If young, healthy guys take creatine with sugary drinks or a special mix of protein and sugar, less creatine comes out in their pee over 24 hours compared to taking it with just water.

If young, healthy guys take creatine with a mix of sugar, protein bits, and certain amino acids, it triggers about as much insulin as taking creatine with just a lot of sugar — and both help the body hold onto more creatine than if they took it with water.

If you take creatine with a lot of sugar, your body holds onto more of it instead of peeing it out, compared to taking creatine by itself.

If young, healthy guys take creatine with a sugary drink or a special mix of sugar and amino acids, their insulin levels spike faster than if they take creatine with just water.

If a young, healthy guy takes 5 grams of creatine with just water, his body absorbs it faster than if he takes it with carbs or with a mix of protein, amino acids, and carbs — and you can see that in his blood 15 minutes later.

Taking creatine supplements at the normal dose won’t hurt your kidneys if you’re healthy — lots of studies over many years have shown no consistent sign of kidney problems.