Ingredient guide
Creatine is one of the most studied sports supplements. The evidence that it improves strength, power, and muscle gain when paired with resistance training is strong. It is safe for healthy adults at the studied dose of 3 g to 5 g per day.
High-quality evidenceCreatine is a small compound your body already makes, mostly in the liver, and you also get it from meat and fish. It is stored in muscle, where it helps you produce quick bursts of energy. As a supplement, the most common and best-studied form is creatine monohydrate, a cheap white powder that mixes into water or any drink.
Inside muscle cells, creatine helps recycle the body's main short-term energy molecule, called ATP. During a hard set of lifts or a short sprint, your stored ATP runs down fast, and creatine helps it bounce back between efforts. The result is a little more work done per set, which over weeks adds up to more strength and muscle.
This is one of the few supplements where the evidence is genuinely strong. A position statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition, plus dozens of controlled trials and meta-analyses, agree that creatine improves strength, high-intensity performance, and muscle gain when combined with resistance training. The added strength is small per session but reliable across studies.
The benefit is not limited to young athletes. In adults over 50, adding creatine to a resistance programme produced bigger gains in muscle mass, strength, and physical function than training alone. Long-term studies up to two years have not shown serious side effects in healthy people. We grade the evidence as high. Creatine is probably the most cost-effective performance supplement there is.
The simple plan is 3 g to 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day, taken at any time, every day. You can start with a one-week loading phase of 20 g per day split into four servings, then drop to maintenance. Loading is optional and just saturates muscle stores faster. Choose a product that is third-party tested, and check with your healthcare provider first if you have kidney concerns.
The standard dose is 3 g to 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day, taken at any time. Some people start with a one-week loading phase of 20 g per day split into four doses, then drop to 3 g to 5 g. Loading is optional. Drink plenty of water. Ask your healthcare provider before starting if you have kidney problems.
Yes. It is one of the most studied sports supplements, and the evidence for better strength, power, and muscle gain alongside resistance training is genuinely strong.
Loading saturates muscle stores in about a week but is optional. Taking 3 to 5 g a day gets you to the same place over about a month with less stomach upset.
Long-term studies in healthy people up to two years show no serious side effects. The main caution is for people with existing kidney problems, who should check with a doctor first.
A little, mostly water held inside muscle cells. Most people see one to two kilograms in the first weeks, which is normal and is the point.
