Without a doubt, creatine is the hero of the sports supplement world with nearly 70% of studies reporting a significant improvement in exercise capacity (1).
It stands as one of the most researched supplements, with a substantial body of evidence demonstrating its effectiveness when paired with resistance training.
But how much creatine should you take to maximise your body’s full potential in the gym or achieve that next half marathon personal best? This all boils down to your creatine monohydrate dosage and determining the optimal amount.
So, let’s dive into creatine dosage and how much you need to take to train like a boss.
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What is creatine?
“There are so many misconceptions about what creatine actually is,” says Bulk’s sports nutrition expert, Simon Jirkiw. “Creatine is found in everyone’s muscles, and put simply, it’s an organic compound used for high-intensity energy.”
Creatine is an essential component of skeletal muscle, stored primarily within muscle tissue. Around 95% of stored creatine exists in the form of phosphocreatine, which is creatine bound to a phosphate group.
It serves as the primary energy source during high-intensity exercises, such as sprinting or pushing through heavy reps. Creatine naturally occurs in animal products like beef, pork, chicken, and fish, with an average omnivorous diet providing 1-2 grams of creatine per day.
Phosphocreatine is a large molecule, which makes storage in our body a bit of a challenge. While our skeletal muscles always contain some phosphocreatine, the storage capacity is limited. At any given time, we have enough creatine reserves for roughly a 5-6 second burst of high-intensity activity.
“This is where creatine monohydrate supplementation comes into play,” says Simon. “It boosts both the availability and storage of creatine in our muscles, which in turn increases muscle performance in short-duration, high-intensity resistance exercises. For example, a 70kg person typically stores around 100-120g of creatine in their skeletal muscles but has the capacity to store up to 160g. Creatine supplementation aims to fill this tank, aiding enhanced performance.”
How much creatine should you take per day?
3-5 grams.
We can get creatine from food. But non-food supplements such as creatine monohydrate are used as it’s more practical and cost-effective.
For example, to get the effective 3-5g dose of creatine from food, you’d need to eat 600-1000 g of raw beef daily. Even The Rock might find that excessive.
‘In a normal diet that contains 1–2 g creatine per day, muscle creatine stores are about 60–80% saturated. Therefore, supplementation of creatine serves to increase muscle creatine by 20–40%’ (2) This is why many gym-goers and athletes choose creatine monohydrate.
In terms of efficiency, creatine monohydrate ‘is regularly reported that creatine supplementation, when combined with heavy resistance training leads to enhanced physical performance, fat free mass, and muscle morphology’ (3).
It’s also been said to be highly effective for sports recovery for both strength and endurance-based athletes. ‘Aside from overt improvements in the performance of single bouts of maximal efforts, creatine is able to augment performance across multiple sets of performance and subsequently demonstrates a role in enhancing recovery’ (4).
The recommended daily intake of creatine is around 3-6g per day, taken consistently. You can consume it post-workout with a higher carbohydrate meal or shake, or on its own, depending on your preference.
For a more precise approach, one study suggests: ‘The effective dosing for creatine supplementation includes loading with 0.3 g·kg·d for 5 to 7 days, followed by maintenance dosing at 0.03 g·kg·d most commonly for 4 to 6 wk. However, loading doses are not necessary to increase the intramuscular stores of creatine’ (5).
What is the optimal creatine dosage?
The average daily dosage recommendation is 3-5g per day.
However, different supplementation protocols can effectively boost muscle creatine stores. The increase depends on your initial muscle creatine levels. If you have lower creatine stores, such as from eating little meat or fish, you might see a 20-40% increase.
Those with higher initial stores may see a 10-20% increase. This boost in muscle creatine is crucial since studies show that performance improvements are linked to these increases. (6)
Creatine loading phase
“A creatine loading phase involves taking a higher dose than the maintenance for several days. This is around 10-15 g rather than the recommended maintenance dose of 3-5g,” recommends Simon.
“This enables you to maximise your creatine storage as quickly as possible, and begin reaping the performance benefits of creatine sooner. “
One report suggests that the commonly recommended ‘creatine loading’ protocol for creatine supplementation involves taking about 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for 5-7 days (around 5 grams, four times a day), followed by 3-5 grams per day afterward. Research shows this can increase muscle creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr) stores by 10-40%. (7)
Other studies suggest that loading might only need to last 2-3 days, especially when combined with protein and/or carbohydrates.
An alternative approach is to supplement with 0.25 grams of creatine per kilogram of fat-free mass per day, which can also effectively increase muscle creatine stores. (8)
It’s important to mention that during the creatine loading phase, your body weight might go up by about 2%.
This happens because creatine increases the water content in your muscles and boosts the storage of muscle glycogen.
While this can be beneficial for muscle growth and strength, it might not be ideal for sports like running where extra weight can affect performance. (9)
Creatine maintenance phase
If you like maths then one study suggests that following the loading phase, you take 3-5 g (0.03 g/kg day) per day thereafter as a maintenance dose. (10)
However, if you prefer to keep it simple, most people supplement 5g per day for maintenance and do just fine.
Does creatine have any side effects?
“Unequivocally no,” says Simon. “Creatine is shown to be a safe and effective sports supplement. In fact, creatine is the most proven safe and effective sports supplement. It just doesn’t get much better than that. If you’re looking to increase gym performance or high-intensity exercise performance, then creatine is the one to use.”
Creatine is considered safe with no proven creatine side effects in any studies carried out so far, and short-term studies have not shown damage in more than five years of use.
Some people worry about the unknown long-term effects of creatine supplements. While creatine became popular in the 1990s, recent studies on its long-term safety are reassuring.
Research shows no side effects in athletes using creatine for up to 5 years, infants with creatine synthesis deficiency for up to 3 years, or clinical patients for up to 5 years.
In fact, one group of patients taking 1.5 – 3 grams per day has been monitored since 1981 without any significant side effects. (11)
Can you take too much creatine?
There doesn’t appear to be any dangerous side effects to taking creatine. And if you take more than your body needs, your kidneys simply filter it out (as discovered by this study).
Any creatine that isn’t absorbed by muscles or other tissues stays in the bloodstream and is eventually filtered out by the kidneys.
Since women typically have a lower body mass than men, they have less tissue available to absorb creatine, leading to more excess creatine being excreted. (12)
Some people have complained of gastrointestinal discomfort and bloating, but these are anecdotal reports and most likely dependent on the individual taking creatine.
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Frequently asked questions: creatine dosage
Is 10g of creatine a day too much?
“In the sense that it’s probably not necessary for most people who train, then yes,” says Simon. “It’s not dangerous to take 10g per say, but it’s more likely than unless you have extreme lean body mass and/or are a professional athlete, your body will simply dispel the unused creatine.”
If you suffer from bloating and other forms of gastrointestinal discomfort, you may find 10g too much for your body to cope with. And given it’s likely doing just fine at the recommended dosage, there’s probably no need to give yourself the extra grief.
Is 5 grams of creatine enough?
Yes, unless you’re in the creatine loading phase. But for a daily maintenance amount, 5g is more than sufficient for the majority of people.
How much creatine should a beginner use?
If you’re keen to saturate your muscles with creatine, follow the guidelines for the creatine loading phase as mentioned above.
Once the loading phase is complete, or you simply just want to start taking the same amount every day, 3-5g per day is plenty.
If you’re a beginner and concerned about bloating or carrying too much water weight, start on the lower dose and increase as you monitor your body’s response.
Is creatine really worth it?
Creatine monohydrate is currently the leading supplement for enhancing lean body mass and anaerobic capacity. Extensive research supports its effectiveness in boosting exercise performance, with about 70% of studies reporting significant improvements.
While some studies show only minor gains and some concerns exist about potential weight gain affecting runners and swimmers, no research has found negative effects on performance.
On average, creatine monohydrate use leads to performance improvements of 10-15%, depending on the activity. Short-term use can increase power and strength by 5-15%, improve work during intense muscle contractions by 5-15%, enhance single-effort sprint performance by 1-5%, and boost work during repetitive sprints by 5-15%.
Long-term use can result in 5-15% greater gains in strength and performance by enhancing training quality. (13)
More recent studies also suggest that combining beta-alanine with creatine monohydrate can be even more effective than using creatine alone. This combination appears to enhance strength, increase lean muscle mass, reduce body fat percentage, and delay muscle fatigue during workouts. (14)
The only reason not to take creatine would be if you have been advised not to by a medical professional.
But in conclusion, creatine is definitely worth it for those looking to improve their exercise performance and build lean muscle.
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