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Creatine for BJJ: Weigh-Ins and Water Weight
Take 3 to 5 grams. The scale can move before a weigh-in.
Pete's #1
Thorne Creatine
Thorne has a 5 gram scoop. There's nothing else in it. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for.
Check the exact size and label before buying. You don't pay extra. I might earn a commission.
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Our picks
Choose up to two products to compare. Prices and product details can change.
Tested pick
Thorne Creatine
Thorne has a 5 gram scoop. There's nothing else in it. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for.
Is this the right fit?
You want an NSF canister you can close.
Keep in mind: Skip it if the higher price is the reason you'd say no.
Pete's take
Thorne has a 5 gram scoop. There's nothing else in it. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for.
Score breakdown
Proof 9.5
Practical 9.0
Dose 9.5
Formula 9.5
Full specs
- NSF Sport
- Higher price
- 5 g
More pros and cons
You get a canister and a scoop that make a half serving easy, which is what I'd count for grapplers who want an NSF canister between sessions.
For grapplers who want an NSF canister between sessions, you can lean on NSF Certified for Sport on a plain 5 g powder.
The canister costs more than the pouch for an NSF listing the pouch also holds.
I'd pass if the canister price is the whole reason you'd say no, and I wouldn't pick it for grapplers who want an NSF canister between sessions.
Tested pick
Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate
Sports Research has a 5 gram scoop. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for.
Is this the right fit?
You want an NSF tub at a mid price.
Keep in mind: Skip it if you need the budget pouch instead.
Pete's take
Sports Research has a 5 gram scoop. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for.
Score breakdown
Proof 9.5
Practical 8.5
Dose 9.5
Formula 9.5
Full specs
- NSF Sport
- Mid price
- 5 g
More pros and cons
You get a tub instead of a floppy pouch, with 5 grams in the scoop, which is what I'd count for grapplers who want an NSF tub they can close.
For grapplers who want an NSF tub they can close, you can lean on an NSF listing you can search, as long as the jar matches it.
You step up in price for a tub, and the two NSF listings mean the logo alone isn't the proof.
I'd pass if you need the budget tier and can live with a bag, and I wouldn't pick it for grapplers who want an NSF tub they can close.
Tested pick
Momentous Creatine
Momentous has about 90 servings. One scoop is 5 grams. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for. Creapure came off the label in June 2026. Don't buy the small jar.
Is this the right fit?
You want 90 servings with the NSF stamp.
Keep in mind: Skip it if you still want Creapure printed on the front.
Pete's take
Momentous has about 90 servings. One scoop is 5 grams. It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for. Creapure came off the label in June 2026. Don't buy the small jar.
Score breakdown
Proof 9.2
Practical 8.8
Dose 9.5
Formula 9.5
Full specs
- NSF Sport
- 90 servings
- Higher price
More pros and cons
You get NSF Certified for Sport on the 90-serving tub, which is what I'd count for grapplers who want the 90-serving NSF jar.
For grapplers who want the 90-serving NSF jar, you can lean on a plain 5 g serving after the June 2026 source change.
The source change will annoy anyone who bought it for the Creapure name, and the small jar is a worse buy.
I'd pass if you need the Creapure logo on the label in 2026, and I wouldn't pick it for grapplers who want the 90-serving NSF jar.
Budget pick
BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate
It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for. The bag flops over.
Is this the right fit?
You want the NSF stamp at the budget tier.
Keep in mind: Skip it if a floppy pouch won't survive the gym bag.
Pete's take
It's NSF Certified for Sport, the stamp drug-tested athletes look for. The bag flops over.
Score breakdown
Proof 9.5
Practical 6.5
Dose 9.5
Formula 9.5
Full specs
- NSF Sport
- Budget tier
- 5 g
More pros and cons
You get 5 grams of one ingredient, so the serving matches the dose I use, which is what I'd count for grapplers who will scoop a certified pouch.
For grapplers who will scoop a certified pouch, you can lean on an NSF Certified for Sport listing on the unflavored 500 g pouch.
The bag flops over in a gym bag, and measuring a half scoop out of it is annoying.
I'd pass if you refuse to scoop from a pouch, and I wouldn't pick it for grapplers who will scoop a certified pouch.
Side by side
Your comparison
Choose one more product above to compare the essentials.
Compare their cost per 5 gHow we chose
By Peptide Pete. Updated .
I checked the ISSN position stand and the NSF Certified for Sport list. The method sits on how we research.
I compare the label, the testing line I can look up, what the same amount of creatine costs, and whether the format fits a daily routine.
Read our full research methodWeigh-ins and water, without a cut plan
Updated . This isn't a sweat-cut.
| Situation | What I can support |
|---|---|
| Training block, no weigh-in close | 3 to 5 g a day. Loading is optional. |
| A loading week | Scale weight can rise. Powers 2003 measured that rise as body mass and total body water, not as a face measurement. |
| Combat-sport papers | 19 studies through March 2025. Mass and fat-free mass rose, clearest at six weeks or with lifting. Endurance didn't. |
| Making weight | Stopping can drop some water and also the muscle saturation. Reloading takes days. A clinician and a coach own that call, not me. |
Does a weigh-in change the plan?
You're cutting weight and someone told you to drop the scoop. Creatine for BJJ is still 3 to 5 g of monohydrate. The weigh-in problem is water on the scale. There isn't a grappling powder. A 2025 review of 19 combat-sport studies found body mass and fat-free mass went up, especially past six weeks or with lifting. NSF tubs lead because a tested event can fail on a contaminated scoop. I won't write you a sweat cut. Keep the daily scoop through training. A close weight class is a coach conversation before any loading week.
How they compare
Swipe for more
| Product | Pete Score | Proof | Practical | Dose | Formula | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Thorne Creatine |
9.4 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | See today's price › |
|
Sports Research Creatine |
9.3 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | See today's price › |
|
Momentous Creatine |
9.2 | 9.2 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 9.5 | See today's price › |
|
BulkSupplements Creatine |
8.8 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | See today's price › |
Read the water page before you cut
The early scale note, including a pound or two in week one on our chart, is on does creatine cause water retention. Grams per day are on the dosing guide. If the event tests the bottle, start at third-party tested creatine brands. Creatine monohydrate isn't a reason to dehydrate yourself.
What combat-sport studies measured
You still take 3 to 5 g a day. That range is the one I keep from the ISSN position stand (Kreider 2017). Loading moves the scale faster than a flat daily dose.
Powers and colleagues gave 32 resistance-trained adults 25 g a day for 7 days, then 5 g a day for 21 days. Body mass and total body water rose. Fluid distribution didn't shift (PMC155510). One person gained 4.8 kg in week one. That's one person, not a BJJ average.
A 2025 narrative review of 19 combat-sport studies, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, and boxing among them, found more body mass and fat-free mass, plus better strength and power. Sport-specific endurance, recovery, and fatigue didn't change, and no serious harms were reported (Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2025). The abstract doesn't isolate BJJ.
Who should not copy a weigh-in plan from a blog
- If your kidneys are already in trouble, or a medicine hits them, talk to your doctor before you buy. Read creatine and kidneys.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding? I won't pick a tub for you. Ask your clinician.
- If you're a teenager, don't treat this ranking as permission. A parent stays in the decision.
- A label that says third-party tested and never names the lab fails the test. Use the label checklist.
BJJ creatine questions
Will creatine make me miss weight in BJJ?
It can add scale weight, mostly water with the creatine in muscle. This page can't tell you how many pounds you, personally, will gain. If you're close to a class, plan with a coach before a loading week.
Should I stop creatine the week of a weigh-in?
Maybe, and you give up some saturation when you do. The combat-sport review didn't test a stop-and-restart protocol. The timing isn't invented here.
Is creatine banned in sport?
Creatine monohydrate isn't what a banned-substance program is hunting. A dirty tub can still fail a test. That's why I'd buy a tub with the NSF stamp.
Did those 19 studies include BJJ?
The review names combat sports such as wrestling, judo, taekwondo, and boxing. It doesn't give a BJJ-only result. Don't pretend it did.
The canister I'd keep in the gym bag
If I could only buy one, I'd buy #1, Thorne Creatine. For the next pick, get #2 if you want an NSF tub you can close. Get #3 and buy the 90-serving jar.
Thorne Creatine, 9.4/10
Check Today's Price on AmazonSources for creatine and BJJ
Sources (6)
- Kreider and colleagues, 2017, is the dose note I keep coming back to. ISSN position stand.
- Jäger and colleagues, 2011, is the solubility note. PubMed 21424716.
- Ostojic and Ahmetovic, 2008, is why I split a big dose. PubMed 18373286.
- NSF Certified for Sport list, read on October 19, 2026. nsfsport.com.
- Labdoor creatine rankings, for the dated milligram numbers. Labdoor.
- Amazon buttons use tag creatinebuz00-20. Tiers stay words. I'm not printing a dollar figure.
What changed. October 26, 2026: new page. Combat-sport review searched through March 2025. No BJJ-only trial is cited here.
Disclosure. CreatineBuzz is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Brands don't buy rank. The full note is on the disclosure page.
Not medical advice. I'm a gym nerd explaining research, and this isn't a doctor's visit. Kidney disease, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and medicines that affect the kidneys belong in a clinician's office. Teens shouldn't use these products off a blog.
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