Creatine Monohydrate
The most studied sports supplement in existence. Saturates muscle phosphocreatine stores, buffering ATP resynthesis during short, high-intensity efforts. Reliably improves strength, power and lean mass over weeks of loading plus training, with an exceptionally clean safety record in healthy adults.
01 Overview
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound synthesised from arginine, glycine and methionine and obtained from meat and fish. Supplementation raises intramuscular creatine and phosphocreatine, the substrate that regenerates ATP during maximal efforts lasting a few seconds. Hundreds of randomised trials and multiple meta-analyses show consistent improvements in maximal strength, repeated-sprint performance and resistance-training-induced hypertrophy.
Monohydrate is the reference form: cheapest, most bioavailable in practice and the version used in nearly all clinical work. Effects are ergogenic rather than pharmacological, and gains are contingent on training. An initial 1-2 kg body-mass increase is largely intracellular water.
02 Mechanism
Increases muscle phosphocreatine, accelerating rephosphorylation of ADP to ATP during high-intensity exercise and buffering fatigue; may also enhance cell hydration and satellite-cell signalling.
03 Dosing
| Tier | Dose | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 3–5 g/day | Oral | Daily maintenance; saturates stores in ~3-4 weeks without loading. |
| Loading | 20–25 g/day | Oral | Optional 5-7 day load split into 4-5 doses to saturate stores faster. |
04 Effects
| Effect | Magnitude | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased maximal strength and powerMeta-analyses show consistent gains in maximal strength and repeated high-intensity efforts when combined with resistance training. | +5-15% on 1RM/power tasks | Clinical | |
| Increased lean massGreater fat-free mass over training programmes; a portion is intracellular water, the remainder true hypertrophy over time. | +1-2 kg over baseline vs placebo | Clinical | |
| Improved repeated-sprint capacityBetter performance in repeated short bursts due to faster phosphocreatine resynthesis between efforts. | Modest | Clinical |
05 Side effects
| Effect | Severity | Frequency | Evidence | Countermeasures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-weight gain1-2 kg rapid increase in body mass from intracellular water retention, especially during loading. | Mild | Most users | Clinical | |
| Gastrointestinal upsetBloating, cramping or diarrhoea, most often during high-dose loading. | Mild | Occasional | Clinical |