Creatine · Guide
Creatine Dosage: How Much to Take and How to Take It
Take 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day, every day. That's the dose behind the research and the one sports nutrition experts recommend for almost everyone (Antonio et al., 2021). Timing barely matters, a loading phase is optional, and you don't need to cycle off.
The rest of this page covers the details: dosing by bodyweight, whether loading is worth it, when to take it, what to mix it with, and what happens if you miss a day.
A note from me, Tom: I've taken 5 g a day, every day, for about ten years. Consistency matters far more than anything else on this page.
How much creatine per day?
| Your situation | Daily dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most adults | 3–5 g | Fills your muscles over about 3–4 weeks |
| Larger, very muscular people | 5 g, or up to 0.1 g per kg | Bigger muscles hold more creatine |
| Want full stores fast | 20 g a day for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g | The loading phase; see below |
| Vegetarian or vegan | 3–5 g | Stores start lower, so the effect is often more noticeable |
| Over 50 and strength training | 3–5 g | Some trials used more; ask your doctor before going higher |
| Kidney disease, pregnancy, under 18 | Talk to your doctor first | See is creatine safe? |
If you prefer to dose by bodyweight, sports nutrition researchers suggest about 0.1 g per kg a day. For a 70 kg (154 lb) person that's 7 g, so 5 g is a sensible round number for most people.
More isn't better. Your muscles have a ceiling: once they're full, extra creatine is simply broken down and passed out in urine. A higher dose won't push you past that limit, and large single doses are more likely to upset your stomach.
How big is a scoop?
Most creatine tubs come with a scoop that holds about 5 g of monohydrate, but some hold 3 g and a few hold more. Check the Supplement Facts panel, not the scoop size. If you're using a kitchen measure, a level teaspoon of plain monohydrate powder is roughly 3 to 5 g, depending on how fine it's ground. A small digital scale settles it.
Do you need a loading phase?
No. Loading just fills your muscles faster.
The standard loading protocol is about 0.3 g per kg a day, which works out to 20 g split into four doses of 5 g, for 5 to 7 days. After that you drop to 3 to 5 g a day to keep your stores topped up (Kreider et al., 2017).
The alternative is to take 3 g a day from the start. It reaches the same full stores in about 28 days instead of a week.
| Loading | No loading | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to full muscle stores | About 1 week | About 3–4 weeks |
| Daily amount | 20 g for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g | 3–5 g from day one |
| Stomach upset | More likely | Rare |
| Short-term scale weight | More noticeable | Gradual, often unnoticed |
| Where you end up after a month | Same | Same |
Load if you want the benefit quickly, for example ahead of a competition. Skip it if you have a sensitive stomach, don't want the scale to jump, or simply don't want to take four doses a day. Most people are fine skipping it.
If you do load, split the 20 g into four separate doses across the day. A study of 59 soccer players found that a single 10 g dose caused diarrhea in 56% of them, compared with 29% when the same 10 g was split into two 5 g doses (Ostojic & Ahmetovic, 2008). The split dose was no worse than placebo.
When to take creatine
Whenever you'll remember. Creatine works by building up in your muscles over weeks, not by giving you a hit before a workout, so a consistent daily habit matters far more than the exact time.
Some small studies suggest taking it close to a workout, particularly just after, gives a slightly better result. The difference is small and not consistent across studies. If you train at a set time, taking it around your session is a reasonable default. If you don't, take it with breakfast.
On rest days, take it anyway. The aim is to keep your muscle stores full, and they drain by about 1 to 2% a day whether you train or not.
What to take it with
Plain creatine monohydrate tastes of almost nothing and is slightly gritty. A few practical options:
- Water. Fine, but it doesn't dissolve completely in cold water. Warm water dissolves it much better.
- Coffee or tea. Works well, and the heat helps it dissolve. Early research suggested caffeine might blunt creatine's effect, but later studies haven't backed that up in any meaningful way.
- A protein shake or smoothie. The easiest option if you already have one. Creatine and protein don't interfere with each other.
- Juice, yogurt or oatmeal. Any of these hide the texture.
- A meal. Taking creatine with carbohydrate and protein may increase uptake into muscle slightly, but it isn't necessary.
Don't mix it up the night before and leave it sitting for days. Creatine slowly breaks down in water, especially in acidic drinks, so stir it in when you take it.
Do you need to cycle creatine?
No. There's no evidence that your body stops responding to creatine over time, or that taking breaks improves results. Studies have followed people taking it daily for up to five years.
If you do stop, nothing dramatic happens. Your muscle creatine drifts back to its normal level over about four to six weeks, and any water weight from creatine goes with it.
What if you miss a day?
Take your normal dose the next day. Don't double up. A missed day makes almost no difference, because your stores drain slowly. A missed fortnight is when you'd start to lose some of the benefit.
A simple routine
- Buy plain creatine monohydrate. Our comparison of creatine forms explains why.
- Take 3 to 5 g once a day, every day, with something you already have daily: coffee, breakfast or a shake.
- Skip the loading phase unless you have a reason to rush.
- Keep training. Creatine adds to your training; it doesn't replace it.
- Judge it after two months, not two weeks.
Questions people ask
Is 10 g of creatine a day too much?
It isn't dangerous for healthy adults, and some trials used more. It just isn't needed for most people, because muscles stop absorbing once they're full. If you do take 10 g, split it into two doses to avoid stomach upset.
Can I take creatine on an empty stomach?
Yes. It works the same either way. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food instead.
Can I dry scoop creatine?
It's not a good idea. Swallowing dry powder is a choking risk and is harder on your stomach. Stir it into a drink instead.
How long does creatine take to work?
About a week with a loading phase, or three to four weeks at 3 to 5 g a day. Give it at least two months of steady training before you judge it.
Does creatine expire?
Plain monohydrate powder is very stable when kept dry and sealed, and usually lasts well past its best-by date. Throw it out if it clumps hard from moisture or smells off.
Sources
- Antonio et al. 2021, Common questions and misconceptions about creatine (JISSN)
- Kreider et al. 2017, ISSN position stand on creatine safety and efficacy (JISSN)
- Ostojic & Ahmetovic 2008, Stomach upset and creatine dose in athletes
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