily Value for creatine.

For Thorne, those numbers appear on the Thorne product page, on the label image in its NSF Certified for Sport listing and in the NIH DSLD record 298066. For Momentous, they appear on the Momentous product page and in NIH DSLD record 321458.

Because the scoop, the amount and the servings match, you can compare these two tubs line by line. With other creatine products, check the scoop weight first: a panel that lists a bigger or smaller scoop changes what one serving means.

Other ingredients: look for one line

A plain creatine powder should list creatine monohydrate and nothing else. Both of ours do. The Thorne page lists a single ingredient, and DSLD 298066 shows no other ingredients. The Momentous facts panel says “no other ingredients”, and DSLD 321458 agrees.

Formats can differ within one brand. The DSLD record for Thorne’s 30 stick pack version adds silicon dioxide, so it is a different product from the tub on our page. Read the label of the exact size and format you buy.

Words outside the panel: “micronized” and the creatine source

Some words you see on a product page are not on the Supplement Facts panel at all. “Micronized” is one of them. Thorne says its powder is a micronized form of creatine monohydrate, designed for easy mixing, with no color or odor. Momentous says its powder is ultrafine micronized creatine monohydrate. On the panels themselves, in the NSF label image and the DSLD records, the ingredient is simply “Creatine Monohydrate”. Treat “micronized” as a brand description of the powder, not as a different ingredient.

The same goes for where the creatine comes from. Thorne does not name a branded creatine source, and the label in its NSF listing says it is manufactured in the USA using US and imported ingredients. Momentous says it no longer sources creatine from Creapure and now uses its own “Signature Spec” creatine, which it says is made in a pharmaceutical facility to its own specification. Older reviews of the Momentous tub may describe the earlier source, so go by the current brand page.

Directions: how much water and when

The directions tell you how the brand expects the powder to be mixed. Thorne’s directions, repeated in DSLD 298066, say to mix 1 scoop with at least 8 ounces of water, juice or another drink daily, or as your health-care or performance professional recommends, and that it can be used 30 to 90 minutes before or after exercise.

The current Momentous page says to mix 1 scoop with 6 to 8 oz of water and drink it fresh. If your Momentous tub prints different wording, it may be an older label; follow the directions on the container in your hand.

Free-from claims: label versus brand page

Free-from claims are worth reading closely, because some are printed on the label and some appear only on the brand’s website.

• Thorne: gluten free on the label, as recorded in DSLD 298066. The Thorne product page also lists it as dairy free and soy free.
• Momentous: gluten free and GMO free on the label, as recorded in DSLD 321458. The Momentous facts panel online also says vegan.

If a claim matters to you because of an allergy or a diet, check the container itself or ask the brand.

Testing seals: NSF Certified for Sport

Both tubs carry the NSF Certified for Sport mark, and both appear in NSF’s database: Thorne Creatine as the unflavored powder in a 453 g size, and Momentous Creatine Monohydrate as the unflavored powder with a 5 g scoop. NSF says the program checks that what is on the label is in the product and that the product has no unsafe levels of contaminants, prohibited substances or masking agents.

Two practical points. First, USADA tells athletes to match the lot number on their product to a lot listed in the NSF Certified for Sport database. Second, the Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) program of the U.S. Department of Defense notes that third-party certification means the content matches the label, not that a product has been evaluated for safety or effectiveness. Our NSF Certified for Sport explainer covers the program step by step.

Claim wording and the FDA disclaimer

Both brands print structure/function statements, the short lines about what a supplement is meant to support, and mark them with an asterisk. The asterisk points to a disclaimer that both the Thorne label and the Momentous label carry: the statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Read those lines as the brand’s own description of its product.

Cautions and storage text

Cautions can sit on the label or only on the brand’s website, and it helps to know which is which.

• Pregnancy (Thorne label): the label says that if you are pregnant, you should consult your health-care practitioner before using the product, as shown on the Thorne page and in DSLD 298066.
• Allergy (Thorne product page): the Thorne product page says the product is contraindicated for anyone with a history of hypersensitivity to any of its ingredients.
• Age (Thorne product page): Thorne notes that New York law prohibits the sale of this product to anyone under 18. This is a retail notice for New York residents, not a label warning.
• Storage (Thorne label): the label in DSLD 298066 says to use it only if the bottle is sealed and to store it tightly sealed in a cool, dry place.

Whatever the label says, talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a health condition.

A quick label checklist

1. Serving size: how many grams is one scoop?
2. Amount per serving: how much creatine monohydrate is in that scoop?
3. Other ingredients: is creatine monohydrate the only line?
4. Format: is this the same size and format as the label you read online?
5. Brand words: which claims are on the panel and which are only on the website?
6. Seals: is the exact product listed in the certifier’s database, and does your lot match?
7. Cautions: what does the container say, and what does the brand page add?

FAQ

What does “creatine monohydrate” mean on a label?

It is creatine bound to one water molecule, according to PubChem. Both products in this guide list it as their only ingredient.

Is micronized creatine a different ingredient?

Not on these labels. Thorne and Momentous use the word on their product pages, but both Supplement Facts panels list the ingredient as creatine monohydrate.

Why does the label say the Daily Value is not established?

There is no Daily Value for creatine, so the % Daily Value column cannot show a percentage for it.

Does Momentous Creatine contain Creapure?

Momentous says it no longer sources creatine from Creapure and uses its own Signature Spec creatine instead.

Are both tubs NSF Certified for Sport?

Yes. Both unflavored powders appear in the NSF Certified for Sport database. Tested athletes should also match the lot number on the container.

Do these labels make health promises?

The brands print structure/function statements with an asterisk and the FDA disclaimer. Those statements are the brand’s own wording and have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Where to go next

Compare both creatine powders with the rest of our lineup in the supplements buying guide, or read the full product pages for Thorne Creatine and Momentous Creatine Monohydrate. Browse our vitamins and supplements collection to see every product we carry.

Choosing between the two tubs? Our Thorne vs Momentous creatine comparison puts both labels side by side.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.