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Creatine MonohydrateEvidence & Dosage

Power, muscle building, cognition, and safety of creatine.

Studies last updated

Evidence at a glance

Total studies
1,000
With abstract
49
Meta / Systematic / RCT
87
Highly cited
50
Publication years
1965–2026

Creatine Monohydrate in the context of Vitamins & Minerals

This topic is part of our "Vitamins & Minerals" world. There you'll find methodology, evidence and the highest-impact levers — plus the order in which they sensibly build on each other.

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Top studies on Creatine Monohydrate

Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.

  1. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.

    J Int Soc Sports Nutr2017review200 influential citations

    Creatine is one of the most popular nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes. Studies have consistently shown that creatine supplementation increases intramuscular creatine concentrations which may help explain the observed improvements in…

  2. Creatine in Health and Disease.

    Nutrients2021n=132systematic129 influential citations

    Although creatine has been mostly studied as an ergogenic aid for exercise, training, and sport, several health and potential therapeutic benefits have been reported. This is because creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism,…

  3. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?

    J Int Soc Sports Nutr2021review126 influential citations

    Supplementing with creatine is very popular amongst athletes and exercising individuals for improving muscle mass, performance and recovery. Accumulating evidence also suggests that creatine supplementation produces a variety of beneficial…

  4. Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations.

    Nutrients2021review104 influential citations

    Creatine is one of the most studied and popular ergogenic aids for athletes and recreational weightlifters seeking to improve sport and exercise performance, augment exercise training adaptations, and mitigate recovery time. Studies…

  5. Creatine in humans with special reference to creatine supplementation.

    Sports Med1994review103 influential citations

    Since the discovery of creatine in 1832, it has fascinated scientists with its central role in skeletal muscle metabolism. In humans, over 95% of the total creatine (Crtot) content is located in skeletal muscle, of which approximately a…

  6. Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health.

    Nutrients2022review103 influential citations

    While the vast majority of research involving creatine supplementation has focused on skeletal muscle, there is a small body of accumulating research that has focused on creatine and the brain. Preliminary studies indicate that creatine…

  7. Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health.

    Nutrients2021review97 influential citations

    There is a robust and compelling body of evidence supporting the ergogenic and therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in muscle. Beyond these well-described effects and mechanisms, there is literature to suggest that creatine may…

  8. Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation.

    Sci Rep2024n=15other92 influential citations

    The inverse effects of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation on high energy phosphates, neural creatine, and cognitive performances suggest that creatine is a suitable candidate for reducing the negative effects of sleep…

  9. "Heads Up" for Creatine Supplementation and its Potential Applications for Brain Health and Function.

    Sports Med2023review86 influential citations

    There is emerging interest regarding the potential beneficial effects of creatine supplementation on indices of brain health and function. Creatine supplementation can increase brain creatine stores, which may help explain some of the…

  10. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis.

    Open Access J Sports Med2017n=721Review84 influential citations

    The loss of muscle mass and strength with aging results in significant functional impairment. Creatine supplementation has been used in combination with resistance training as a strategy for increasing lean tissue mass and muscle strength…

Frequently asked

What dosage was studied?
• Creatine monohydrate supplementation (0.3 g/kg/day for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g/day; clinical populations 0.3–0.8 g/kg/day; up to 30 g/day for 5 years) • Creatine supplementation and phosphocreatine-related interventions (Varied by included studies; examples include 2-30 g/day creatine monohydrate, 0.3-0.8 g/kg/day in deficiencies, and 5 g/day maintenance) • Creatine supplementation (Common recommended dosages 3–5 g/day or 0.1 g/kg body mass/day; loading regimens 20–25 g/day for 5–7 days also discussed)
Which population does the evidence apply to?
Most studies investigated: healthy; unknown.
Are there safety considerations for Creatine Monohydrate?
• Weight gain was the only consistently reported side effect. • Up to 30 g/day for 5 years was reported as safe and well-tolerated. • Pre-existing renal disease warrants physician consultation in cautionary language. • No evidence of increased dehydration, cramping, GI upset, or renal dysfunction was reported.

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Creatine Monohydrate: Effects, Dosage, and the Evidence at a Glance

How well does Creatine Monohydrate really work? An evidence-based overview of performance, muscle gain, safety, dosage, and the limits of the evidence.

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