If there is one supplement that has earned its spot in your gym bag, it's creatine. Not because of hype, but because of hundreds of studies. Creatine monohydrate is a well-studied sports supplement. In the EU, creatine has an authorised health claim: it increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, in adults who take 3 g of creatine per day.
Still, the questions keep coming. How much should you take? Do you need a loading phase? Will it make you bloated, or worse, cost you your hair? In this guide we break it all down using meta-analyses, position stands and randomised controlled trials. No bro-science, just what the evidence actually shows.
Key takeaways
- Creatine monohydrate is a well-studied sports supplement, with an EU-authorised performance claim at 3 g per day in adults.
- One level scoop (5 g) a day, every day, in line with the serving on the label.
- Consistency matters more than timing. Rest days count too.
- In healthy people, reviews and trials did not support the kidney, hair-loss and cramp myths.
- It goes together with training and a balanced diet, not instead of them.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural compound your body makes from amino acids. You also get it from food, mainly red meat and fish. About 95% of your body's creatine is stored in your skeletal muscles, the rest mostly in the brain and testes (Kreider et al., 2017).
Inside the muscle, about two thirds of that creatine is stored as phosphocreatine, a fast energy reserve your body uses to rebuild ATP, the fuel for every muscle contraction. During a heavy set or a sprint, that reserve runs out within seconds. More creatine in the tank means you can keep up the intensity a little longer, rep after rep.
Your body breaks down about 1 to 2% of its muscle creatine every day, so you need roughly 1 to 3 g per day just to maintain normal levels. A normal diet only gets your muscle stores to about 60 to 80% of their capacity. Supplementing can raise muscle creatine and phosphocreatine by 20 to 40% (Kreider et al., 2017). People who eat little or no meat tend to start with lower stores, which is why they often notice the effect even more.
What does the research show?
EU-authorised health claim
Creatine is one of the few supplements with an authorised EU health claim. Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, the EU states that creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine (EFSA, 2011; Regulation (EU) No 432/2012).
Independent research looks at strength too. Two large meta-analyses pooled the placebo-controlled trials on creatine and strength in efforts shorter than 3 minutes:
Effect sizes: a higher number means a bigger advantage for creatine over placebo. Upper body: 53 studies, 1,138 participants (Lanhers et al., 2017). Lower body: 60 studies, 1,297 participants (Lanhers et al., 2015).
In plain language: in these trials, people taking creatine gained more strength than people on a placebo, in both upper- and lower-body lifts. The effects are small to moderate, which is exactly what you should expect from a supplement. Creatine doesn't replace training; it goes together with it. The researchers found the effect regardless of age, sex, training status, dose or duration.
Lean mass follows the same pattern in the research. A 2022 meta-analysis of 35 randomised trials (1,192 participants) found that creatine combined with resistance training was associated with 1.10 kg more lean body mass on average than training alone. Without training, there was no meaningful effect (Delpino et al., 2022). The takeaway: creatine goes together with your training, not instead of it.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition has summarised the research on creatine monohydrate in a position stand on its use, efficacy and safety in athletes.
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Kreider et al., 2017)
How much creatine per day? Loading vs. no loading
Research describes two ways to fill up your muscle creatine stores. Both end up in the same place; the only difference is how fast you get there.
These numbers come from a classic study by Hultman and colleagues (1996): 20 g per day for 6 days raised muscle creatine by about 20%, and 3 g per day for 28 days reached the same 20%, just more gradually. The ISSN position stand describes 3 to 5 g per day to maintain full stores, noting that larger athletes may need more (Kreider et al., 2017). The water weight during loading is documented by Antonio et al. (2021). Our recommended serving is 5 g a day, one level scoop as on the label; the 3 g in the EU claim is the daily intake at which the beneficial effect is obtained.
Our advice
Keep it simple and stick to the recommended daily serving on the label: one level scoop of 5 g per day, every day. That is more than the 3 g linked to the EU-approved effect, and after about four weeks your stores are full. A loading phase goes beyond the recommended daily serving, so we don't recommend it; if you are considering one, check with a sports dietitian or doctor first.
How to take creatine: step by step
One scoop of Valerion Creatine Monohydrate is exactly 5 g; a 300 g tub gives you 50 servings.
Water, juice or your post-workout protein shake. It's unflavoured, so it disappears into anything.
Taking creatine with carbohydrates increased muscle creatine retention in a controlled study (Green et al., 1996).
It's about saturating your muscles over time, not about a quick hit before training.
That's when a steady daily serving reaches full stores (the studies used 3 to 5 g per day). Stop, and levels drift back to baseline in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Read the label. Per serving you get 5 g of creatine monohydrate, and a 300 g tub gives you 50 servings. One ingredient, nothing hidden.
Want to know more? See the product page.
When should you take it? Honestly, timing matters far less than consistency. One small study with 19 recreational bodybuilders hinted that taking 5 g right after training might be slightly better than right before, but the difference was not statistically significant (Antonio and Ciccone, 2013). The practical move: take it after your workout with your protein shake, and on rest days whenever suits you. Combining it with our RAW Whey Concentrate after training is an easy habit. New to protein? Read our Protein 101 guide first.
Tip: make it a habit
Pair your scoop with something you already do every day, like your post-workout shake or your breakfast.
Tip: rest days count
Your muscles saturate over weeks, so keep taking one scoop on days off.
Tip: check your other products
Some pre-workouts also contain creatine. Read the labels so you know your total daily intake.
Creatine myths vs. what the evidence shows
FAQ
Is creatine safe to use every day?
For healthy adults, the current evidence says yes. The ISSN position stand concludes that creatine is well tolerated in the studies done, including long-term use (Kreider et al., 2017). Those studies partly used doses far above the serving on our label, which is not a recommendation. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose, and talk to your doctor first if you have a kidney condition or take medication.
Do I need to cycle creatine?
There is no strong scientific reason to cycle it. The benefit comes from keeping your stores full, and once you stop, muscle creatine returns to baseline within about 4 to 6 weeks (Kreider et al., 2017; Hultman et al., 1996).
Does creatine work for women?
The EU-approved performance claim applies to adults, men and women alike, and research reviews found benefits for women too (Antonio et al., 2021). In one meta-analysis, lean-mass gains were smaller in women (0.29 kg) than in men (1.46 kg), so expect performance, not bulk (Delpino et al., 2022).
Can I mix creatine with protein or pre-workout?
Absolutely. Mixing it into your protein shake is one of the easiest ways to stay consistent. Some pre-workouts already contain creatine, so check the label to know your total daily intake. More on that in our pre-workout guide.
Will creatine make me gain weight?
Possibly a little, especially with a loading phase (1 to 3 kg, mostly water). Over a training block, any extra weight mainly reflects more lean mass, not fat (Antonio et al., 2021).
When will I notice results?
With a steady daily serving (5 g on our label; the studies used 3 to 5 g), your muscle stores are full after about four weeks; with a loading phase, after about a week (Hultman et al., 1996). Individual responses differ, so stay consistent and give it a few weeks.
The bottom line
Creatine monohydrate isn't magic, but it is a well-studied supplement in sports nutrition: a large body of studies, an EU-approved performance claim and a well-studied safety profile in healthy adults. Take one scoop a day, train hard, stay consistent, and let the science do its work.
Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise; the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine, in adults. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Not intended for children and adolescents, or for pregnant or breastfeeding women. If you have a medical condition or take medication, consult your doctor. This article is for information only and is not medical advice.
Sources
- Kreider et al. (2017). ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18
- Antonio et al. (2021). Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18:13
- Lanhers et al. (2017). Creatine and upper limb strength: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 47:163-173
- Lanhers et al. (2015). Creatine and lower limb strength: systematic review and meta-analyses. Sports Med 45:1285-1294
- Delpino et al. (2022). Creatine and lean body mass: meta-analysis of RCTs. Nutrition 103-104:111791
- Hultman et al. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol 81:232-237
- Green et al. (1996). Carbohydrate ingestion augments muscle creatine accumulation. Am J Physiol 271:E821-E826
- Antonio & Ciccone (2013). Pre versus post workout creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10:36
- de Souza e Silva et al. (2019). Creatine and renal function: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ren Nutr 29:480-489
- van der Merwe et al. (2009). Creatine and the DHT to testosterone ratio in rugby players. Clin J Sport Med 19:399-404
- Lak et al. (2025). Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 22:2495229
- EFSA (2011). Scientific opinion on creatine and physical performance in short-term, high-intensity exercise. EFSA Journal 9(7):2303
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012: list of permitted health claims
