As a general rule, apart from creatine monohydrate, creatine bonded to any of the Krebs Cycle intermediates (citrate, fumarate, malate, succinate, and alpha ketoglutarate), or compounds involved indirectly in the energy cycle (for instance, orotate, pyruvate, and so on) delivers improved absorption, bioavailability, and potency. Furthermore, ATP synthesis and phosphocreatine elevation are improved.
Consequently, if I had to select three advanced creatine forms, I would pick Creatine Alpha Ketoglutarate, Tri-Creatine-Malate, and Tri-Creatine Orotate. If Tri-Creatine Orotate is hard to find in bulk, consider Creatine Ethyl Ester Malate.
My favourite is Creatine Alpha Ketoglutarate (Cre-AKG). Here is why:
Cre-AKG is a molecular bonding of creatine to the alpha-keto amino acid, alpha ketoglutarate (AKG), and is claimed by many to be the most effective creatine around. AKG has been traditionally molecularly bonded to minerals, amino acids, and vitamins to make them more stable, more bioavailable, and more absorbable. This is also the same principle behind Cre-AKG.
Cre-AKG is PH-stable, is as soluble as creatine malate and creatine pyruvate, and is highly bioavailable. This is because AKG in Cre-AKG serves as a transport vehicle for creatine, pulling creatine from the intestines into the blood stream (thus avoiding any GI issues as in monohydrate). On the cellular level, with the help of AKG, creatine is pulled (and pressed) into muscle cells (without the help of the usual carbohydrate transport matrix), producing the typical creatine results without GI issues and osmotic pressure (Cre-AKG does not pull water into intestinal and muscle cells like monohydrate).
So, AKG makes creatine significantly more potent. Furthermore, AKG improves the endogenous production of of glutamine and glutamic acid, both important for muscle growth and for the immune system. AKG also binds to toxic ammonia in muscle cells, in the liver, and in the brain, thereby converting ammonia into glutamic acid, improving glutamine levels and assisting in elimination of toxic ammonia from the body. Lastly, as a Krebs Cycle intermediate, AKG improves VO2 Max and energy metabolism in muscle cells, and is consequently a potent ergogenic.
