Creatine Monohydrate: Benefits, Dosing, and Timing
For healthy adults seeking to enhance muscle performance, take 3-5 g/day of creatine monohydrate as a single daily dose during the maintenance phase, optionally preceded by a loading phase of 20 g/day divided into four 5 g doses for 5-7 days to rapidly saturate muscle stores. 1, 2
Performance and Health Benefits
Creatine monohydrate supplementation provides several evidence-based benefits:
- Enhances high-intensity, short-duration exercise performance by increasing muscle phosphocreatine stores, which accelerates ATP resynthesis during repeated sprint activities 2, 3
- Improves training adaptations including increased muscle strength, power output, and lean body mass when combined with resistance training 2
- Supports muscle glycogen resynthesis in the first 24 hours post-exercise when using specific dosing protocols 1
- May support brain function with regular supplementation, though this requires further investigation 2
The British Journal of Sports Medicine guidelines emphasize that creatine is most effective for high-intensity strength or sprint training rather than endurance activities 1, 2, 4
Optimal Dosing Protocol
Loading Phase (Optional but Faster)
- Dose: 20 g/day divided into four equal 5 g doses for 5-7 days 1, 2
- This rapidly saturates muscle creatine stores within one week 1
- Expect 1-2 kg body mass increase during loading due to intracellular water retention 1, 2
Maintenance Phase (Required)
- Dose: 3-5 g/day as a single daily dose for the entire supplementation period 1, 2
- Continue daily dosing because muscle creatine levels return to baseline approximately 4-6 weeks after cessation 1, 2
Alternative Low-Dose Approach
- Dose: 2-5 g/day for 28 days without a loading phase 2
- This avoids the initial weight gain while still increasing muscle creatine stores, though saturation occurs more slowly 2
Timing and Optimization Strategies
Consume creatine concurrently with approximately 50 g of mixed protein and carbohydrate to enhance muscle uptake via insulin-mediated transport into muscle cells 1
For post-exercise recovery specifically, use 20 g of creatine divided into 5 g doses on four occasions beginning the same day as fatiguing exercise to promote muscle glycogen resynthesis 1
Daily consumption is non-negotiable during supplementation—missing doses compromises the maintenance of elevated muscle creatine stores 2
Safety Profile
Creatine monohydrate is well-tolerated at recommended doses in healthy adults:
- No negative health effects when following appropriate protocols at 3-5 g/day maintenance dosing 2, 3
- Transient water retention is the most common effect, particularly during loading 5
- Renal function concerns are unfounded in healthy individuals at recommended doses, though those with pre-existing kidney disease or taking nephrotoxic medications should avoid creatine 6, 4
Critical Pitfalls to Avoid
- Do not exceed 6 g/day without medical supervision as higher doses should be considered therapeutic interventions 7
- Creatine monohydrate is the only form with extensive safety data—other forms like creatine ethyl ester have not demonstrated added benefits 5
- Product quality varies since supplements don't meet pharmaceutical standards; contaminants may be present 4
- Serum creatinine may increase as a normal consequence of supplementation, potentially creating false indicators of renal dysfunction if other kidney function markers aren't assessed 6