Creatine

Does it work?

• -Yes. Creatine reliably improves strength, power, and high-intensity performance, and it's the single most well-supported supplement in all of sports nutrition. Decades of trials back it, and the safety record is excellent.

How much · when

• -Take 3–5 g of creatine monohydrate every day, including rest days — consistency is what fills muscle stores.
• -A loading phase (≈20 g/day for 5 days) only fills stores faster; the end result is identical, so it's optional.
• -Time of day doesn't matter. Mix it with water, juice, or your protein shake.
• -Stick with plain monohydrate — the fancier, pricier forms have no proven advantage.

Safety

• -Safe for long-term daily use in healthy adults.
• -A small early bump on the scale is water inside the muscle, not fat.
• -Stay hydrated, and check with a doctor first if you have kidney disease.

Key research

• International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicineJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · 2017 · Position stand
• Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysisInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · 2003 · Meta-analysis
• The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-AnalysisNutrients · 2023 · Meta-analysis
• Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trialsExp Gerontol · 2018 · Systematic review

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