Creatine

What it is

Creatine is a compound your body makes and stores in muscle to help regenerate energy during short, intense effort. It's also found in meat and fish. Supplementing raises muscle creatine stores.

How it works

Creatine helps your muscles rapidly regenerate ATP, the energy currency used during short, intense effort. Supplementing raises the phosphocreatine stored in muscle, so you can push a few extra reps or a bit more power before fatiguing — which, over weeks of training, adds up to greater strength and muscle. The brain also uses creatine for energy, which is why it's now being studied for cognition and mood.

What it's been studied for

Taken to support strength, power, muscle growth, and recovery — increasingly studied for older adults and cognition too.

What the evidence shows

This is one of the strongest evidence bases in all of supplementation. Meta-analyses show that combined with resistance training, creatine increases strength and lean mass in both younger and older adults. It's effective, inexpensive, and well studied.

Who should consider it

Anyone doing resistance training or power-based activity is a strong candidate. It's increasingly recommended for older adults to help preserve muscle and strength, and vegetarians and vegans often respond well since they get little creatine from diet (it's found mainly in meat and fish). It's also being studied for cognition, especially under sleep deprivation.

Amounts commonly studied

A common approach is 3-5 g per day; some people 'load' with about 20 g per day split into doses for a week first, which isn't required.

How to take it

The simplest approach is 3-5 g of creatine monohydrate every day, including rest days — timing doesn't matter much. An optional 'loading' phase (about 20 g/day split into four doses for 5-7 days) fills muscle stores faster but isn't necessary; you reach the same saturation in a few weeks at 3-5 g. Take it with water and stay hydrated; mixing it into a drink is fine.

Forms & absorption

Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard — cheapest, most studied, and as effective as pricier forms. Look for a plain, tested monohydrate.

Food sources

Creatine is found in red meat and fish (herring, salmon, tuna) — roughly 1-2 g per pound of raw meat, much of it reduced by cooking. That's why vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower muscle creatine and often notice more benefit from supplementing.

Safety & interactions

Very safe for healthy people; the main effect is a small increase in water weight. Stay hydrated. If you have kidney disease, check with your provider first.

Common questions

Monohydrate or a fancier form?

Plain creatine monohydrate is the gold standard — cheapest, most researched, and as effective as pricier 'HCl' or 'buffered' versions. Don't pay extra.

Do I need to cycle off?

No. Continuous daily use is safe and keeps muscle stores topped up; cycling offers no advantage.

Will it make me bloated?

Some people notice a small increase in water held inside the muscle early on, which isn't the same as bloating. Skipping a high loading dose and using 3-5 g/day minimizes it.