You have probably seen creatine jars at the gym and online. More people now pick one up, and many of them are not athletes. For a supplement this common, it is also one of the most misunderstood.
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements on the shelf. According to a 2021 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, PubMed lists more than 500 peer-reviewed publications on it.
The strongest effect is on muscle. An earlier position stand from the International Society of Sports Nutrition called creatine "the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes". That verdict covered high-intensity exercise and lean body mass.
What creatine actually does for muscle and brain
Creatine sits in your muscle cells and helps refill their quick energy source during short, hard efforts. That is why it boosts power output in sprints, lifts and jumps. The effect is clearest in brief, intense training.
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A second line of evidence is now building for the brain. A 2024 systematic review in Frontiers in Nutrition pooled multiple trials with 1,000 adults and found a small overall boost to memory. The review graded the certainty of evidence as moderate.
The review also pointed to favorable effects on processing speed in older adults. Younger adults did not show the same benefit as clearly.
Three common claims that do not hold up
Hair loss is the most repeated concern. It traces back to a single 2009 study in young rugby players that found a rise in the hormone DHT but never measured hair at all.
The 2021 review concluded that the current evidence does not show creatine raises testosterone or DHT or causes hair loss.
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Kidney damage is the next worry. Creatine slightly raises blood creatinine, which can look like a kidney alert on a routine lab report. Controlled research cited in the same review shows that creatine at recommended doses does not harm kidney function in healthy adults.
People with existing severe kidney disease are a different case and should talk to their doctor before starting.
Fat loss is the third claim. The 2021 review states plainly that creatine does not increase fat mass, but it also does not shed body fat on its own. Any extra weight on the scale after you start is water held inside the muscle cell.
Who gets the most out of it and how to dose it
Older adults who use creatine alongside resistance training tend to add more muscle and strength than training alone. Vegetarians, who eat little dietary creatine from meat and fish, often show bigger gains in muscle creatine stores once they start.
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The 2021 review notes that 3 to 5 grams per day is well tolerated at the recommended dose. A faster option is around 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for 5 to 7 days. After that, 3 to 5 grams per day keeps stores topped up.
Creatine monohydrate is the form the research is built on. Flashier versions like ethyl ester, buffered or liquid creatine have not beaten plain monohydrate in head-to-head trials, and they usually cost more.
For adults who want the best-supported option, 3 to 5 grams of plain creatine monohydrate once a day is the dose the International Society of Sports Nutrition uses throughout its guidance.
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This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.