One Adds a Contested Ingredient. One Adds Decades of Evidence.
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB matches the same 5g creatine dose as Mike's Electrolytes, then adds HMB, Vitamin D3, and BioPerine. Mike's Electrolytes adds a full 1,000mg sodium and 200mg potassium dose instead. Both are additions. They're not backed by the same weight of evidence, and they don't cost the same.
Best For
Anyone who wants a full creatine dose and a full electrolyte dose in one product, backed by decades of clinical research on both.
Best For
Anyone who wants creatine with added HMB and Vitamin D, and already has electrolytes covered elsewhere.
Mike's Electrolytes vs. Transparent Labs, Side by Side
| Mike's Electrolytes | Transparent Labs | |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine Monohydrate | 5,000 mg | 5,000 mg |
| Sodium | 1,000 mg | Not included |
| Potassium | 200 mg | Not included |
| HMB | Not included | 1,500 mg (mixed evidence) |
| Vitamin D3 | Not included | 12.5 mcg |
| Price / day, alone | $1.97 – $1.63 | $1.50 |
| + full electrolyte dose separately | Already included | +$1.50/day |
| Total to match both, one-time | $1.97 | $3.00 |
Transparent Labs is cheaper for creatine alone. It has zero electrolytes. Add a full electrolyte dose to match what's already in Mike's Electrolytes, and the total flips.
Not All Extra Ingredients Are Backed the Same Way
Transparent Labs adds HMB to their formula. Mike's Electrolytes adds sodium and potassium. Both are additions on top of the same 5g creatine dose — but the research behind each one isn't close.
Sodium + Potassium (Mike's Electrolytes)
Electrolyte replacement is one of the most clinically established interventions in medicine. Oral rehydration with sodium and potassium is backed by the World Health Organization and decades of use, and controlled studies consistently show electrolyte-replacement solutions outperform plain water for fluid retention during and after exertion.
Source: Efficacy of Ingesting an Oral Rehydration Solution after Exercise on Fluid Balance and Endurance Performance, National Institutes of Health (PMC7765193).
HMB (Transparent Labs)
A 2026 meta-analysis of 561 participants across 13 randomized trials found HMB plus resistance training did not improve body composition or muscle strength in adults 50 and older. A separate review of athlete supplements describes HMB's findings as inconsistent, grouping it with the least-settled options studied. Other studies, mostly in older or clinical populations, do show modest benefits — the honest read is that HMB's evidence is genuinely mixed, not proven and not worthless.
Sources: Age and Ageing meta-analysis, Oxford Academic; athlete supplement network meta-analysis, PMC.
Transparent Labs adds an ingredient with mixed, population-dependent evidence. Mike's Electrolytes adds two minerals with one of the deepest evidence bases in all of nutrition science.
What's Actually in Each Serving
Mike's Electrolytes
- Creatine Monohydrate5,000 mg
- Sodium1,000 mg
- Potassium200 mg
- Added Sugar0 g
Transparent Labs
- Creatine Monohydrate5,000 mg
- HMB1,500 mg
- Vitamin D312.5 mcg
- BioPerineIncluded
The creatine dose is identical. Past that, the two formulas go different directions — Transparent Labs toward a contested muscle-recovery compound, Mike's Electrolytes toward hydration minerals with a much deeper evidence base.
Cheaper Alone, Not Cheaper Combined
Transparent Labs runs $1.50/day for creatine — cheaper than Mike's Electrolytes on its own. But it has no electrolytes. Add a full sodium and potassium dose to match what's already built into Mike's Electrolytes (using LMNT, $1.50/day, as the reference), and the combined cost runs $3.00/day — well above Mike's Electrolytes' $1.97 one-time or $1.63 subscribed.
If you're only ever buying creatine, Transparent Labs is cheaper. If you also need electrolytes, Mike's Electrolytes costs roughly half as much for both, in one product.
Same Creatine, Different Add-Ons
Transparent Labs added HMB to their creatine formula, using evidence that's still genuinely unsettled. Mike's Electrolytes added sodium and potassium to the same clinical creatine dose, backed by some of the most established research in sports nutrition.
- The core creatine dose is identical — 5,000mg in both, no advantage either way.
- Transparent Labs adds HMB with mixed, population-dependent evidence. Mike's Electrolytes adds sodium and potassium, both well-established for hydration and performance.
- Once electrolytes are accounted for, Mike's Electrolytes costs about half what it takes to match both with Transparent Labs plus a separate electrolyte mix.
Mike's Electrolytes
Citrus flavored. 30-day supply.
Hydration and performance formula.
Cancel anytime. 30-day money-back guarantee.
A Few More Places to Look
The Science
What sodium, potassium, and creatine monohydrate do — and why the doses matter.
Electrolytes & Creatine Benefits →Is It Worth It?
See the ingredient-by-ingredient cost breakdown against standalone products.
Price by Ingredient →vs. Liquid I.V.
See how Mike's Electrolytes compares to the most mainstream electrolyte brand.
Longevity Farms vs. Liquid I.V. →vs. LMNT
Same electrolyte dose, one also has creatine built in.
Longevity Farms vs. LMNT →Transparent Labs formula and pricing: transparentlabs.com (checked August 2026). Mike's Electrolytes formula and pricing: Longevity Farms Supplement Facts label. Electrolyte reference price: LMNT, drinklmnt.com. HMB research: Age and Ageing (Oxford Academic), PMC athlete supplement network meta-analysis. Electrolyte research: PMC7765193, National Institutes of Health.
Product formulations, pricing, and other competitor information are based on publicly available information as of August 2026 and may change. Longevity Farms is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Transparent Labs. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.