Unlike traditional creatine monohydrate powder, OptiCreatine is claimed to create a clear, stable and sediment-free solution within 30 to 60 seconds. According to TSI, OptiCreatine outperforms both micronized and solubility-enhanced creatine products currently on the market.
“OptiCreatine is redefining what consumers expect from creatine,” stated Will Ji, Optimized Ingredients Product Line president at TSI, in a press release. “Our technology eliminates such common complaints about creatine including poor solubility and related stomach discomfort. We’ve taken one of the most researched sports ingredients and made it cleaner, smoother and easier to enjoy, reducing the bloating, without grit or cloudy residue.”
The technology will allow manufacturers to develop products in a wide range of convenient forms, including chewable tablets and gummies, effervescent pellets, granules and pre-mixed products, according to TSI. It can also be combined with active ingredients such as BCAAs, collagen, protein, glycerol, caffeine and a range of flavors.
Creatine exploding
A non-essential nutrient, creatine is produced naturally in the body by three main amino acids—arginine, methionine and glycine. It is also found in the diet in foods such as meat, eggs and fish.
Creatine established itself as a go-to ergogenic aid in the sports nutrition space soon after Roger Harris and his colleagues published the seminal study on creatine loading in 1992. The discovery suggested the supplement could significantly increase muscle creatine content and enhance performance.
According to SPINS data presented at the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit in February, creatine dollar sales across U.S. conventional multi-outlet and enhanced natural channels in the performance nutrition category grew 48.9 % year-on-year, up from $61.6 million to $91.7 million for the 52 weeks leading up to Feb. 12.
Globally, the market for creatine supplements was valued at over $640 billion, according to Future Market Insights.
Application innovations
Ellen Qian, Optimized Ingredients Product Line marketing manager at TSI, told us that the company has primarily focused on application-side innovations to creatine, “with particular emphasis on enhancing solubility—an area where we’ve seen significant improvements. These improvements are supported by internal testing and positive feedback from customers.”
She added that TSI is now in the early planning stages of a clinical study to explore potential improvements in bioavailability and tolerability, driven by the enhanced solubility profile.
“The recommended dosage for OptiCreatine remains consistent with that of traditional or micronized creatine monohydrate, in line with the majority of published research,” Qian said. “While the dose is the same, the significant improvement in solubility may contribute to ease of use and better consumer experience.”
