Monohydrate · Performance
The most studied sports supplement there is. More strength and muscle from the same training, and a growing case for the brain.
Thiago’s take: Core · 5 g every morningYour body makes about a gram of creatine a day from three amino acids and gets roughly another gram from meat and fish. Most of it sits in muscle as phosphocreatine, which rebuilds ATP during short, hard efforts; supplementing tops those stores up by around 20 to 40 percent.
S-tier. If you don’t know where to start, start here.
Morning with breakfast
Training 30 minutes before
Evening with dinner
Bed 30 minutes before
2 Strong6 Preliminary
Strong: at least one pooled review or three randomised trials among the counted studies, and at least three in four of them better. Preliminary: everything else. Better is green in a Strong finding and ochre in a Preliminary one.
Better means a statistically significant change in the claimed direction at a normal dose. Each study counts once: a pooled review speaks for the trials inside it.
1,937 people, Kazeminasab 2025 · clearest in younger adults and men
7 of 7 studies better
Creatine adds more strength than training alone, though the gain varies by lift, age and sex. The reviews split on older adults: most found small to moderate gains, but one found no significant gain.
Strong
Strength
What these 7 studies found. Pooled reviews: 7 better.
Stronger bench press and squat, but no significant gain in the leg press or grip, nor in adults over 50.
Kazeminasab 2025 Nutrients
More strength than training alone, from 31 of its 63 trials for the upper body and 34 for the lower; a moderate effect, larger in studies of younger people.
Wang 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
In men aged 18 to 30, a stronger squat by 11.9 kg (16 of its 37 trials) but no significant gain in the leg press (12 trials); it pooled end-of-study values rather than changes.
Gu 2026 Frontiers in Nutrition
In older adults, more chest press and leg press strength from resistance training.
Chilibeck 2017 Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine
In postmenopausal women, 7.5 kg more on the leg press, from 3 of its 7 trials (111 women), all with resistance training; the bench press gain was not significant.
Naddafha 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
In adults under 50, about 4 kg more on upper-body lifts and 11 kg more on lower-body lifts; women's gains were not significant.
Wang 2024 Nutrients
In adults aged 60 and over, a small gain in strength over training alone, with moderate certainty.
Yao 2026 Frontiers in Nutrition
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, strength or resistance training in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 243 results on 27 Sep 2026.
3,655 people, Pashayee-Khamene 2024 · only alongside resistance training
6 of 8 studies better
With resistance training, creatine adds about 1 kg more lean mass than training alone, but no clear gain without exercise. Scans of muscle size show barely any gain, and the reviews split on older adults.
Strong
Muscle
What these 8 studies found. Pooled reviews: 6 better, 2 no change.
About 0.8 kg more fat-free mass, pooled from 95 effect sizes: 1 kg with resistance training and no significant gain without exercise; high certainty.
Pashayee-Khamene 2024 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
More lean mass than training alone, a small-to-moderate effect, with no significant change in fat mass.
Wang 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
In men aged 18 to 30, 1.8 kg more lean body mass (16 of its 37 trials) and 2.3 kg more fat-free mass (15 trials), gains significant only with resistance training; it pooled end-of-study values rather than changes.
Gu 2026 Frontiers in Nutrition
In older adults, 1.4 kg more lean tissue with resistance training.
Chilibeck 2017 Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine
In postmenopausal women, 0.37 kg more lean mass from 5 of its 7 trials (338 women); the gain came only in the trials with resistance training.
Naddafha 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
In adults under 50, 1.1 kg more lean mass than training alone, with no difference between trained and untrained lifters.
Desai 2024 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Scans of muscle size found a very small gain, but its 95% range included no gain.
Burke 2023 Nutrients
In adults aged 60 and over, the gain in muscle mass, from 6 of its 11 trials, was not significant; low certainty.
Yao 2026 Frontiers in Nutrition
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, lean, fat-free or muscle mass in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 140 results on 27 Sep 2026.
1,937 people, Kazeminasab 2025 · Wingate gains in men, not women
4 of 6 studies better
Creatine adds peak power in the 30-second all-out Wingate test, in men but not clearly in women. The evidence on sprints themselves is weaker: reviews in soccer players and swimmers found no significant gain.
Preliminary
Performance
What these 6 studies found. Pooled reviews: 3 better, 2 no change. Trials: 1 better.
More peak power in the 30-second Wingate test, from 12 of its 69 trials; the gain was significant in its arms taking more than 8 g a day, which its table shows as 10 to 35 g a day for 2 to 7 days, and not in those taking 8 g a day or less.
Kazeminasab 2025 Nutrients
In men aged 18 to 30, 71 W more peak power and 40 W more mean power in the Wingate test (12 and 11 of its 37 trials), with or without resistance training; high certainty for peak power.
Gu 2026 Frontiers in Nutrition
In active women, 4 of its 17 trials of sprint and other anaerobic tests found a gain over placebo, and the review judged the evidence inconsistent.
Tam 2025 Nutrients
In swimmers, no gain in single sprints or repeated sprint sets.
Huang 2024 Sports Medicine - Open
In soccer players, better Wingate test results (2 of its 9 trials), but no significant gain in repeated sprints (3 trials) or single sprints (3 trials).
Mielgo-Ayuso 2019 Nutrients
In 20 young soccer players in its monohydrate and placebo arms, 5 g a day through 4 weeks of sprint training gave faster 20 m sprints and more Wingate peak power than placebo, but no more mean power.
Duan 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, sprints, anaerobic, Wingate, high-intensity, intermittent or all-out in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 174 results on 27 Sep 2026.
469 people, Doma 2022 · no faster recovery of strength or soreness
3 of 8 studies better
Two pooled reviews found strength and soreness recovered no faster with creatine after hard exercise. Newer small trials split: three found faster recovery, two found none and one found more soreness.
Preliminary
Recovery
What these 8 studies found. Pooled reviews: 2 no change. Trials: 3 better, 2 no change, 1 worse.
Strength and soreness, from 11 of its 23 trials, recovered no faster; blood markers of muscle damage were lower 2 to 4 days after a single hard bout but higher a day after the last session of several weeks' training.
Doma 2022 Sports Medicine
Strength, soreness and range of motion, from 7 of its 13 trials, recovered no faster at any point up to 96 hours; creatine kinase in the blood was lower at 48 hours only.
Northeast 2021 International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
In 40 healthy men and women, 3 g a day for 33 days brought strength back faster and eased soreness after hard eccentric arm exercise.
Yamaguchi 2025 Nutrients
In 23 professional cyclists at a hard training camp, 20 g a day for a week did not lessen soreness or fatigue or protect jump height.
Barranco-Gil 2024 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
In 20 healthy men, 3 g a day for 28 days brought strength back faster after hard eccentric arm exercise; soreness did not differ.
Yamaguchi 2024 Nutrients
In 14 active men, a week of loading brought more soreness 24 hours after repeated shuttle sprints and no faster recovery over 72 hours, though soreness before the test was lower.
Ben Maaoui 2025 Nutrients
In 11 active men, one dose of 0.1 g per kg, taken before, during or after a heavy lifting session, left soreness, perceived recovery and jump height soon after the session no different from placebo.
Ben Maaoui 2026 Nutrients
In 10 trained men, three days of loading kept jump height higher than placebo 24 hours after a heavy lifting session and again three days later, when leg soreness was also lower.
Salem 2025 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, muscle damage, recovery or soreness in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 101 results on 27 Sep 2026.
424 people, Gras 2023 · VO2max rose less with creatine
0 of 4 studies better
Creatine showed no clear endurance benefit. A 2023 pooled review of 19 trials found VO2max rose less with it than with placebo, and studies in soccer players and active women found little or no aerobic gain.
Preliminary
Endurance
What these 4 studies found. Pooled reviews: 2 no change, 1 worse. Trials: 1 no change.
In active women, 1 of its 5 trials of aerobic tests found a gain over placebo.
Tam 2025 Nutrients
VO2max rose less with creatine than with placebo across its 19 trials; time to exhaustion did not differ, and in its young, healthy subgroup the ventilatory threshold rose with creatine.
Gras 2023 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
In soccer players, no gain in aerobic performance tests (5 of its 9 trials).
Mielgo-Ayuso 2019 Nutrients
In 20 young soccer players in its monohydrate and placebo arms, 5 g a day through 4 weeks of sprint training raised VO2max no more than placebo.
Duan 2026 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, endurance, aerobic, VO2max, VO2peak, maximal oxygen, oxygen uptake or time trial in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 115 results on 27 Sep 2026.
492 people, Xu 2024 · moderate certainty for memory
4 of 6 studies better
A 2024 pooled review of 16 trials found better memory, attention and processing speed. The reviews split on whether older or younger adults gain more, and one found creatine's effect on cognition unclear.
Preliminary
Cognition
What these 12 studies found. The ring counts 6 of them: the other 6 are trials pooled in McMorris 2024, Xu 2024 and Marshall 2026, counted through them. Pooled reviews: 4 better, 1 no change. Trials: 1 no change. Pooled in McMorris 2024: 2 better. Pooled in Xu 2024: 2 no change. Pooled in Marshall 2026: 1 better, 1 no change.
In older adults, 5 of 6 studies linked creatine to better cognition, mostly memory and attention, but 4 of the 5 were dietary surveys and its one randomised controlled trial found no change; half rated poor quality.
Marshall 2026 Nutrition Reviews
Creatine does raise brain creatine, but its effect on cognition is equivocal.
McMorris 2024 Behavioural Brain Research
Better memory, attention and processing speed; no change in overall cognition or executive function. Certainty for memory: moderate.
Xu 2024 Frontiers in Nutrition
Short-term memory and reasoning may improve; other areas conflicting, and no change in young people.
Avgerinos 2018 Experimental Gerontology
Better memory overall, driven by adults aged 66 to 76; no effect in people aged 11 to 31.
Prokopidis 2023 Nutrition Reviews
Better memory in vegetarians only; no change in meat-eaters.
Benton 2011 British Journal of Nutrition
The largest trial: the working memory gain just missed significance; reasoning unchanged.
Sandkühler 2023 BMC Medicine
No change in memory, attention or mood over 24 weeks.
Alves 2013 PLOS ONE
Better working memory and reasoning.
Rae 2003 Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Sprint power improved; no change on any cognitive test.
Silva 2026 Research in Sports Medicine
Better on every memory task except backward number recall.
McMorris 2007 Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition
No change on any of seven cognitive tests.
Rawson 2008 Physiology & Behavior
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, memory or cognition in the title or abstract, trials and reviews. 27 results on 27 Sep 2026.
63 people, Williams 2026 · favourable but sparse early results
2 of 3 studies better
A few small studies suggest creatine helps thinking hold up through sleep loss, with gains on some tasks, none on others. The largest trial's single dose of about 14 g clearly helped only logic tasks.
Preliminary
Sleep & cognition
What these 3 studies found. Pooled reviews: 1 better, 1 no change. Trials: 1 better.
In sleep-deprived adults (2 of its 15 trials, both a week of 20 g a day), equivocal results: a gain on one or two tasks after 24 or 36 hours awake and none on the rest.
McMorris 2024 Behavioural Brain Research
Its five studies, giving a week of 20 g a day or one dose of 0.05 to 0.35 g per kg, showed a positive trend through acute sleep loss that varied by cognitive domain; it calls the research sparse.
Williams 2026 Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
In 29 healthy young adults kept awake overnight, one dose of 0.2 g per kg (about 14 g) slowed the decline against placebo, most clearly in logic tasks, its only gain to survive correction for multiple tests; memory did not gain.
Gordji-Nejad 2026 Nutrients
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, sleep deprivation, sleep loss or sleep restriction in the title or abstract, trials, placebo-controlled studies and reviews. 9 results on 27 Sep 2026.
1,093 people, Eckert 2025 · 294 with depression; very low certainty
1 of 2 studies better
Alongside treatment for depression, creatine eased symptoms more than placebo, but on very low-certainty evidence with substantial bias in its favour. A second review found a benefit in 2 of 5 trials.
Preliminary
Mood
What these 3 studies found. The ring counts 2 of them: the other is a trial pooled in Jeryous Fares 2026, counted through it. Pooled reviews: 1 better, 1 no change. Pooled in Jeryous Fares 2026: 1 better.
In people with depression, all taking it alongside their treatment, symptoms eased more than with placebo (294 of its 1,093 people), but not in people without depression taking it alone; it found substantial bias favouring creatine and rated the evidence very low certainty.
Eckert 2025 British Journal of Nutrition
In people with depression, 2 of its 5 trials found adding it to treatment eased symptoms more than placebo, with escitalopram and with talking therapy, and 3 found no difference; it calls it promising.
Jeryous Fares 2026 Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
In 100 adults with depression having talking therapy, 5 g a day for 8 weeks lowered depression scores more than placebo.
Sherpa 2025 European Neuropsychopharmacology
Found with a PubMed search: creatine in the title, depression, depressive or antidepressants in the title or abstract, trials, placebo-controlled studies and reviews. 25 results on 27 Sep 2026.
3 to 5 g a day, any time of day, with or without food. Loading fills your stores in a week instead of a month; it isn't needed.
Daily3 to 5 g, any time of day
Loading, optional20 g a day in four doses, 5 to 7 days
Sources: Kreider 2017 · Hultman 1996
One of the best-studied supplements for safety. What people notice, and what the common worries turn out to be.
Expect 1 to 2 kg early on, mostly water drawn into muscle, largest if you load.
Source: Kreider 2017
At 5 g no more than a placebo. In 59 soccer players, one 10 g dose nearly doubled diarrhoea against two doses of 5 g.
Source: Ostojic 2008
No harm to healthy kidneys in trials up to 5 years. It raises creatinine on blood tests, which can look like a kidney problem, so tell your doctor you take it.
Sources: Kreider 2017 · Naeini 2025 · de Souza Almeida 2026
In trials of up to 4 weeks in athletes exercising in the heat, it neither raised body temperature nor upset fluid balance. Over an American college football season, players who chose to take it had fewer cramps.
Sources: Lopez 2009 · Greenwood 2003
One 2009 trial in 20 rugby players saw DHT rise, a hormone linked to hair loss. No trial has shown hair loss itself.
Source: van der Merwe 2009
Kidney disease, or medicines that affect the kidneys.
The form in nearly every study, and the cheapest.
This pageDissolves about 38 times better in water. A 2024 trial found no advantage over monohydrate; a small 2026 trial in soccer players found slightly bigger sprint and jump gains.
Breaks down before it reaches muscle. A 2009 trial found it worse than monohydrate; a small 2026 trial in soccer players found slightly bigger sprint and jump gains.
A 2012 trial found no advantage over monohydrate.
Creatine is fuel for short, hard efforts: the first seconds of a sprint or a heavy set.
Your body makes about 1 g from three amino acids; meat and fish add about 1 g more.
Most of it as phosphocreatine. The brain holds a little too.
In the first seconds of a hard effort, phosphocreatine rebuilds ATP, the energy every contraction spends.
What 3 to 5 g a day adds: more fuel for the next rep, more training over weeks.
Source: Kreider 2017