Also known as: Creatine, Creapure, Micronised Creatine, CrM
Performance & PowerStrong evidence
The most researched sports supplement available. Creatine monohydrate increases intramuscular phosphocreatine stores, supporting rapid ATP resynthesis during repeated short bursts of high-intensity effort. It is the reference form against which all other creatine salts are measured.
Typical dose
3.0–5.0 g per day
Timing is largely irrelevant to saturation. Post-workout with carbohydrate or protein may marginally improve uptake.
What it is
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid synthesised in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from arginine, glycine and methionine, and also obtained from red meat and fish. Around 95% of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, roughly two-thirds of it as phosphocreatine.
Monohydrate is creatine bound to a single water molecule, giving approximately 88% creatine by weight. Micronised versions are mechanically milled to a smaller particle size to improve suspension in liquid; they are chemically identical.
How it works
Supplementation raises total muscle creatine stores by roughly 20-40% from baseline. The elevated phosphocreatine pool donates a phosphate group to ADP via creatine kinase, regenerating ATP during efforts lasting up to around 10 seconds and accelerating recovery of ATP between repeated bouts.
Secondary effects include intracellular water retention, which increases cell volume, and a modest buffering contribution through hydrogen ion consumption during phosphocreatine resynthesis.
What the evidence shows
Supported by several hundred controlled trials and multiple meta-analyses. Effects on strength and repeated high-intensity output are consistent and among the largest reliably demonstrated for any legal ergogenic aid.
Response is not universal. Roughly 20-30% of users are classified as non-responders, typically those with high baseline muscle creatine from a red-meat-heavy diet. Vegetarians and vegans generally show the largest response.
No alternative form has demonstrated superiority over monohydrate in head-to-head comparison, despite frequent marketing claims to the contrary.
Dosing
Maintenance: 3-5 g daily, taken every day including rest days. Larger individuals may scale to approximately 0.03 g per kg bodyweight.
Optional loading: 20 g daily split into four 5 g servings for 5-7 days saturates stores faster, then drop to maintenance. Loading is not required. Taking 3-5 g daily reaches the same saturation in roughly three to four weeks.
No cycling is necessary. Stores decline gradually over four to six weeks once supplementation stops.
Plasma half-life approximately 3 hours; muscle saturation persists 4-6 weeks after cessation
Timing
Timing is largely irrelevant to saturation. Post-workout with carbohydrate or protein may marginally improve uptake.
Competition status
Permitted — not on the WADA Prohibited List
Category
Performance & Power
Safety and side effects
Extensively studied with a strong safety record in healthy adults across trials running up to five years. The most commonly reported effect is a 1-2 kg increase in bodyweight in the first week, driven by intracellular water rather than fat mass.
Gastrointestinal discomfort is occasionally reported, almost always at loading doses taken in a single serving. Splitting servings and taking with food resolves it in most cases. Claims of kidney damage in healthy individuals are not supported by the available evidence; elevated serum creatinine readings reflect creatine metabolism rather than impaired renal function.
Who should avoid it
Speak to your doctor before use if you have been told your kidneys are not working normally, or if you take regular medication. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding due to insufficient data.
This entry is provided for information only. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine Monohydrate - Micronised
Creatine Powder
Creatine Drops
