Is it Bad to Dry Scoop Creatine? (Here’s 5 Things You Should Know) (2024)

A lot of you might be wondering, “Is it Health Hazardous to Dry Scoop Creatine?”

I’m sure you probably know someone who dry scoops creatine, and probably other workout supplements too.

You’ll often hear that dry-scooping can provide an instant boost of energy and workout stimulation.

But then again, you’ve probably heard some horror stories too.

So, you’re unsure whether dry-scooping is something that you should try.

Allow me to explain the ins-and-outs of dry-scooping creatine.

Is it Bad to Dry Scoop Creatine?

Dry-scooping Creatine, or any other powdered supplement, may be harmful to your health. There is an increased risk of breathing problems, choking, potential heart issues, and it isn’t particularly good for your teeth. In fact, the dangers of dry-scooping far outweigh the perceived benefits. Creatine is actually better taken fully dissolved, especially in terms of your gut health. Plus, creatine dissolves better when mixed with slightly warmer liquids.

1. There Are Health Risks Associated With Dry-Scooping

To be honest, dry-scooping creatine, or any other supplement for that matter, presents a variety of health risks.

Now, I don’t want to come across all “mothering” and sensible, but is it really worth the hassle?

Firstly, consuming creatine completely dry presents an opportunity for it to get stuck in your throat.

In fact, as creatine reacts with the moistness inside your mouth it can quickly transform into a sticky globule.

If this ends up stuck in your throat you could end up choking or having extreme difficulties in breathing.

Even if you somehow manage to inhale your creatine in dry form the same risks are still present.

Plus, this isn’t particularly good for your teeth either.

You’ll find that the particles of creatine are more difficult to swallow and therefore much of the supplement will be left in the mouth anyway.

And it is likely to stick to your teeth, which can eventually lead to tooth decay, cavities, and problems with the tooth enamel.

All-in-all, it makes little sense to dry scoop creatine and it definitely has more disadvantages than advantages (more on this in a moment).

Additionally, if some of the creatine does stay in your mouth, as opposed to being consumed and absorbed, you’re simply wasting it and losing out on the benefits.

2. Are There Any Benefits to Dry-Scooping?

There are probably many reasons that people look to dry scoop any type of supplement.

However, I guess the most common of these is the perceived benefit of getting a supplement into the body and bloodstream quicker.

In fact, I’ve even known of people who have snorted supplements simply to get the same effect.

I will also say there’s also the exhibitionist and narcissistic element, “Look at me, aren’t I great because I’m dry-scooping”.

Additionally, when it comes to creatine, it isn’t exactly the most soluble of powders.

So, there are those who feel it may be better to dry scoop and then chug down a massive glass of water, or their chosen liquid.

To be honest, regardless of the supplement, they all take some time to take effect.

Even something like pre-workout will take a good 30 minutes to kick in.

Plus, in the case of creatine, it’s more about flooding the muscles over a period of time, as opposed to getting an instant impact.

So, in my mind it’s a complete waste of time to be dry scooping any supplement.

Perhaps, it may get it into the bloodstream quicker, then again maybe it won’t.

And is an extra 5-10 minutes really that big of a deal, especially when you’re potentially putting your health at risk?

3. The TikTok Dry Scoop Trend

I guess dry-scooping really came to the fore when it started trending on TikTok.

In fact, there were literally hundreds and thousands of video clips garnering millions of views in a short space of time.

The TikTok trend was more geared towards dry-scooping pre-workout powder.

A person would dry-scoop pre-workout and follow this up by taking a few sips of water

But, experts warned that this was extremely dangerous and the hit of caffeine could lead to vomiting, stomach cramps, and even heart palpitations.

In fact, TikTok user, Briatney Portillo, ended up in hospital.

She states in her TikTok video that she tried dry-scooping pre-workout as she saw it trending on TikTok and ended up having a “heart attack” (not confirmed).

Another TikTok user, @mkaaaybabee, can clearly be seen in the following video stating that she stopped breathing after dry-scooping pre-workout.

4. Creatine is Better Fully Dissolved

Okay, crazy TikTok trends apart, you would actually be better off dissolving creatine anyway.

Basically, if you’re not fully dissolving creatine this can typically cause an adverse reaction in the stomach for some people.

In fact, it’s not unheard-of for some creatine users to feel sick, experience an upset stomach or diarrhea.

As I’ve mentioned, creatine isn’t the most soluble of powders.

In fact, you’ve probably noticed that even after some excessive stirring, some of the creatine particles seem to drop to the bottom of the glass and create a sediment.

This is probably another reason why most people aim to consume creatine as fast as possible.

However, there’s nothing wrong with stirring creatine with your desired liquid, drinking some, stirring again, drinking, stirring some more, etc.

You will definitely get far more benefit from dissolving creatine first and then consuming it.

Plus, there has also been research which states that consuming creatine with a small amount of carbohydrates can increase absorption rates and effectiveness.

This is typically why many users choose to mix creatine with fruit juice over water.

How to Take Creatine

5. Warm Liquid is Better

Something else that most people aren’t aware of is that creatine generally dissolves far better in warm liquids.

I guess we’re all so used to consuming creatine with cold water or fruit juice from the fridge that we’ve never actually considered doing this before.

However, you’ll find that adding creatine to warm tea, warm coffee, warm milk, or simply warm water helps it to dissolve far easier.

With that being said, the key word here is “warm”.

Excessive heat can cause creatine to degrade into the waste product, creatinine.

Creatinine is what we excrete from the body once we have used up enough stores of creatine.

So, you don’t want to be adding creatine to a boiling hot drink.

I will also say, whether you add creatine to a cold or WARM liquid doesn’t make it any less effective.

It’s just that a warm liquid makes it a lot easier to dissolve, which in turn makes it easier for the body to absorb.

Final Thoughts

So, I hope you can see that there are absolutely no benefits to dry-scooping creatine.

In fact, there are many potential health risks from doing so.

Dry-scooping can cause creatine to get stuck in your throat or cause issues with breathing.

The recent TikTok craze of dry-scooping pre-workout supplements has seen a number of people have these difficulties, as well as someone ending up in hospital.

Creatine is actually better absorbed into the body when it is dissolved in liquid, and this is especially true of warm liquids.