Cell-Tech Hardcore is advertised as “the world’s most powerful creatine formula.” It the HardCore updated version of the original Cell-Tech creatine delivery system from MuscleTech. It contains numerous ingredients grouped into “four supersaturating creatine and insulin matrices.” It is said to be very quickly absorbed due to it using Nanomolecular Hyperdispersion Technology.

Cell-Tech Hardcore includes dextrose, alpha lipoic acid, taurine, and chromium like the original. It also contains 10g of creatine per serving just like the original. However, instead of being creatine monohydrate, Hardcore contains a proprietary blend of 7 different creatines known as Crea-Edge™.

Crea-Edge™ contains creatine anhydrous, creatine malate, creatine alpha-ketoglutarate, CreaKIC™, creatine pyrogultamate, and tricreatine HCA. While it seems impressive, none of these have been studied extensively and proven effective and safe like creatine monohydrate has. They claim they are better than creatine monohydrate, but most other creatine forms have not been studied at all or compared directly to creatine monohydrate.

An in-house 28-day clinical trial found Cell-Tech Hardcore to be 26 times more potent than regular creatine for building mass. However, in-house clinical studies can easily be biased and thus are not as credible as peer-reveiwed trials publsihed in respected scientific journals. In-house studies can be acceptable, but only if properly controlled. Sufficient released data just does not exist to support the claim that it is better than regular creatine.

Another one of Hardcore’s matrix of ingredients is Osmodrol, which is supposed to imptove creatine uptake. However, there is no scientific proof that the included taurine and glutamine actually does.

The Insulodrive matrix is also a complex blend with questionable effectiveness. It includes mulberry extract, Enicostemma littorale Blume extract, sweetbroom powder, Andrographis paniculata extract, trehalose, and D-mannose. The blend is said to improve insulin sectretion to improve creatine uptake, but there is no scientific data that it does.

The Nanomolecular Hyperdispersion Technology is another aspect that is not quite as breakthrough technology it is touted to be. It is basically a fancy name for micronization, which is increasing the particles surface area in order for them to dissolve more easily and thus absorbed by the body. This common in creatine supplements and while certainly useful, not unique to Cell-Tech Hardcore.

Cell-Tech Hardcore is a formulation of numerous ingredients making it more complex than the original. The extra stuff adds some value but it's basically creatine, dextrose, and alpha-lipoic acid. (Posted on 3/8/11)