With all the training supplements on the market, creatine is one of the most tried, tested and effective.
The benefits of creatine to your lifting are numerous, with very few (if any) negative aspects. As a weight trainer, it makes taking creatine a formality – why wouldn’t you?
As creatine should be a supplement you take every day, even on rest days, it can be a slight chore. This is why some people turn to dry scooping creatine to get it over and done with as quick as they can.
But is it possible? Should you dry scoop creatine or are there more effective ways to take this helpful supplement?
Can you dry scoop creatine?
If you’re asking can you dry scoop creatine – the answer is this:
Yes, you can dry scoop creatine, but there are better ways to take it. The best way to take creatine is when it’s been dissolved into water or juice first.
The reason that it’s possible to dry scoop creatine is because it’s consumed in small amounts. The usual dose for creatine is 5g – that’s what I take every day. Anything bigger than this amount and I would say no.
If you were taking 20g of creatine during a loading phase, then I would say no to dry scooping creatine. The same goes for pre-workouts and protein powder – do not dry scoop these.
What is dry scooping creatine?
So, what is dry scooping anyway?
Dry scooping is where you take a scoop of powder and put it directly into your mouth without mixing it with water or liquid.
For those who are looking to get some cheap views on TikTok and Instagram, they’d then try to swallow the dry powder without having a drink.
Dry scooping will give you absolutely zero benefits. It’s likely that you’ll cough and splutter most of it up. Anyone remember the cinnamon powder challenge? It’s like that.
Is dry scooping creatine bad?
Yes, a full dry scoop of creatine with no water is a bad idea.
There are no benefits to taking creatine without the presence of a liquid. It won’t be absorbed any faster and you won’t get any increases in performance.
In fact, there are only potential negatives to doing this. Downsides such as excessive coughing, choking, throat irritation and even tooth decay.
Dry scooping 5g of creatine might not be too bad as it’s only 5g but dry scooping pre-workout powder and even protein powder is a terrible idea. They won’t be as soluble as creatine and the volumes of powder will be larger. Don’t do it.
My half dry scoop confession
Ok, here’s a confession. I’ve half dry scooped creatine and do this on a fairly regular basis.
My version of a half dry scoop is dumping 5g of creatine monohydrate onto my tongue, then taking a big swig of water. Doing this the other way round is probably more sensible.
The reason I, and other people, do this is because it’s quick and it does work perfectly fine. For example, I sometimes do this if I’m taking creatine before bed and have forgotten to have it during the day. A quick dry scoop and swilled down with some milk. I’m not doing this for social media, I’m doing it because it’s quick and easy.
This can be done because creatine is highly soluble, which means that it will dissolve really quickly into water and juice. As soon as you put the water or liquid into your mouth afterwards, the creatine dissolves and heads straight down into your stomach to be absorbed into your body.
If you do try to half dry scoop creatine, just remember not to breathe through your mouth when it’s in there.
Why dry scoop creatine anyway?
We all know that creatine is one of the best supplements for strength training you can take. If you’re on the fence about taking it, creatine is worth it. Combine it with a good training programme that includes the big compounds lifts, like heavy deadlifts, and you’re on to a muscle building winner.
As for dry scooping creatine, there are a few reasons why people do this.
Like me, people will half dry scoop creatine as it’s quick and simple. No need for a shaker, just straight in the mouth then have a drink of water.
Other people believe that dry scooping creatine monohydrate will help it to be absorbed faster into the bloodstream.
Unfortunately, this is a myth. Dry scooping creatine will not help it to be absorbed any faster than if it’s with 100ml of water. Once it hits your stomach and gastrointestinal tract, it will dissolve into a solution anyway.
Creatine isn’t a stimulant and doesn’t work in the same way as pre-workout. This is why it’s important to take creatine everyday. There is no ‘hit’ with creatine and no research to back this point of view up.
Some people on social media have been dry scooping creatine purely for the laughs and to create a ‘funny’ video. I find this type of content rather pointless.
Do you have to take creatine with water?
As per the guidance of creatine and sports supplement manufacturers, you should take creatine with water or juice.
This is the way it has been designed to be consumed. Creatine is created in a highly soluble powder format that will happily dissolve in water very easily.
As discussed above, you don’t necessarily have to put creatine into a shaker or water bottle to consume it. It is possible to dry scoop creatine and wash it down with some water.
Either way, water or some kind of liquid should be involved when you take creatine. It is not recommended to fully dry scoop creatine powder with no water at all.
Juice or some form of carbohydrate liquid is recommended with creatine as it’s been shown that a small amount of carbs can increase absorption rates. However, as we’ve stated, creatine doesn’t work like a ‘hit’ anyway. Your creatine stores are built and maintained over time.
How much water should I take with creatine?
The amount of water you should take with creatine is your choice.
Creatine will dissolve into any liquid. It only takes a small amount of water, even just 50-100ml for example, for 5g of creatine to fully dissolve into.
On the manufacturers packaging, they recommend taking creatine monohydrate with water or juice – the amount isn’t stated.
If I’m taking creatine, I’d dissolve it into 100ml first, or put a scoop onto my tongue and take a few big sips of water.
The other way I take creatine on my rest days is to put 5g into my reusable water that I take to work. Creatine doesn’t have any flavour so I can happily sip my water and absorb the creatine over time.
I also take creatine by adding a scoop to my protein powder shake that I know I will have later. If I’m in a gainer phase I’ll take a high calorie shake with creatine to help gain weight.
So, how much water you should take with creatine is a personal choice.
Wrap up on should you dry scoop creatine?
A full dry scoop of creatine taken with no water is completely unnecessary. As it may induce coughing and possibly choking, this kind of dry scooping is a bad idea.
If you’re accustomed to taking creatine it’s possible to half dry scoop it. This is where you already have water in your mouth, or drink water immediately after you put a 5g scoop onto your tongue. This is what I tend to do if I’m in a rush or just want to take creatine quickly.
Whether or not you should dry scoop creatine is down to you. The only thing I’d strongly discourage is to fully dry scoop it without water.
The best way to take creatine monohydrate powder is to mix it with water or juice first, then drink it.
If you liked that, you’ll like these blogs too…
