Can You Dry Scoop Creatine?

Anybody with even the slightest bit of experience when it comes to health and fitness will likely be familiar with the wonder supplement that is creatine.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a bodybuilder, an athlete, a powerlifter, or an average Joe just looking to train a little harder and look a little better, creatine could be the most beneficial supplement that you add to your stack.

creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in our bodies, that also serves as one of the most powerful and effective sports supplements on the market today.

Creatine is an endogenous amino acid which means that the body produces it naturally. it is found primarily within skeletal muscles, specifically in muscle cells. It is also present in red meat.

It works by enabling the body to produce more ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which the cells that form muscle tissue use as a source of energy.

This essentially means that creatine helps the body produce more energy for the muscles.

Like any supplement, however, people are constantly looking for solutions to problems that aren’t there, and as a result, impressionable individuals have started to dry scoop creatine.

But can you dry scoop creatine, and more to the point, should you dry scoop creatine?

What Is Dry Scooping Creatine?

As mentioned, over the last few years, we’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of people, mainly younger people it has to be said, along with more mature people who should know better, who are dry scooping creatine.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with creatine, it is a powdered supplement that you can mix with water or fruit juice, and sip or drink whole.

While there are different types of creatine out there, such as creatine ethyl ester (CEE), creatine phosphate, and many more, the most common and popular form of creatine supplement is creatine monohydrate.

Creatine supplements are almost always in powdered form and are either white unflavoured powders, or they are flavored, usually artificially, and may be enriched with amino acids, sweeteners, and ingredients such as citric acid.

To take creatine, experts recommend that you simply take 5g – 10g per day. Usually, it comes with a 5g scoop so you know exactly how much you’re getting per serving.

You then add a scoop to a glass or shaker of water or juice, mix, shake, or blend, and drink. It doesn’t get much easier than that, right?

Well, some people seem to think that it does get easier than that, which is why they dry scoop creatine.

Dry scooping creatine is basically where you take a scoop of creatine, open your mouth, tilt your head back, dump the scoop of dry powder into your mouth, and dry it to choke it down without any water.

Why? We’re not quite sure.

So, can you dry scoop creatine?

Yes, you can, but that doesn’t mean that you should.

Why Do People Dry Scoop Creatine?

We’re living in a world where people know to eat capsules designed for doing the laundry and follow so-called “trends” online like mindless sheep because they can’t think for themselves.

Needless to say, once you understand that people like that exist, you get a better understanding of why people dry scoop creatine.

With that said, we do have some theories backed up by science, which could explain the reasons why people dry scoop the supplement. Some possible explanations include:

Social Media:

Yep, you guessed it, one of the main reasons why people seem to do anything these days. Social media is the ultimate way for people to get attention and feed their egos, and it is likely social media that started this “trend” where people dry scoop creatine instead of mixing it properly.

Videos likely began circulating online of people dry-scooping the supplement for views and likes, and people saw the attention that these videos were getting and decided to copy them.

Peer Pressure:

Because people are so easily influenced and manipulated, all it takes is a few vids online to get a lot of views, or for some Z-list “influencer” to dry scoop creatine and before you know it everybody else is doing it.

Even if younger people don’t want to, it’s likely hard for them to say no as a result of peer pressure, both from their friends and strangers online.

Misconceptions Around Absorption Rates:

Another possible reason why we’ve seen an increase in the number of people dry-scooping creatine over the years is simply because there is so much fake news out there when it comes to supplements, exercise, and nutrition.

Research has found that some people dry scoop their creatine because they believe that it will be absorbed by the body quicker and that it can therefore be used to make more ATP for the muscles, at a much faster rate.

This, however, is not true. Dry scooping your creatine is likely to slow down absorption speeds and rates because the powder can clump together.

The stomach is full of water for a reason, and that reason is that it helps to break everything inside it down more quickly. By mixing creatine with water you’re emulating this process in the stomach, you can read more about how long does it take for creatine to work!

Trying To Look Cool:

We live in a world where certain individuals care more about how they are perceived online than how they are perceived in the real world.

Because of this, people will often try silly tricks or trends just to try and look cool.

A lot of the time, people who dry scoop creatine powder do so just to try and look macho, cool, and ‘hardcore’.

The ironic thing is that they actually look ridiculous and dry-scooping creatine can sometimes be embarrassing.

Less Mess:

Let’s face it, the worst part about cooking and making food and drink is cleaning up afterward.

Despite creatine only requiring you to add the powder to water or another liquid and stir it in, some people out there are so against cleaning cups and glasses afterward that they would rather a dry scoop creatine than mix it in a glass.

Things To Consider When Dry Scooping Creatine:

If you do decide that dry scooping creatine is something that you would like to try, even if it is purely out of morbid curiosity, you need to understand what you’re doing, and the potential risks it could pose.

We’ll get to the risks and dangers a little later on, first, however, let’s help get you prepared. Here are some important considerations for you to mull over if you decide to dry-scoop creatine.

Possible Wastage:

At the moment, you’ve no doubt noticed how expensive everything seems to be. It seems as if prices are increasing every day, and with rising interest rates and double-digit inflation, until inflation comes down, that is not going to change.

Creatine is one of the more affordable supplements out there, but even so, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to want to be wasting it.

Dry scooping creatine means that there is a greater risk of wastage, due largely to the fact that, if you aren’t used to doing it, it could make you cough or choke, similar to what happens to people during the cinnamon challenge.

Not only that but ironically, if you do swallow any clumps, the body might struggle to break them all down which means more of the creatine might get wasted anyway.

The Effectiveness Of The Creatine:

First and foremost, whether you swallow your creatine whole, mix it with water, or sprinkle it over your meals, your body has no idea how the creatine got inside your system, it simply knows it’s there and what to do with it.

Despite what some influencers on TikTok or social media may tell you, there is ZERO proof that consuming creatine dry, rather than mixing it with water, offers you any benefits in terms of effectiveness or absorption rates.

If there are no benefits in terms of digestion, absorption, or effectiveness, you have to ask yourself what the point of dry scooping creatine is.

Possible Digestive Issues:

Creatine, despite being safe, natural, and very effective, can sometimes cause digestive issues, especially if it is consumed in large doses, creatine can make you poop more!

Though rare, some people have reported diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, and trapped wind when using creatine supplements, especially in large amounts.

If you are sensitive to creatine, anything above the recommended 5g – 10g of creatine daily could result in digestive issues.

When you dry scoop creatine, you’ve no way of knowing whether or not there are any clumps of creatine in the scoop.

If you mixed it with water, the liquid would have dissolved the powder and broken down the lumps.

Choking a scoop down whole, however, means that you may end up swallowing a clump or two and taking in more than you should.

This could cause digestion problems, so just consider that before you dry scoop creatine.

Risk Of Choking:

We mentioned the “cinnamon challenge” earlier, and for those of you not aware, this is a viral trend where people attempt to swallow a heaped spoonful of dried powdered cinnamon without coughing or choking.

The trend made for some very amusing videos, though of course people being people took it too far and began doing things like trying it with chili powder.

What does this have to do with dry scooping supplements such as creatine?

Well basically, creatine is a dried powder and the idea with dry scooping is to consume it dry.

When you dry scoop the powder, you could inhale some that could then cause you to choke and start coughing.

It could also irritate the lining of your throat, which would then cause coughing, choking, a sore throat, and much more besides.

Risk Of Being Sick:

As disgusting as it sounds, another reason why you might want to reconsider dry scooping creatine is because it can lead to you being sick.

If you’ve recently eaten a large meal and you try dry scooping and inhaling the powder, this could cause you to start coughing and choking, which could cause you to be sick. If you’ve got an empty stomach this isn’t as much of a problem.

If you have a full stomach, however, it could cause you to be sick, which is of course the last thing you want.

Should You Dry Scoop Creatine?

Should you dry scoop creatine?

Well, that’s entirely up to you. You can dry scoop creatine by all means, but that doesn’t mean you should.

To paraphrase the words of Jeff Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park, people these days are so preoccupied with whether or not they can that they don’t stop to think if they should.

Sure, you can dry scoop creatine, but at the end of the day, what’s the point?

The idea behind taking creatine is to flood your body with creatine so that it produces extra ATP which in turn is used by the cells in the muscles for energy. The more energy they have, the harder their muscles will work and the more beneficial their workouts will become.

There are no proven benefits or advantages associated with dry scooping creatine. Doing so could potentially lead to a wide range of side effects.

In our expert opinions, therefore, we strongly recommend that you don’t dry scoop this supplement and that you instead use it as instructed and as intended.

How To Dry Scoop Creatine If You Are Going To Do It?

Every single one of you reading this article is an individual human being and as a result, you can think for yourselves and act for yourselves. You know that we aren’t fans of dry scooping creatine, but if you do it correctly the risks are reduced.

if you do insist on dry scooping creatine, we’d rather you did it safely. This is why we’ve compiled this list of tips to help you safely and effectively dry scoop creatine.

Take A Sip Of Water First

No, drinking water is not cheating. If you do wish to dry scoop creatine, go ahead and take a sip of water first to moisten your mouth. The residual fluid in there should help the powder to go down.

Take A Sip Of Water Afterwards

After dumping the creatine into your mouth, carefully take a small sip of water to help you swallow the powder more easily.

Do Not Inhale

If you want to dry scoop creatine, you’d better get used to holding your breath. If you inhale and breathe in with a mouth full of dry powder you’re going to inhale the powder and start coughing and choking.

Use A Natural Creatine

Some creatine is sold naturally and is essentially a simple white, flavorless powder. If you insist on dry scooping, this is the way to go. Avoid creatines with added flavourings or ingredients as these can be harder to swallow and may damage your teeth.

Dangers And Risks Of Dry Scooping Creatine:

Can you dry scoop creatine? Yes, you can, and while it is largely a safe thing to do, with few advantages, there are also some risks to be wary of.

Possible dangers and risks of dry scooping creatine include:

Dental Damage

One of the main dangers and risks associated with dry scooping creatine is potential dental damage.

Some creatines are made with added flavorings and ingredients such as citric acid. Citric acid can damage the enamel on your teeth, which over time can cause them to become decayed and rotten.

Dehydration

Another risk associated with dry scooping creatine is the possibility of dehydration.

If you dry scoop creatine before you exercise, that means that when you go to the gym to train you won’t be as hydrated as you would be if you consumed water with the powder.

Dehydration affects your overall strength levels and athletic performance and can cause headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, and more.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Too much creatine has been linked with a wide range of various digestive health issues.

Dry scooping creatine means that you can’t always gauge how much you’re consuming and if you consume too much it could affect your digestive health.

So, Can You Dry Scoop Creatine?

Well, by now you probably understand that, yes, you can. Whether you should however is a different matter entirely.

Dry scooping creatine offers no benefits and a whole bunch of other risks that could be avoided by simply drinking some water with it.

Creatine is a hugely effective supplement when it comes to muscle growth, recovery, and strength increases but there is no scientific reason for you to be taking the powder dry.