C-HCl is a Creatine supplement by Kaged Muscle.
It’s a single-ingredient supplement that aims to boost power and endurance.
Kaged Muscle is an American brand which discloses all ingredients and doses, and does not list proprietary blends. All of their products are banned substance free.
Ingredients Label
Active Ingredients
Creatine HCl
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in many animal food sources.
It can boost power output significantly, while endurance increases are smaller (1, 2).
Creatine HCl is claimed to be a more efficient and effective form of Creatine than others, but this hasn’t been proven. Intuitively, it doesn’t seem likely due to the fact that both the HCl and Monohydrate versions break down very similarly in the stomach.
Kaged Muscle claims that Creatine HCl is needed in smaller doses, does not result in water retention, and does not require a “loading phase”.
These claims are yet to be proven by research.
Who Takes It?
Any athlete wishing to increase their overall physical performance and workout quality may benefit from using C-HCl.
How to Take
Mix 1 scoop with 250mL water daily, and consume before your workout.
Side Effects
Although it is claimed to not occur with Creatine HCl, Creatine is known to increase muscular water retention, resulting in the gain of some water weight.
Stomach cramping can occur if Creatine is taken with insufficient water.
If too much Creatine is supplemented at once, it may cause nausea or diarrhea.
Pros
- Both flavoured and unflavoured options are available.
Cons
- Many of the claims about Creatine HCl are not yet backed up by studies.
Conclusion
C-HCl may or may not be a superior form of Creatine, and studies still need to be done to find out for sure.
Looking at how it breaks down so similarly to Creatine Monohydrate makes it seem that it may not really be any more effective.
It may be worth a try, but if you see no difference we’d advise that you switch back to creatine monohydrate.