Fitness Freddies / Free help / Creatine: what the evidence says, and who it suits
Creatine: what the evidence says, and who it suits
Creatine monohydrate is the supplement I am willing to talk about, because the research is boring in the best way. It helps you do a bit more work in the gym. It does not replace food, sleep, or a programme.
- The ISSN creatine position stand describes creatine monohydrate as effective for high-intensity exercise capacity and lean mass when you actually train.
- A commonly studied daily amount is 3 to 5 grams. A loading week is optional.
- It suits people who lift. It does very little if you do not.
- This is general information, not a prescription. If you have a kidney problem or any other medical condition, check with your GP first.
What it is, in plain words
Creatine is a compound your body already makes, and you also get a little from meat and fish. In the muscle it helps you recycle energy for short, hard efforts: a heavy set of five, a hill sprint, the last reps before the bar slows down. The ISSN position stand on creatine supplementation is the paper I point people to. It is a review of the evidence, not an advert.
Stored creatine in the muscle rises when you take creatine monohydrate regularly. More stored creatine means you can often squeeze out another rep or keep the bar speed up for a few more seconds. Stack those sessions over months and the training, not the powder, is what adds muscle. Creatine makes the training slightly easier to progress. That is the whole sales pitch, with the nonsense removed.
It will not outrun a poor week of food. It will not fix four hours of sleep. Read the protein guide and the sleep guide before you spend money on a tub.
Amounts that show up in the research
The amount used in a lot of studies, once the muscle is already saturated, is about 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day. Some protocols start with a short loading phase of about 20 grams a day, split into four smaller servings, for five to seven days, then drop to 3 to 5 grams. Loading gets you to a full store faster. It is not required. Taking 3 to 5 grams every day from the start gets you to the same place in around three or four weeks.
I am describing what the research commonly used. I am not prescribing a dose for you. If you have a kidney condition, if you are under medical care, or if you are unsure, speak to your GP before you take it. Stop if you have been told to. Creatine is a supplement, not a treatment, and it is not a shortcut around a diagnosis.
Take it at a time you remember. With breakfast is fine. Mix it with water, milk or yoghurt. Plain monohydrate is enough.
Who it suits, and who can skip it
It suits adults who train with weights, or who do repeated hard efforts, and who want a small, reliable edge. It suits the person who already turns up three times a week and is bored of stalling on the same weight. It is reasonable for men and women.
Skip it if you do not train. There is nothing for it to support. Skip it if you are in the first fortnight of a new diet and you want a clean reading on the scales, because the first change many people see is one kilogram or so of scale weight from water held in the muscle. The ISSN material describes that fluid shift. It is not fat. It is also not a reason to panic and stop. If you are cutting fat, decide whether you care more about a tidy scale or about keeping the training strong, and start creatine in a week when you are not also changing six other things. That decision sits next to losing fat without losing muscle.
Skip it, or at least pause and ask your GP, if you have kidney disease or you have been told to avoid supplements. "Everyone at the gym takes it" is not a medical assessment.
How I would actually use it
Buy creatine monohydrate. Take 3 to 5 grams a day. Drink water as you normally should, not a gallon because a forum said so. Keep lifting. Review it after eight weeks by the training log, not by a feeling on day three. If the sets are a little stronger and your stomach is fine, carry on. If your stomach objects, split the scoop or take it with food. If nothing in the log moves and your sleep and food are a mess, fix those first.
You can stop whenever you like. The muscle store drifts back down over a few weeks. You do not need to cycle off it.
Questions
Will creatine damage my kidneys?
In healthy adults, the research summarised by the ISSN has not shown that typical creatine monohydrate use harms kidney function. That is not a guarantee for you. If you have a kidney problem, one kidney, or abnormal blood tests, do not start it until your GP has said it is appropriate.
Do I have to load?
No. Loading is a faster route to a full muscle store. Three to five grams a day without a load gets you there in a few weeks. Pick the version you will remember.
Does it make you bloated?
Some people hold a little extra water in the muscle and see the scales rise. That is different from fat gain. A few people get an upset stomach from a large scoop. Smaller servings with food usually solve that. If it does not, stop.
Is a fancy form better than monohydrate?
Not in any way that matters for your training. Creatine monohydrate is the form used in most of the evidence. Pay for that, not for a new trademark.
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