Creatine testing

Creatine Testing by HPLC

Measured creatine in creatine monohydrate powders, capsules, gummies and drinks, reported as % w/w or mg per serving against your label claim. $120 per sample, flat.

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On this page
  1. What we report
  2. Why test creatine
  3. Powders are stable; drinks and gummies need checking
  4. How the method works
  5. What to send
  6. Optional: screen for amino acid fillers
  7. Price and turnaround
  8. Key papers
  9. Latest research
  10. Key references
Short answer

We measure creatine by HPLC with UV detection and report it as % w/w or mg per serving against your label claim, with the chromatogram and QC for every sample. CR-1 is $120 per sample, flat; the order minimum is $150.

What we report

Creatine quantitation (CR-1) measures creatine by HPLC with UV detection and reports it against your label claim. Every sample comes with its chromatogram and the run's QC summary.

ResultUnitsNotes
Creatine content% w/w, mg per serving, mg per gummy or per mLCompared with the amount on your label
Chromatogram—Every sample, so you can see what else is in the trace
QC summary—Calibration with a creatine reference standard and a check standard in every run

Ask us if you also need creatinine, the main breakdown product of creatine; we confirm it with your quote.

Why test creatine

Creatine monohydrate is 88% creatine by weight, and typical maintenance intakes are 3–5 g a day 12. A product that delivers less than its label shortchanges that dose, and the shortfall is not visible in the tub.

Under-dosing has been measured before. In a published HPLC method study, some over-the-counter products contained very little creatine compared with their label claim, and liquid formulations showed substantial conversion of creatine to creatinine 5. In 2024 a supplement maker reported that about half of 12 creatine gummy products it tested in-house fell short of their label claims; at least one brand disputed its result 6.

Powders are stable; drinks and gummies need checking

As a dry powder, creatine monohydrate is very stable: creatinine stayed below the detection limit of 67 ppm after more than three years at 40 °C 3. In solution the picture changes. Creatine cyclizes to creatinine at a rate set by pH, not concentration: after 3 days at 25 °C, losses were 4% at pH 5.5, 12% at pH 4.5 and 21% at pH 3.5, while creatine was relatively stable at pH 6.5–7.5 3.

That is why ready-to-drink products and gummies are worth testing at the end of shelf life, not only at release. Manufacturing can also leave impurities from synthesis, such as dicyandiamide, dihydrotriazine and creatinine, in some raw material 4.

How the method works

  1. Preparation. Powders and capsule contents are weighed and dissolved; gummies are dissolved whole; drinks are diluted. Everything is filtered before injection.
  2. Separation and detection. Creatine is separated by reversed-phase HPLC and detected by UV absorbance at low wavelength, the approach used in published methods for creatine and creatinine in supplements 5.
  3. Quantitation. Results are calculated against a calibration made from a creatine reference standard, with a check standard in every run.

Creatine needs no derivatization, so the test is fast and the price is flat.

What to send

Sample typeTypical amount
Powder or raw material5 g in a sealed container
Capsules or tablets5 units
Gummies5 pieces, in their packaging
Ready-to-drink50 mL, sealed

We confirm the amount with your quote. Include the label claim and serving size so we can report against them. See how to submit samples.

Optional: screen for amino acid fillers

If your concern is a creatine product cut with cheaper material, add the free amino acid profile (AA-1, $150) on the same sample. A pure creatine monohydrate should show almost no free amino acids; added glycine or other amino acids show up as peaks in the profile. See the amino acid spiking test for how that screen reads.

Price and turnaround

CR-1 is $120 per sample, flat. The order minimum is $150, so a single sample is billed at $150. Target turnaround: 5 business days from receipt. Our results support research, development and quality checks; we are not a GLP, GMP or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory, so check whether your quality system requires an accredited lab for release testing.

Key papers

Latest research

New papers on this topic, newest first. We check PubMed every month; last checked October 2026.

Key references

  1. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
  2. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine — Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017.
  3. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine — Jäger R, Purpura M, Shao A, Inoue T, Kreider RB, Amino Acids, 2011.
  4. Bioavailability, Efficacy, Safety, and Regulatory Status of Creatine and Related Compounds: A Critical Review — Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M, Nutrients, 2022.
  5. A simple LC method with UV detection for the analysis of creatine and creatinine and its application to several creatine formulations — Dash AK, Sawhney A, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2002.
  6. Industry test of creatine gummies against their label claims — NutraIngredients, March 2024.

OpenChemWorks Laboratory · Reviewed by the OpenChemWorks laboratory · Updated October 7, 2026

Have samples in mind?

Published prices, a person replies, and every report includes the chromatogram and QC behind the numbers. New customers: 5 samples for $250 total, credited to your first order.

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