Creatine: How Much, When to Take It, and Does It Work?

By Fit Gorillas · Updated 22 Oct 2026 · All articles

Creatine is the one supplement almost every evidence-based coach recommends. But how much should you take, do you need to load it, and will it make you bloated or bald? Here are straight answers.

What creatine actually does

Your muscles store creatine as phosphocreatine, a quick energy reserve for short, hard efforts like a heavy set of squats. Taking creatine tops up those stores, so you can squeeze out an extra rep or two before you fatigue. Over weeks and months, that extra training adds up to more strength and more muscle.

Your body makes some creatine, and you get a little from meat and fish, but a supplement fills your stores far more than food alone can.

Does creatine work?

Yes. It's the most researched supplement in sports nutrition. Reviews pooling dozens of trials find that creatine plus weight training adds, on average, roughly 1 kg more lean mass than training alone, along with bigger strength gains. The key word is training: creatine without lifting doesn't do much for muscle.

It tends to help most if you:

• Lift weights regularly, especially with sets of heavy, hard reps.
• Eat little or no meat or fish. Vegetarians and vegans start with lower creatine stores, so they often see bigger gains.
• Are an older lifter. Creatine combined with training has helped older adults gain lean mass and strength.

How much creatine should you take?

• 3–5 g a day is the standard, well-proven dose and is enough for most guys.
• Higher doses of about 0.1 g per kg may suit bigger guys training hard, and a review of older adults found lower-body strength only improved with loading followed by more than 5 g a day. For muscle mass in most guys, though, studies haven't consistently found an extra benefit above 5 g.
• Split bigger doses into 2 or more servings to avoid an upset stomach.

Do you need a loading phase?

No. Loading just gets you there faster:

• With loading: about 0.3 g per kg a day (around 20–25 g for most guys), split into 4 doses, for 5–7 days, then drop to your daily dose. Your muscles fill in about a week.
• Without loading: just take your daily dose. Your muscles fill in about 3–4 weeks.

Both end up in the same place. Load if you want results sooner; skip it if big doses upset your stomach.

When to take creatine

Any time of day works. Taking it every day, including rest days, matters far more than timing. Some studies hint that taking it around your workout may have a small edge, but the difference is tiny. Taking it with a meal is easy to remember and kinder to your stomach. Mix it into water, a shake, juice or yoghurt.

Which type is best?

• Creatine monohydrate: the form used in almost all the research, cheap and effective. Buy this.
• Micronised monohydrate: the same thing ground finer so it mixes better. Fine if you prefer it.
• HCl, ethyl ester, "buffered" and blends: cost more and haven't been shown to work better than monohydrate.
• Gummies: be careful. When 12 creatine gummy products were tested in 2024, 5 contained little or no creatine.

Choose a product that's third-party tested, such as Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport, so you know it contains what the label says.

Side effects and myths

Will creatine make me bloated?

Expect about 1–2 kg of extra water weight, mostly stored inside your muscles, which can make them look fuller. It's most noticeable in the first week or two, especially if you load. It isn't fat.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

The worry comes from a 2009 study of 20 rugby players in which DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss, rose during a week of loading at 25 g a day. That study never measured hair, and its result hasn't been repeated. A 2025 randomized trial in resistance-trained men taking 5 g a day for 12 weeks found no difference from placebo in DHT or in hair density, thickness or follicles.

Is creatine bad for your kidneys?

Not in healthy people, according to the research so far. Creatine can raise creatinine on a blood test, which can look like a kidney problem when it isn't, so tell your doctor you take it before blood tests. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor before taking creatine.

Is creatine a steroid?

No. It's a natural compound found in meat and fish and made by your own body. It isn't a hormone and isn't banned in sport.

Do I need to cycle off creatine?

No. There's no evidence you need breaks. Doses up to 30 g a day for up to 5 years have been reported as safe and well tolerated in healthy people.

Frequently asked questions

How much creatine should I take a day?

3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day is enough for most guys. Bigger guys training hard can take up to about 0.1 g per kg of bodyweight, which is 10 g a day at 100 kg. Split bigger doses to avoid stomach upset.

Do I need to load creatine?

No. Loading with about 20 to 25 g a day for 5 to 7 days fills your muscles in about a week. Taking 3 to 5 g a day gets you to the same place in about 3 to 4 weeks.

When is the best time to take creatine?

Any time. Taking it every day, including rest days, matters far more than timing. Taking it with a meal or around your workout is easy to remember.

How long does creatine take to work?

With a loading phase your muscles are full in about a week; without one it takes about 3 to 4 weeks. You'll usually notice an extra rep or two in your sets first, with strength and muscle gains building over the following weeks and months.

Can I mix creatine with my protein shake?

Yes. Creatine monohydrate can go in water, a protein shake, juice or yoghurt. What matters is taking it every day.

Does creatine work if I don't eat meat?

Yes, and often even better. Vegetarians and vegans start with lower creatine stores because creatine comes mainly from meat and fish, so they tend to see bigger gains.

This article is general information for healthy adults and isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor before taking creatine if you have kidney disease or another medical condition, take medication, or are under 18. Sources: Kreider et al. (2017), "International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation", Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Antonio et al. (2021), "Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?", JISSN. Forbes et al. (2021), "Meta-analysis examining the importance of creatine ingestion strategies on lean tissue mass and strength in older adults", Nutrients. Lak et al. (2025), "Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial", JISSN. van der Merwe et al. (2009), Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. Related reading: Best supplements for muscle growth · How much protein to build muscle · Lean bulk vs dirty bulk · Body recomposition · Sleep and muscle growth