What is creatine? It is a compound your body makes from three amino acids (arginine, glycine and methionine), mainly in the kidneys and liver. Most of it ends up in skeletal muscle. You also get some from meat and fish, which is why people who eat no animal products usually have lower muscle stores.
As a food supplement, creatine monohydrate is the form with the most research behind it. It is also one of the few sports supplements with a health claim authorised in the EU, and that claim comes with clear conditions on dose and type of exercise.
What creatine does in muscle
Muscles keep most of their creatine as phosphocreatine. Muscle cells use it to recycle ATP, the molecule that powers muscle contraction, during the first seconds of a hard effort. That is why creatine is linked to sprints, heavy lifts and jumps rather than to long, steady exercise.
The body produces roughly a gram of creatine a day, and a diet with meat and fish adds about the same. A supplement raises the amount stored in muscle above what diet alone provides.
The authorised claim and its 3 g condition
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 allows one claim for creatine, and only in this wording: 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.
Three conditions follow from it:
- the daily dose must give 3 g of creatine itself, not 3 g of creatine monohydrate or another salt;
- the effect concerns repeated short bursts of high-intensity exercise, such as sets in the gym, sprints or interval training;
- it says nothing about endurance sports like marathon running, nor about muscle growth, recovery or weight.
Read the creatine amount on the label, not the monohydrate amount. Creatine monohydrate is about 88 % creatine, so 3.4 g of monohydrate gives 3 g of creatine. Some flavoured powders give less than 3 g of creatine per label serving. Do not add scoops beyond the label dose to make up the difference: pick a product whose daily serving already reaches 3 g.
| Product | Daily serving on the label | Creatine per serving |
|---|---|---|
| NOW Foods creatine monohydrate powder | 1 scoop, 3.4 g monohydrate | 3.0 g (label) |
| Swanson creatine monohydrate sachets | 1 sachet, 5 g monohydrate | about 4.4 g (calculated) |
| Swanson creatine gummies | 5 gummies, 5 g monohydrate | about 4.4 g (calculated) |
| OstroVit creatine monohydrate, watermelon | 3 g powder, 2.6 g monohydrate | 2.29 g (label) |
Creatine monohydrate and other forms
Creatine monohydrate is creatine bound to one molecule of water. Micronised monohydrate is the same substance ground finer so it mixes more easily. Other forms are sold with promises of better solubility or stability.
| Form | What it is | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | creatine plus water, about 88 % creatine | the most studied form; the EU claim applies when the daily dose gives 3 g of creatine |
| Micronised monohydrate | the same molecule as a finer powder | dissolves faster; the difference is texture |
| Creatine HCl | creatine bound to hydrochloric acid | marketed for solubility and smaller doses; far fewer studies; no form-specific claim is authorised |
| Kre-Alkalyn | buffered creatine monohydrate at a higher pH | marketed as more stable; the advertised advantages are not authorised claims |
If you simply want the form that matches the research and the EU claim, choose plain creatine monohydrate. Powder is the cheapest per gram. Sachets and gummies cost more but save you measuring.
How to take creatine: with or without loading
There are two common approaches.
Loading means taking a large amount, often about 20 g a day split into four doses, for five to seven days, then dropping to a daily maintenance dose. Muscle stores fill within that first week. Large single doses are more likely to upset the stomach, and the products we sell list one daily serving on the label, not a loading plan. If you are considering loading, ask your doctor first.
Without loading, you take one daily dose from the first day. With 3 g a day, muscle stores fill more slowly, over about four weeks, and end up at a similar level. The authorised claim is built on 3 g a day, so loading is not needed for it.
Timing matters less than taking it every day, including rest days. The labels suggest after training or in the morning. Mix powder into water or juice and drink it straight away.
Creatine and water
Creatine draws water into muscle cells. In the first weeks, especially with loading, the scale may show a small rise, mostly from water held in the muscle. This is a known effect of the supplement.
Drink as you normally would and a little more on training days. Some labels, such as NOW Foods, ask you to drink more fluids while taking creatine.
Creatine for women
Creatine works the same way in women and men, and the claim conditions are the same: 3 g of creatine a day and repeated short, high-intensity efforts. There is no special women's form. The products we sell are not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, so ask your doctor during that time.
Who should talk to a doctor first
- anyone with a kidney condition or reduced kidney function (several labels say the product is not suitable);
- anyone taking medication, especially medicines that affect the kidneys;
- pregnant or breastfeeding women;
- anyone under 18: the labels state the products are for adults.
Creatine breaks down into creatinine, and doctors use blood creatinine to estimate kidney function. A creatine supplement can raise that reading. Tell your doctor you take creatine before a blood test.
Creatine price: compare per day, not per tub
A big tub looks expensive and a box of sachets looks cheap, but what you pay for is the number of days. Divide the price by the servings on the label:
| Product | Servings in the pack | How long it lasts at the label dose |
|---|---|---|
| NOW Foods powder, 600 g | about 176 scoops | about 176 days |
| OstroVit powder, 500 g | 166 servings | 166 days |
| Swanson sachets, 30 pcs | 30 sachets | 30 days |
| Swanson gummies, 120 pcs | 24 servings of 5 | 24 days |
| NOW Foods Kre-Alkalyn, 240 capsules | 40 servings of 6 | 40 days |
Unflavoured powder usually costs the least per day. Gummies cost the most because each serving also carries sugar, flavour and the gummy itself.
If you eat little or no meat and fish, your diet brings in little creatine, so your muscle stores tend to start lower. The dose and the claim conditions stay the same.
How to choose creatine
- Choose creatine monohydrate unless you have a clear reason for another form.
- Check how much creatine, not monohydrate, the daily serving gives. For the claim it should be 3 g.
- Pick the format you will actually use every day: powder, sachets, capsules or gummies.
- Compare the price per daily serving, not per pack. Divide the pack price by the number of servings.
- Prefer an unflavoured powder if you want only creatine; flavoured versions contain sweeteners and flavourings.
- Read the warnings and ask a doctor if you have a kidney condition or take medication.
All forms and pack sizes are in our creatine collection.
FAQ
What is creatine and what does it do?
Creatine is a compound made in your body from amino acids and stored mainly in muscle. 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.
Do I need a loading phase?
No. A daily 3 g dose fills muscle stores over about four weeks. Loading only gets there sooner and uses much larger doses, so discuss it with your doctor first.
Does creatine cause water retention?
Creatine draws water into muscle cells, so body weight may rise a little in the first weeks. Most of that is water held in the muscle.
Is creatine HCl better than monohydrate?
HCl is sold as dissolving better and needing smaller doses, but it has far fewer studies than monohydrate, and no form-specific claim is authorised in the EU.
When should I take creatine?
At any time that suits you, every day. The labels suggest after training on training days and in the morning on rest days.
Can women take creatine?
Yes, with the same dose and conditions as men. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, ask your doctor, as the labels state the products are not intended for that time.
Compare monohydrate powders, sachets, gummies and capsules in our creatine range.
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 on permitted health claims
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance
- Kreider RB et al. (2017): International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on creatine supplementation
Content reviewed by Inese Kalniņa, dietitian.
