Creatine: the basics

What creatine is

Creatine is not a drug and not a hormone. It is a substance your body already contains. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on creatine (2017) states that about 95% of the body's creatine sits in skeletal muscle, with small amounts in the brain and testes, and that the body needs to replenish about 1–3 g of creatine per day to maintain normal unsupplemented stores depending on muscle mass, about half of which comes from the diet.

Food contains it too: the same paper notes that a pound of uncooked beef or salmon provides about 1–2 g of creatine. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower intramuscular creatine stores (90–110 mmol/kg of dry muscle) and may therefore see a larger increase from supplementation.

Only one effect is formally established

In EU law, creatine currently carries a single authorised health claim (Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012): creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The conditions of use are specific: the claim may be used only for food providing a daily intake of 3 g of creatine, consumers must be told that the beneficial effect is obtained with that daily intake of 3 g, and it applies only to foods targeting adults performing high intensity exercise.

Read that sentence precisely. It is about short, repeated, high-intensity efforts. It is not a muscle-building drug and it does not replace training and eating. The US Anti-Doping Agency puts it to athletes this way: the effects are not guaranteed, and the training program itself remains the key component of success.

Intake: published ranges, not a prescription

The ISSN position stand describes two common protocols. One is a loading phase of roughly 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day, taken in four doses, for 5–7 days, followed by 3–5 g a day for maintenance (larger athletes may need 5–10 g a day). The other skips loading: 3 g a day for 28 days, with stores rising gradually over three to four weeks. The figure in EU law is 3 g a day.

These are general ranges from published literature and regulation, not a prescription for you. Individual differences, your body weight, your diet, your medical history and any medication you take all affect the decision, and that decision belongs to a doctor or a registered dietitian. Nutrition content on this site never gives individual prescriptions, the same position as protein basics in everyday meals.

Why monohydrate is the default

The ISSN states that creatine monohydrate is the most extensively studied and clinically effective form of creatine for use in nutritional supplements, and the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes, and that claims other forms are superior are currently unfounded.

So when a label offers a "next generation" or "better absorbed" form, the first question is whether there is research showing it beats plain monohydrate.

Side effects and safety

From the same position stand:

• The only consistently reported side effect is weight gain. Loading promotes short-term fluid retention on the order of 0.5–1.0 L, which is why people often report being a kilogram or two heavier in the first week.
• There is no compelling evidence that creatine supplementation negatively affects renal function in healthy or clinical populations; studies found no significant effects on creatinine or creatinine clearance.
• The literature does not support the claim that creatine causes dehydration and cramping; studies report the opposite, a reduced incidence.

These conclusions apply to healthy people using recommended dosages. Kidney or other disease, current medication, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and being under 18 are not situations to decide alone. A doctor decides.

What matters more than the brand

USADA warns athletes that because of the way dietary supplements are regulated, all supplements carry some level of risk and products contaminated with banned substances do reach store shelves. Its advice is a food-first approach and, if you do use a supplement, choosing a third-party certified product (for example NSF Certified for Sport) to reduce the risk of a positive test or an adverse health event.

For anyone who competes, that point matters far more than which brand works best. Creatine itself is not on the prohibited list, but whatever else ends up in a tub does not become legal because creatine is.

This site does not sell supplements: no brand recommendations, no purchase links, no individual doses, and no supplement standing in for training and meals.

In one line

Get the training and the meals steady first, then talk about creatine. In the other order, nothing you take will do what you expect.

This is general knowledge, not medical or nutrition advice. Whether and how to use creatine is a question for a doctor or a registered dietitian; competing athletes must also follow the anti-doping rules of their federation.