Creatine is a popular dietary supplement, mostly used by athletes, bodybuilders, and those who want to build and preserve muscle mass. While our bodies can produce it in smaller amounts, we need much more for significant muscle building. But, how much exactly?
Keep reading this article and find out what the correct daily dosage of creatine is for you.
What is creatine?
Creatine is a byproduct of amino acids that our bodies produce in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas after we eat protein. All vertebrate animals produce and use it, and it's primarily stored in muscle cells (95%) and brain tissue (5%).
Creatine is used by our bodies in these tissues with a high energy demand because it is converted to phosphocreatine. This molecule stimulates the creation of energy molecules (ATPs) in the mitochondria of your muscle (and brain) cells. The more raw source, creatine, you have, the more it can be converted to phosphocreatine and energy (1).
Creatine - Health benefits
There are many scientifically proven benefits of creatine. The most well-known and significant one is muscle growth and better exercise performance. However, there are many more:
- boosting brain function and cognition,
- antioxidant properties,
- improving gut health,
- helps to improve the skin.
We can produce about 1 gram of creatine per day if we eat an average amount of meat or fish. To get more creatine, like you can from a supplement, is almost impossible only through food. This is why creatine supplements are extremely popular and very well studied.
Read more about creatine's health benefits in our previous articles:
- Why Should I Take Creatine?
- How to Choose the Right Type of Creatine?
- Is Creatine Good for Weight Loss?
- Creatine and Muscle Strength in Stroke Recovery
Creatine - Dosage
Some sports advisors and trainers recommend that you load up your muscles during the first weeks of taking creatine. This is the so-called "loading phase". Normally, in this phase, you would take 20 to 25 g of creatine daily for 5 to 7 days. This dose is typically divided into four or five 5-g servings throughout the day (2).
Research shows that you don't really need the loading phase, and your muscles will get saturated, but it will take longer. For example, with the proper loading phase, your muscles will be loaded after a week. If you start taking only 3 grams of creatine per day, it might take up to a month to load your muscle cells (3).
After the loading phase, you can continue to take 3 to 5 grams of creatine per day. This is the so-called maintenance phase. If you want a more precise dosage, you can calculate it per your weight. Take 0.1 grams per kg of body weight per day.
There is currently not enough research out there that would explain whether females and males should take a different dosage of creatine. Almost all of the current research has been done on males.
Is creatine safe?
Yes, creatine is considered a generally safe supplement if you stay within the recommended dosage. It is also one of the most studied dietary supplements out there, with a huge number of scientific studies proving its safety. The International Society of Sports Nutrition says that you can safely take up to 30 g of creatine per day for 5 years (4).
Creatine is a natural compound that our bodies produce and process, but they might hit the limit if you take too much too often. That also might put some additional stress on your kidneys, which usually process creatine. Some anecdotal side effects that people have noticed were:
- temporary bloating and water retention (in the first 4 weeks),
- nausea and vomiting,
- kidney issues (if you suffer from a kidney disease).
Remember to drink enough water to avoid dehydration, and take creatine with carbs or meals. If you'd like to try out creatine supplementation, we offer the best form, creatine monohydrate, over on our Augment Life Web Shop:
Literature sources:
- Hall M, Manetta E, Tupper K. Creatine Supplementation: An Update. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2021 Jul 1;20(7):338-344. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000863.
- Gann JJ, McKinley-Barnard SK, Andre TL, Schoch RD, Willoughby DS. Effects of a traditionally-dosed creatine supplementation protocol and resistance training on the skeletal muscle uptake and whole-body metabolism and retention of creatine in males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015 Sep 21;12(Suppl 1):P2. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-12-S1-P2.
- Hickner RC, Dyck DJ, Sklar J, Hatley H, Byrd P. Effect of 28 days of creatine ingestion on muscle metabolism and performance of a simulated cycling road race. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jul 7;7:26. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-7-26.
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z.
