Unflavoured powders are cheaper per gram and let you control your own dose. The catch is that some of them taste genuinely unpleasant on their own. Here is what to expect from each one and what to put it in.
The easy ones
Creatine monohydrate
Close to tasteless. Micronised creatine disperses through liquid rather than sitting on the bottom, so it goes into water, juice, coffee or a protein shake without changing the drink. If you are new to unflavoured supplements, this is the painless one.
L-glutamine
Near neutral, very slightly sweet. Dissolves readily and disappears into anything. Another one that needs no strategy.
The ones that need help
BCAA
Bitter. Not mildly — properly bitter, and this is exactly what the flavour system in other BCAA products is there to hide. Plain water is a poor choice. Citrus juice, a strong cordial, or a flavoured protein shake all work well because the existing flavour has enough character to cover it.
Citrulline malate
Sharply sour, because of the malic acid bound to it. It tastes like a very intense lemon. This one is actually easiest in something already tart — orange or grapefruit juice, or a lemon cordial — where the sourness reads as part of the drink rather than an intrusion.
Acetyl L-carnitine
Mildly sour and slightly bitter at once. Juice handles it better than water. Also worth knowing: it is hygroscopic, meaning it pulls moisture from the air. Leave the lid off and it clumps. Keep it sealed and it stays loose.
Beta alanine
The taste is manageable, but there is a separate thing to know about. Beta alanine commonly causes a tingling sensation across the skin — usually face, neck and hands — starting ten or fifteen minutes after a serve and passing within the hour. It is harmless and expected. If it bothers you, splitting the daily amount into two smaller serves reduces it considerably.
General tactics
Use less liquid, not more. The instinct is to dilute the taste away with a big glass. In practice a smaller, more concentrated drink you finish in a few mouthfuls is easier than a large one you have to work through.
Cold helps. Cold liquid mutes bitterness. Ice water or a chilled juice is noticeably easier than room temperature.
Stack them into one drink. If you take several of ours, there is no reason to drink them separately. One glass of juice can carry the lot.
Shake, do not stir. A shaker with a ball breaks up clumping far better than a spoon, particularly with the finer powders.
Add powder to liquid, not liquid to powder. Powder at the bottom of a dry shaker forms a paste when the water hits it. Liquid first, powder second.
What not to do
Do not dry-scoop. Putting a scoop of powder straight in your mouth and chasing it with water is unpleasant at best and a choking risk at worst. There is nothing to be gained from it.