Whoah, back it up there, that's kinda harsh. I've always been a big supporter of Kre-Alkalyn, as you know, and there is research out there. Peer reviewed, no, but there's no supplementation that's had an actual extensive clinical trial. There's not enough money in it with the establishment drug companies have set up (paying up to $15,000 per test-subject prices out supplement companies from hiring clinics). Zyflamend is the first supplement to have a complete clinical study done for it - and I don't need to remind people again that NO supplement is FDA approved, so all you're ever going to get is what supplement manufacturers (and mfg sponsored studies) make available to you.
there is ZERO Research backing up their claims of 100% absorbtion.
Patents aren't granted on zero research. There are plenty of manufacturers selling lots of creatine buffered with sugars, different kinds of delivery systems, effervescence (what a mistake
THAT is), and so forth - but they don't have knowledge or research to back it up, so they can't patent their formula.
Show me some concrete research that all Kre-alkalyn creatine survives without turning into creatinine while somehow being entirely absorbed into the muscle tissue.
You can't.
Of course you can. First off, they received a patent because they were able to show how it does it. You can review the patent here ()
The reason creatine turns into creatinine is because of low pH. Kre-Alkalyn increases the molecular pH of the creatine. It's as simple as that - and it's a sound "concept" that requires no peer review, it's a given. We know how creatine breaks down in the body and the speed at which it does it.
Im just saying it does not work better than monohydrate, and you are paying for something that is better than monohydrate.
Finally, they don't claim it works better than creatine monohydrate. It's still creatine monohydrate in the pills -- it's just better absorbed because it doesn't turn into creatinine - and the mechanism by which is does this is well understood.
The key advantages of Kre-Alkalyn:
- No dehydration
- No bloating
- No GI tract irritation
- No kidney stress
And this is all a result of better absorption. The research (and again, yes, it's out there) claims that 1.5g of Kre-alkalyn is as effective as 5g of regular creatine -- because it's not destroyed on the way.
If you read the patent, it references all of Jeff Golini's research, but I'll repost some of it here:
1) NIR Analysis of Stomach:
*1.5 grams of creatine monohydrate mixed with water and added to
stomacher at pH 3, raised stomach pH level to 3.5, with remainder of
creatine being converted to creatinine.
*1.5 grams of effervescent creatine mixed with water and added to
stomacher at pH 3, raised stomach pH level to 3.9, with remainder
of creatine being converted to creatinine.
*1.5 grams of creatine fruit flavored powder mixed with water and added
to stomacher at pH 3, raised stomach pH level to pH 3.4, with
remainder of creatine being converted to creatinine.
*1.5 grams of Kre-Alkalyn® mixed with water and added to stomacher
at pH 3, buffered stomach pH level to 9, keeping buffered creatine stable
with ample time for absorption, with no conversion to creatinine.
2) Arterial Blood Gas:
*A low HCO3 level detected on a SMA (Sequential Multiple Analyzer)
was the first clue to metabolic acidosis.
*A further and more accurate test can then be performed with an ABG
(Arterial Blood-Gas Analyzer), which measures based on the Henderson-
Hasselbalch equation.
The Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation mathematically describes
the relationship between blood pH and components of the H2CO3
buffering system: pH = 6.1 + log (HCO3/H2CO3)
We use the following equation to calculate H2CO3:
H2CO3 = PCO2 x 0.03
3) Serum Chemistry:
*This type of test was used to detect elevated creatinine levels in uremic
acidosis, resulting from increase ingestion of creatinine and kidney
failure to excrete this waste product.
4) Complete Blood Count:
*Checking WBC (White Blood Cells) and finding elevations in the total
count, also shows a serious consideration septicemia, which causes
lactic acidosis.
5) Urinalysis:
*A low pH was a quick detection method for acidemia.
Research References
(Note: NOT supplement manufacturer research)
1) Wendy Lou Jones, MS, BA, "More Bio-Fuel", 2001
2) Integrated Bimolecular Corporation, Tucson, AZ
3) Karen L Stavile, MD, Associate Director at State University of New
York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, “Metabolic Acidosis”,
Research 2001.
4) Stephen W Borron, MD, MS, Associate Clinical Professor, George
Washington University Hospital, “Lactic Acidosis”, Research, 2001
5) BioCeuticals Research & Development Laboratory, 2001. Creatine-vs-
Kre-Alkalyn® upon ingestion, Jeff Golini, Executive Scientist
& Charles Burchell, Associate Director of Chemistry.
6) Adrogue HJ, Madias NE: Changes in plasma potassium
concentration during acute acid-base disturbances. Am
J Med 1981; 71(3): 456-67.
7) Adrogue HJ, Madias NE: Management of life-threatening acid-base
disorders. New England Journal of Medicine 1998; 338:26-34: 107-11.
8) Emmett M, Narins RG: Clinical use of the anion gap. Medicine
(Baltimore) 1977 January; 56(1): 38-54.
9) Fulop M: Serum potassium in lactic acidosis and keto acidosis.
New England Journal of Medicine 1979; 300(19): 1087-1089.
10) Richardson RM, Halperin ML: The urine pH: Am J Kidney Dis 1987;
10(2):140-3.
11) Muller-Plathe O: A nomogram for the interpretation of acid-base data.
J Clin Chem 1987; 25(11): 795-798.
12) Fulop M: A guide for predicting arterial CO2 tension in metabolic
acidosis. Am J Nephrol 1997; 17(5): 421-424.
13) Kwong SC, Brubacher J: Phenformin and lactic acidosis: a case
report and review. J Emerg Med 1998 Nov-Dec; 16(6): 881-886.
14) Mitchell JH, Wildenthal K, Johnson Jr RL: The effects of acid-base
disturbances on cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Kidney Int
1972;1(5): 375-389.
15) BioCeuticals Research & Development Laboratory, 2000. Various
Creatine vs. Kre-Alkalyn® studies upon ingestion.
16) Kellum JA: Metabolic acidosis in the critically ill: lessons from
physical chemistry. Kidney Int. Supp, 1998; 66: S81-86.
17) Mitchell JH, Wildenthal K, & Johnson Jr RL: The effects of acid-base
disturbances on cardiovascular and pulmonary function. Kidney Int.
1981:20: 799-809.
18) Grey’s Anatomy & Physiology, 1979
