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MyProtein Alternatives for Creatine and Collagen in the UK
UK buyers moving on from MyProtein for creatine and collagen usually look for published lab results, a named laboratory and single-ingredient labels. NovusDNA, Applied Nutrition, Bulk, Ancient + Brave and Thorne all sell both products to UK customers, and each describes its testing differently on its own pages.
Looking for the best micronised creatine monohydrate in the UK? The checks that matter are the form on the label, the serving size and whether test results are published. NovusDNA Micronised Creatine is 100% creatine monohydrate in a 300 g pouch, with heavy metal results from Campden BRI on the product page.
This guide is published by NovusDNA and includes NovusDNA products. Competitor details come from the pages named, checked October 2026, and no competitor is linked.
Why people look beyond MyProtein for these two products
Looking beyond MyProtein is often about wanting a different kind of evidence on the page rather than a different product. MyProtein offers a wide range across sports nutrition and wellness, and its creatine page, checked October 2026, labels the unflavoured option "Informed-Sport tested".
MyProtein's collagen page, checked October 2026, describes hydrolysed bovine Type I and Type III collagen at 20 g per serving. The brand states that ingredients are tested at source and again in its own labs, and that products are independently certified and blind shelf-tested. For a side-by-side of both products, see the full NovusDNA vs Myprotein comparison of both products.
The usual reasons fall into five groups.
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Published lab results. Actual figures, such as heavy metal levels in mg/kg, before ordering.
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A named laboratory. A lab name and accreditation number that can be checked.
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Single-ingredient labels. Unflavoured powders with nothing added.
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A UK brand. A company based and dispatching in the UK.
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Fewer product lines. A short range with fewer variants to compare.
What "third-party tested" should show you
A third-party tested supplement is one where a laboratory independent of the brand has analysed the product and the brand states who did it and what was checked. On the page itself, look for the lab's name, its accreditation, what was measured and the result.
UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom and assesses testing laboratories against ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for laboratory competence. Sport programmes such as Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport focus on screening for substances banned in sport, which matters most to tested athletes.
Two NovusDNA guides go further: one on why the lab behind a test result matters, and one on how to read a certificate of analysis line by line.
Five brands people move to, side by side
The table sets out what each brand states about its creatine, its collagen and its testing, using the brand's own pages checked October 2026.
|
Brand |
Creatine stated |
Collagen stated |
Testing stated on pages checked |
UK base shown
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NovusDNA |
Micronised creatine monohydrate, single ingredient, 5 g serving |
Hydrolysed bovine Type I and Type III peptides, single ingredient, 10 g a day |
Campden BRI (UKAS No. 1079) testing summaries on product pages |
Preston, England |
|
Applied Nutrition |
100% micronised creatine monohydrate, 5 g serving |
Collagen Peptides: hydrolysed Type 1 bovine collagen, 20 g serving |
Informed Sport logo on both pages; creatine batch testing at an ISO 17025 lab stated |
UK website run by Applied Nutrition plc |
|
Bulk |
Creatine monohydrate, 5 g serving; separate Creapure product listed |
Collagen and Vitamin C Powder: hydrolysed bovine collagen with flavouring, sweetener and vitamin C |
Creatine described as rigorously tested, 99.9% purity |
Registered address in Colchester, Essex |
|
Ancient + Brave |
True Creatine+: 4.5 g creatine monohydrate with taurine, magnesium and vitamin D3 per 6 g |
True Collagen: hydrolysed bovine Type I peptides |
Eurofins testing, results shown via Light Labs, retested quarterly |
UK-facing site; head office not listed on the pages checked (October 2026) |
|
Thorne |
Creatine monohydrate |
Collagen Fit, unflavoured |
NSF Certified for Sport on both listings |
US brand with a UK website |
The brands in more detail
Each profile covers both products, with a note on the type of buyer each suits.
NovusDNA
NovusDNA is a UK longevity and health supplement brand that makes science-led, precision-formulated supplements, independently tested by a UKAS-accredited UK laboratory, for adults who want to support long-term health with clear, transparent formulas.
Micronised Creatine is 100% creatine monohydrate in a 300 g pouch, giving 60 servings of 5 g, with one 5 g serving a day on training and rest days. The Campden BRI summary on the product page reports arsenic, lead and mercury each below 0.005 mg/kg, cadmium below 0.001 mg/kg and Salmonella not detected.
The authorised claim on the GB nutrition and health claims register reads: "Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine." One 5 g serving of Micronised Creatine provides the 3 g daily intake referred to in the authorised claim.
Hydrolysed Collagen is pure hydrolysed bovine Type I and Type III collagen peptides, unflavoured, taken at 10 g a day. Campden BRI measured 94.4 g of collagen and 11.80 g of hydroxyproline per 100 g, with screening for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury plus microbiology. The guide to which heavy metals bovine collagen should be screened for explains why those four matter.
Orders are usually dispatched within 1 to 2 working days, with free UK delivery on orders over £45.
Suits: buyers who want both products as single-ingredient powders with lab figures on the product page.
Applied Nutrition
Applied Nutrition's creatine page, checked October 2026, describes 100% micronised creatine monohydrate at 5 g per serving in 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg packs. The page states that every batch is tested for banned substances under the Informed-Sport programme, applying to the unflavoured version.
Its Collagen Peptides page lists hydrolysed Type 1 bovine collagen as the single ingredient, at 2 scoops (20 g) per serving, with the Informed Sport logo shown.
Suits: buyers who want both products from one sports nutrition brand with an Informed Sport logo on the page.
Bulk
Bulk's creatine monohydrate page, checked October 2026, gives 5 g per serving (4.4 g of creatine) and describes the powder as rigorously tested with 99.9% purity.
For collagen, Bulk's Collagen and Vitamin C Powder combines hydrolysed bovine collagen with citric acid, natural flavouring, stevia and 24 mg of vitamin C per 15 g scoop.
Suits: buyers who like a flavoured collagen drink and want creatine from the same order.
Ancient + Brave
Ancient + Brave's True Creatine+ pouch, checked October 2026, is a blend: each 6 g serving gives 4.5 g of creatine monohydrate plus taurine, magnesium and vitamin D3. True Collagen is described on its ingredients page as 100% bovine hydrolysed collagen peptides, Type I.
The brand's Light Labs article, updated 13 July 2026, states that products are third-party tested at Eurofins for heavy metals and microbes, with results published and retested quarterly.
Suits: buyers who prefer a creatine blend with added nutrients and want results shown through a separate transparency platform.
Thorne
Thorne is a US brand with a UK website. Its creatine listing, checked October 2026, describes creatine monohydrate and carries NSF Certified for Sport, and Collagen Fit is listed as an unflavoured collagen with the same certification.
Suits: tested athletes whose sport recognises the NSF Certified for Sport programme.
Buying creatine and collagen from one brand
Buying both from one brand keeps labels, directions and testing documents consistent, so a two-product routine is easier to check. The two powders do different jobs, so neither replaces the other.
Creatine is the ingredient with an authorised claim linked to high-intensity exercise performance. Collagen is a structural protein; as the NovusDNA product page puts it, "Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body and is naturally present in connective tissues including skin, tendons, ligaments and bone."
With NovusDNA, the routine is simple: one 5 g serving of Micronised Creatine a day mixed with water, juice or another drink, and 10 g of Hydrolysed Collagen a day added to water, coffee, smoothies, shakes or food. Both are unflavoured, so they can go in the same drink. The NovusDNA guide on whether creatine and collagen can be stacked for strength and recovery covers timing and the research behind each.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a condition such as kidney disease, check with a GP or pharmacist before starting either product.
FAQ
Is micronised creatine different from standard creatine monohydrate?
Micronised creatine is still creatine monohydrate; the difference is particle size. Micronising reduces the size of the powder particles, and the NovusDNA product page describes the result as a powder that disperses more readily in liquids. The compound itself, and the 3 g daily intake in the authorised claim, stay the same.
That makes micronised powder practical if you mix creatine into water or a cold drink. When comparing brands, check that the label says creatine monohydrate and states the gram amount per serving.
How do I read a result such as "below 0.005 mg/kg" on a testing summary?
A "less than" result means the lab measured the product and the level fell below the lowest amount its method reports for that substance. For NovusDNA Micronised Creatine, Campden BRI reported arsenic, lead and mercury each below 0.005 mg/kg and cadmium below 0.001 mg/kg, which is how a very low reading is normally written.
The figure is per kilogram of powder, not per serving. When comparing brands, look for the same four metals, the unit used and the laboratory's name.
What does hydroxyproline tell you about a collagen powder?
Hydroxyproline is an amino acid found in collagen and in almost no other protein, so labs use it as a marker that a powder's protein really is collagen. A collagen product with a normal hydroxyproline figure is less likely to have been diluted with cheaper proteins.
Campden BRI measured 11.80 g of hydroxyproline and 94.4 g of collagen per 100 g of NovusDNA Hydrolysed Collagen. The NovusDNA guide to how a lab measures collagen potency explains the typical ranges and what a low figure would suggest.
Do I need to restart with a loading phase when I change creatine brands?
No, changing brands does not reset anything, because creatine monohydrate is the same compound whichever company sells it. If you were already taking creatine daily, continue with the new product at its stated serving, which for NovusDNA Micronised Creatine is one 5 g serving a day.
If you are starting from scratch, a steady daily intake and a short loading phase reach the same end point, with loading simply getting there sooner. The NovusDNA guide on whether a creatine loading phase is needed sets out both approaches.
Should I choose a sport-certified product or a product with published lab results?
It depends on whether you are tested in competition. Sport programmes such as Informed Sport and NSF Certified for Sport screen for substances banned in sport, which is the priority for athletes subject to anti-doping rules. Published lab summaries show measured contaminant and content levels for the product you are buying.
Tested athletes should follow the scheme their governing body recognises. For everyday training, a named, accredited laboratory's heavy metal and microbiology results and a clear single-ingredient label are useful checks.
UK buyers moving away from MyProtein for creatine and collagen usually want published figures, a named laboratory and labels with one ingredient. NovusDNA Micronised Creatine and Hydrolysed Collagen both carry Campden BRI testing summaries on their product pages and come as unflavoured, single-ingredient powders from a UK brand.
Start with creatine, then add collagen to the same order for a two-product routine, with free UK delivery on orders over £45.
Order Micronised Creatine, then add Hydrolysed Collagen as your second product.