Can You Dry Scoop Creatine? Yes, But There’s a Catch

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the fitness industry today. It’s been shown to increase muscle mass, strength, and power, and improve workout performance. It can also provide many other health benefits.

Creatine is most commonly taken in powder form, which is then mixed with water or other liquids. However, some people prefer to “dry scoop” creatine, which means taking it without mixing it with anything else.

In this article, we will talk about what is dry scooping creatine. Can you dry scoop creatine? and Should you dry scoop creatine? We’ll also provide some pros and cons of dry scooping creatine.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a naturally-occurring substance that is found in muscle tissue. It’s an amino acid that helps the body to produce energy [1, 2].

It is also found in some foods, like red meat, eggs, and fish. When taken as a supplement or through foods, creatine helps increase muscle mass and strength [3, 4]. It can also help improve your cognitive function and brain health [5, 6]. 

It is typically taken in powder form and mixed with liquids like water, protein shake, or juice. But, some people also like to dry scoop it.

What is dry scooping creatine?

Dry scooping creatine is a popular way to take this supplement. So, what is dry scooping creatine?

Dry scooping creatine is simply taking the powder form of creatine and scooping it into your mouth without any liquid. This can be a little tricky, as it can increase the wastage of the supplement and it can also be hard to swallow and might cause you to choke.

Can you dry scoop creatine?

First of all, dry scooping creatine can be very disagreeable. The powder itself has a very strong, unappealing taste and people can find it difficult to swallow without mixing it with something else (liquid). This can cause the experience of taking creatine to be negative and unpleasant.

In addition, dry scooping creatine can be bad for your throat and mouth. The powder can become quite clumpy and sticking, which can scratch your throat or make it difficult to swallow. Many people believe that dry scooping creatine will help the body absorb the supplement faster but there’s no scientific research to prove so.

It can be inferred that the absorption of creatine is efficient when it is consumed in solid form or through meat, although the maximum concentration of creatine in the body may be slightly lower compared to its consumption in the form of a solution [7].

There are simply no worth-it benefits of dry scooping creatine. Not only creatine but dry scooping any supplement will hardly provide any additional benefits.

Pros and Cons of Dry Scooping Creatine

Pros

The main pro of Dry Scooping creatine is that it is convenient and easy. It doesn’t require any preparation and you can just scoop it directly into your mouth. In addition, it’s a quicker way to take creatine than mixing it with other liquids. 

Cons

Just not effective

There’s simply no research to prove that dry scooping creatine is more beneficial than taking it by mixing it in a liquid. Your body will absorb the creatine the same way whether you have consumed it dry or by mixing it in liquid. Also, dry scooping of creatine can cause some health issues that could be concerning, hence it’s not worth it.

Wastage

When you try to dry scoop creatine or even any other supplements there might be increased supplement wastage. Wastage of creatine can occur in the following ways.

1. When you are trying to dry scoop creatine some of the creatine just falls out of the scoop and onto the floor.
2. With some of the creatine you have swallowed, you might start choking and coughing as it is hard to swallow and gets stuck in your throat causing you to expel it from your mouth.
3. Lastly, some of the creatine gets stuck in your teeth while dry scooping which then might never reach your stomach for digestion.

Now that we have looked at some general cons of dry scooping creatine, let us look at the health-related cons of dry scooping creatine.

Health-related cons of dry scooping creatine

Dry scoping creatine comes with some health risks that can be concerning. Two of the health issues dry scooping can cause involve dental issues and choking. Let us look at both of them.

Choking

We all at some point in our lives have experienced choking and we know how irritating it can be.

Dry scooping creatine can be unpleasant to swallow and can cause throat and mouth irritation. Creatine might get stuck in your throat and windpipe causing you to choke. 

Dental Issues

First of all, as mentioned above dry scooping might cause creatine to get stuck in your teeth which can lead to a wastage of creatine sometimes.

Also, some creatine supplements contain ingredients such as citric acid which is bad for your tooth enamel.

Regularly dry scooping creatine supplements can cause weaker teeth over time leading to serious dental problems.

Also Read: Creatine Vs Pre Workout – Differences and Which is Better?

What are the Benefits of Taking Creatine?

Though dry scooping is not recommended, taking creatine supplements normally has a range of benefits, both in terms of physical performance and overall health. 

It can help increase muscle mass and strength, improve cognitive function and brain health, and may reduce muscle fatigue [3, 4, 5, 6]. Studies have shown that athletes who take creatine supplements can perform better in workouts and overall physically.

Studies have also found that it can have positive effects on the heart and may help improve circulation [8]. It may also reduce recovery time after workouts and help to improve endurance [9].

Are There Any Side Effects of Taking Creatine? 

While creatine is generally considered safe, there are still some potential side effects that you should be aware of before taking it. 

These may include stomach upset, bloating, dehydration, and weight gain [10]. You should also be aware that high doses of creatine may cause kidney damage [11].

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor before taking creatine. 

So, Should You Dry Scoop Creatine?

Ultimately, the decision to dry scoop creatine is up to you. It can be convenient but is not necessarily the best option. Mostly, it is not recommended to dry scoop creatine as it is not more effective than taking it with a liquid, there is not any scientific evidence to prove that dry scooping creatine is better than taking it by mixing it in a liquid. Furthermore, it can also cause some unwanted health issues. 

If you do decide to dry scoop creatine, it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects that could occur.

Creatine is the best when mixed with a liquid and then taken. Taking creatine with water is favorable as it will help your body digest the creatine faster and easily, and you will also be able to avoid any further side effects of dry scooping creatine. Additionally, it will help you reach your daily fluid intake.

How to dry scoop creatine if you have chosen this route

Before we tell you the correct way to dry scoop creatine, make sure you know and understand the potential side effects of dry scooping creatine and dry scoop it at your own risk.

Here’s how you can try dry scooping with reduced risks.

1. Take a sip of water before dry scooping creatine.
2. When you dry scoop creatine make sure creatine does not fall out of your mouth.
3. Avoid breathing heavily while swallowing creatine as it can lead to choking and also a waste of creatine.
4. Take a sip of water after dry scooping creatine.

Again, we do not recommend you dry scooping but if you really want to try it then do it very carefully and at your own risk.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while you can dry scoop creatine, it is not necessarily the best option. It can be unpleasant and can cause wastage of creatine and also some unwanted health issues.

Some people think that dry scooping creatine will help your body absorb creatine faster but this is not so. There is no scientific evidence to prove dry scooping has any benefits over taking creatine by mixing it in a liquid.

If you still want to try out dry scooping, it is also important to be aware of the potential side effects before dry scooping creatine.

In the end, we do not recommend you try dry scooping creatine supplements.

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References

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2. Brosnan JT, da Silva RP, Brosnan ME. The metabolic burden of creatine synthesis. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1325-31. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-0853-y. Epub 2011 Mar 9. PMID: 21387089.
3. Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Jul 20;9(1):33. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-33. PMID: 22817979; PMCID: PMC3407788.
4. Kreider, R.B., Kalman, D.S., Antonio, J. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
5. Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jul 15;108:166-173. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29704637; PMCID: PMC6093191.
6. Roschel H, Gualano B, Ostojic SM, Rawson ES. Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 10;13(2):586. doi: 10.3390/nu13020586. PMID: 33578876; PMCID: PMC7916590.
7. Harris RC, Nevill M, Harris DB, Fallowfield JL, Bogdanis GC, Wise JA. Absorption of creatine supplied as a drink, in meat or in solid form. J Sports Sci. 2002 Feb;20(2):147-51. doi: 10.1080/026404102317200855. PMID: 11811571.
8. Balestrino M. Role of Creatine in the Heart: Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 7;13(4):1215. doi: 10.3390/nu13041215. PMID: 33917009; PMCID: PMC8067763.
9. Jiaming Y, Rahimi MH. Creatine supplementation effect on recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Food Biochem. 2021 Oct;45(10):e13916. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13916. Epub 2021 Sep 2. PMID: 34472118.
10. Graham AS, Hatton RC. Creatine: a review of efficacy and safety. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 1999 Nov-Dec;39(6):803-10; quiz 875-7. PMID: 10609446.
11. Hall M, Trojian TH. Creatine supplementation. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2013 Jul-Aug;12(4):240-4. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e31829cdff2. PMID: 23851411.

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