Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation Protocol
For creatine monohydrate supplementation, use a loading phase of 20 g/day divided into four 5 g doses for 5-7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 g/day as a single daily dose. 1
Loading Phase (Days 1-7)
- Administer 20 g/day divided into four equal 5 g doses taken throughout the day for 5-7 days to rapidly saturate muscle creatine stores 1, 2
- This loading protocol increases intramuscular total creatine stores, including both free creatine (40%) and phosphocreatine (60%) 3
- Expect 1-2 kg body mass increase during loading due to intracellular water retention, not fat gain 1
Maintenance Phase (Day 8 onward)
- Continue with 3-5 g/day as a single dose for the entire supplementation period 1, 4
- Alternative dosing: 0.03-0.1 g/kg body weight per day has been shown effective 4, 5
- Muscle creatine levels return to baseline approximately 4-6 weeks after stopping supplementation 1
Optimization Strategy
Consume creatine with approximately 50 g each of protein and carbohydrate to enhance muscle uptake through insulin-mediated transport 1
Alternative Protocol (No Loading Phase)
- Loading is not mandatory—maintenance doses alone (3-5 g/day) will eventually saturate muscle stores, though this takes 3-4 weeks longer 5
- This approach avoids the initial water retention spike while achieving the same endpoint
Performance Applications
- Most effective for high-intensity, short-duration activities that rely on the ATP-phosphocreatine energy system 2, 4
- Benefits diminish as exercise duration increases; minimal benefit for pure endurance activities 2, 4
- For post-exercise glycogen resynthesis: use 20 g divided into four 5 g doses within 24 hours post-exercise 1
Safety Profile
- Short-term supplementation (up to 8 weeks at high doses, up to 5 years at maintenance doses) shows no major health risks 3
- Most common adverse effect is transient water retention during loading 5
- Avoid combining with other supplements or exceeding recommended doses, as cases of hepatic and renal complications have occurred with polypharmacy or excessive dosing 5
- Only two case reports exist linking creatine to decreased renal function when used as monotherapy 2
Product Selection Caveat
Creatine monohydrate is the most extensively studied form; other formulations (creatine ethyl ester, etc.) have not demonstrated superior benefits 5. Commercial products lack pharmaceutical-grade quality control, creating risk of impurities or inaccurate dosing 2.