Comparison
Creatine Monohydrate vs Selank
Side-by-side of Creatine Monohydrate and Selank. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate supplement guide: 3-5 g/day raises phosphocreatine stores, lifts anaerobic output 5-15%, supports lean mass and cognition under sleep loss.
Selank
Selank peptide benefits: tuftsin analog heptapeptide, intranasal anxiolytic and nootropic. Russian clinical data, dosing, half-life, safety.
Effects at a glance
Creatine Monohydrate
- •Increases anaerobic strength and power output by ~5 to 15% across multiple training studies
- •Adds ~1 to 2 kg of lean body mass over 4 to 12 weeks, partly intracellular water and partly true tissue gain
- •Improves 1-rep max on bench and squat by ~5 to 10% versus placebo in resistance-trained adults
- •Cognitive benefit appears mainly under sleep deprivation or high mental load, less so in well-rested individuals
- •Saturation reached in ~28 days at 3 to 5 g/day, or ~5 to 7 days with a 20 g/day loading phase
- •No evidence of renal harm in healthy adults across long-term studies; caution in pre-existing severe renal disease
Selank
- •Synthetic heptapeptide analog of tuftsin developed in Russia in the 1990s
- •Approved in Russia for generalized anxiety disorder and asthenic conditions
- •Russian RCTs report anxiolytic effects comparable to medazepam without sedation or dependence
- •Modulates GABAergic and serotonergic signaling and BDNF expression in preclinical models
- •Most commonly administered intranasally; subcutaneous use is anecdotal
- •No Western-validated trials; not FDA approved; research-use-only outside Russia
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Creatine Monohydrate | Selank |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | creatine | TP-7, Tuftsin analog |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 3 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5000 | 0.4 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | 2-3x daily (intranasal) |
| Routes | oral | intranasal, subcutaneous |
| Onset (hr) | 168 | 0.25 |
| Peak (hr) | - | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 149.15 | 751.85 |
| Molecular formula | C4H9N3O2 | C33H57N11O9 |
| Mechanism | Donates a phosphate group to ADP via creatine kinase, regenerating ATP during high-intensity, short-duration efforts. | Modulates GABAergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic signaling. Increases BDNF expression in hippocampal neurons in preclinical models. Modulates enkephalin levels and immune cytokine signaling via tuftsin-like activity. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement (most jurisdictions) | Approved as a prescription anxiolytic in Russia; not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market in most other jurisdictions |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status outside Russia |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data | Not recommended; insufficient data |
| CAS | 57-00-1 | 129954-34-3 |
| PubChem CID | 586 | 11765600 |
| Wikidata | Q408389 | Q4416793 |
Safety profile
Creatine Monohydrate
Common side effects
- water retention
- mild GI upset at loading doses
- weight gain (2 to 4 lb from intracellular water)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- caffeine (high-dose acute): mixed data on ergogenic interference; chronic use appears compatible(minor)
- nephrotoxic drugs (NSAIDs, cyclosporine): theoretical additive renal strain in at-risk patients(moderate)
Selank
Common side effects
- mild nasal irritation (intranasal)
- transient drowsiness (uncommon)
- mild headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- severe psychiatric disorder (insufficient data)
Interactions
- benzodiazepines: additive anxiolytic effect; potential for over-sedation when stacked(moderate)
- SSRIs: no documented adverse interaction; co-administration described in Russian protocols(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Creatine Monohydrate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Selank is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is strength or hypertrophy, pick Creatine Monohydrate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Creatine Monohydrate.
- → If your priority is anxiety reduction, pick Selank.
- → If your priority is mood, pick Selank.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Creatine Monohydrate is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Creatine Monohydrate. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Selank only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Creatine Monohydrate and Selank?
Creatine Monohydrate and Selank differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Creatine Monohydrate or Selank?
Creatine Monohydrate half-life is 3 hours; Selank half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Creatine Monohydrate with Selank?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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