Fysiqal
Nutrition
Nutrition

Creatine Monohydrate

2 min read
Sources and review status

Review pending — this text hasn’t been signed off by a reviewer yet.

Health-sensitive topic: not used for AI answers until reviewed.

See this lesson’s sources
creatinemonohydratesupplementstrengthlean-massissn

0% read · 2 min left

DefinitionA short reference note, not a full lesson.
Optional deep dive 10 of 10 in Essentials · Get Stronger
Definition

Creatine monohydrate is the most effective, best-researched, and safe supplement for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass.

Detail

Creatine is a compound stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, where it rapidly regenerates ATP during short, intense efforts (see ATP-PC (Phosphagen) System). Supplementing raises muscle creatine stores, improving repeated high-intensity performance, training volume, and — over time — strength and lean body mass. The ISSN calls creatine monohydrate the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean mass during training; monohydrate is the most studied and cost-effective form.

Dosing (ISSN): two equivalent approaches —

  • Loading: ~0.3 g/kg/day for 5–7 days (commonly ~5 g, 4×/day), then 3–5 g/day maintenance.
  • No-load: 3–5 g/day reaches the same saturation in about 4 weeks.
  • Larger athletes may need 5–10 g/day to maintain elevated stores. Timing through the day is not critical; consistency is.

Safety: extensively studied and safe in healthy people at recommended doses, with long-term use (up to 30 g/day for 5 years in studies) showing no significant harm; it is also beneficial in several clinical populations. The common early weight gain is mostly intracellular water, not fat. Creatine does not damage kidneys in healthy individuals (those with kidney disease should consult a physician). Pair creatine with progressive resistance training and adequate protein for muscle gains (see Nutrition for Muscle Gain).

Key facts

  • Regenerates ATP for short, intense work; improves strength and lean mass.
  • ISSN: most effective ergogenic supplement; monohydrate is the best form.
  • Load ~0.3 g/kg/day (≈5 g ×4) for 5–7 d, then 3–5 g/day; or 3–5 g/day → saturated in ~4 wk.
  • Larger athletes 5–10 g/day; timing not critical.
  • Safe at recommended doses (studied to 30 g/day × 5 yr); early weight gain is water.

Connections

Go deeperNutrition for Muscle Gain

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
ISSN Position Stand: Safety and Efficacy of Creatine Supplementation (Kreider et al., 2017), J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18.

See how this applies in practice, with honest limits on what the plan changes.

Build my planYour plan sets calorie and protein targets from your body, activity and goal by a fixed formula. This lesson explains the reasoning; reading it doesn’t change them.Save the lessonFree account · keeps it in your LibraryAsk a question about thisAnswers cite the Library’s own articles

Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for individualized guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy, or medical conditions.

Explore related topics

Atlas Connections

Nutrition for Muscle Gain
Eat about 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day (up to ~2.2 if you want a margin), run a small calorie surplus that gains roughly 0.25–0.5% of body weight a week, and keep training progressively. Bigger surpluses mostly add fat.
Protein Supplementation and Requirements
Active people training for strength or hypertrophy benefit from meaningfully more protein than sedentary people -- the ISSN puts most exercisers at 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day and resistance-trained people in a calorie deficit at 2.3-3.1 g/kg/day, above the 1.4-1.8 g/kg ceiling once assumed.
Supplements — A Skeptical Note on Ineffective and Risky Products
Only a short list of supplements is genuinely proven; most are unnecessary, many are ineffective, and some are unsafe or contaminated — food first, then a few evidence-based extras.
ATP-PC (Phosphagen) System
The body's immediate, stored anaerobic energy source — ATP and phosphocreatine ready to fire instantly, fueling short, explosive efforts of roughly 0–45 seconds.
Muscle Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy is muscle growth from existing fibres getting bigger. In practice it comes from doing enough hard sets (about 10 or more per muscle per week) taken close to failure, over months. The exact load, frequency and fancy techniques matter much less than people think.
Principle of Progressive Overload
To keep improving, gradually make training harder than your body is used to: more weight, more reps or more sets. You don't need to add weight every week or go to failure. Small, steady increases you can recover from are what work.