> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://elonmuscular.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Creatine - URL: https://elonmuscular.com/creatine/ - Published: 2026-08-19T13:18:46.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-12T07:42:54.000Z - Description: Take 5 g a day for life, and load 20 g a day the first week. - Author: Elon Muscular - Tags: Strength, Supplement, Daily [The library](https://elonmuscular.com/library/) / Strength # Creatine A supplement that refills the fast energy your muscles use on hard sets Also called Creatine monohydrate, Creatine HCl, Micronized creatine Sold as a dietary supplement21 studiesReviewed Sep 29, 2026 Who it's forAny man who lifts, and any man old enough to be losing leg strength. [Item](#dd-item)[Start](#dd-start)[Studies](#dd-studies) Your number Muscle size and your press loads Judge at six weeks. On this page [The item](#dd-item)[Start today](#dd-start)[How you'll know](#dd-know)[Why it works](#dd-why)[Where it fits](#dd-fits)[What people say](#dd-say)[Questions](#dd-faq)[The studies](#dd-studies)[Words on this page](#dd-words) ## The item Three squares: proven in human trials. Two: a strong signal. One: early human data. Striped: the trials disagree. Strength Focus Calm Vitality Recovery Metabolism Buffs - Strength and power - Muscle size - Hard efforts, again and again: sprints and heavy sets - Keeping muscle and strength as you age - Memory *contested* - Low mood, added to depression treatment - Bone density - Less muscle damage after a single hard session *contested* - A small drop in body-fat percentage when lifting Debuffs - **Know first**Water weight - **Manageable**Gut discomfort - **Manageable**Slightly lower VO2max, a measure of endurance - **Mild**Creatinine reads high on a blood test; the kidneys are fine Busted - ✓Cramps and dehydration: A meta-analysis found no evidence that creatine hinders heat tolerance or fluid balance at recommended doses. Attunes Muscle stores fill in about a week with a loading week, about four weeks without; strength and size show after six weeks of training Studied dose 20 g a day for 5 to 7 days to load, then 5 g a day “Take 5 g a day for life, and load 20 g a day the first week.” ## Start today 1. Buy plain creatine monohydrate powder. It is the form the trials used. 2. Take 20 g a day, split across the day, for 5 to 7 days. 3. Then take 5 g a day, every day, and keep training. 4. Before a blood test, tell your doctor you take it. Creatinine reads high, and kidney filtration does not change. ## How you'll know it's working Track Muscle size on the tape, and the load you move on chest press and leg press When to judge After six weeks of training. The shortest trials that measured size ran that long. ## Why it works Your muscles run a hard set on ATP, and they hold very little of it. They rebuild it within seconds from a store called phosphocreatine. Creatine fills that store, so your hardest efforts last longer before they fade. Your brain uses the same fast energy store. That is why creatine is studied for memory. BEFOREAFTER A LOADING WEEK **Figure 1.** A loading week of 20 g a day raised the creatine stored in muscle by about a fifth. ## Where it fits Creatine is a move in 16 protocols. Each one opens the plan it sits in. - [Lose Fat and Build Muscle](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-body-recomp/) - [Clear Your Brain Fog](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-brain-fog/) - [Break Through Your Plateau](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-break-plateaus/) - [Focus for Hours](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-deep-focus/) - [Jump Higher, Run Faster](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-explosive-power/) - [Build Your First Muscle](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-first-muscle/) - [Get Your Motivation Back](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-get-motivated/) - [Keep Your Muscle on GLP-1](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-glp1-muscle/) - [Learn Faster](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-learn-faster/) - [Add Healthy Years to Your Life](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-live-longer/) - [Lift Your Mood](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-low-mood/) - [Recover Faster From Training](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-recover-faster/) - [Function on Short Sleep](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-short-night/) - [Keep Your Mind Sharp](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-stay-sharp/) - [Stop Forgetting Things](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-stop-forgetting/) - [Earn Your Abs](https://elonmuscular.com/protocol-visible-abs/) New Heroes The full library. Elon answers every weekday. [Join New Heroes.](https://elonmuscular.com/join/) Cancel anytime. ## What people say Here is what doctors, influencers and men online say about Creatine, word for word. ### Experts Clinicians, authorities - > “the data showed that people that use creatine at the doses recommended and if they have normal kidney function no harm to the kidney is done” > > Christy Risinger, MD · 577K views - > “No conclusive evidence suggests that creatine increases testosterone or causes hair loss.” > > Cleveland Clinic (registered dietitian Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD) - > “Increases body/(lean)muscle mass/size when used in conjunction with a resistance training regimen” > > Health Canada (Natural Health Products Ingredients Database monograph) ### Gurus Podcasts, channels, influencers - > “let's start this video by clearing up all the bull surrounding the most widely researched and safest sports supplement” > > supplement brand's channel · 2.5M views - > “If you split the doses, if you take it with food, particularly carbohydrates, it seems to help negate some of the bloating and nausea and negative effects people feel” > > podcast clip channel · 1.2M views - > “some people are allergic to it so you might want to you know take a little first to make sure you're not allergic to it” > > chiropractor's YouTube channel · 740K views ### Regular people Forums, reviews, comments - > “Creatine has been proven completely harmless for people of all ages absent rare kidney disorder and has clearly measurable positive effects.” > > Hacker News, 'Does creatine make you smarter?', 341 points, 275 comments - > “I noticed a difference very quickly, I'm stronger in the gym, and recover faster.” > > Mumsnet Talk (Exercise), 'Creatine - anyone take it?', 102 replies - > “25% of people are non-responders to creatine. But it’s just science. Not a myth” > > r/naturalbodybuilding · 9 points ## Questions Do I need the loading week? It helps. In the pooled trials, the chest press and leg press gains came from the trials that loaded. Without a loading week, the gains matched a dummy pill. Is it hard on my kidneys? The trials say no. A review found no kidney damage at the amounts studied. Creatinine on a blood test rises a little, because creatine breaks down into it, while filtration holds steady. Will I gain weight? A little, and it is water your body holds. It is the first thing on its risk list. What happens if I stop? Your muscle stores drift back to where they started, over about a month. Does it help my brain? Early signs say yes. A pooled look at 16 trials found better memory and attention, and the authors ask for bigger trials. ## The studies Every study behind this page. - [Meta-Analysis Examining the Importance of Creatine Ingestion Strategies on Lean Tissue Mass and Strength in Older AdultsPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34199420/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39070254/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Renal Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31375416/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Risk of Adverse Outcomes in Females Taking Oral Creatine Monohydrate: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32549301/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [The Effects of Creatine Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Regional Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37432300/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Short-Term Creatine Supplementation and Repeated Sprint Ability-A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36041731/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Registered trial NCT06948149Trial registry](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06948149?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Registered trial NCT06112990Trial registry](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06112990?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Registered trial NCT05895747Trial registry](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05895747?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Creatine and Cognition in Aging: A Systematic Review of Evidence in Older AdultsPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40971619/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Effect of creatine supplementation on kidney function: a systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41199218/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Does creatine supplementation hinder exercise heat tolerance or hydration status? A systematic review with meta-analysesPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19295968/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Markers of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Intervention TrialsPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33631721/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Creatine supplementation effect on recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34472118/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Creatine supplementation and VO(2)max: a systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34859731/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Does creatine supplementation improve glycemic control and insulin resistance in healthy and diabetic patients? A systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35063192/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [The Paradoxical Effect of Creatine Monohydrate on Muscle Damage Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35218552/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Effects of Creatine Monohydrate on Endurance Performance in a Trained Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36877404/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Resistance Exercise and Creatine Supplementation on Fat Mass in Adults < 50 Years of Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37892421/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Impact of creatine supplementation on inflammation: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo trialsPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41798953/?ref=elonmuscular.com) - [Muscle creatine loading in menPubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8828669/?ref=elonmuscular.com) ## Words on this page ATP The molecule that powers every muscle contraction. Phosphocreatine The store your muscles use to rebuild ATP within seconds. Loading week A week of a higher dose to fill the muscle store fast. Creatinine What creatine breaks down into. Blood tests use it to estimate kidney function. VO2max The most oxygen your body can use in hard exercise, a measure of endurance fitness. Meta-analysis Many studies pooled into one result. RCT A randomized controlled trial: people put by chance on the treatment or on a dummy version. PMID A study's ID number in PubMed, the public index of medical research. Choose plain monohydrate, load for a week, then take 5 g a day for good. Judge it on the tape and the bar at six weeks. Emergency: call [911](tel:911). When to see a doctor - You have kidney disease, or a doctor watches your kidney function. - A blood test flags your creatinine and nobody knows you take creatine. I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Every dose on this page is the one a trial used. Talk to a physician who has your history before you change anything.