supplement Performance & ErgogenicCognitive & Nootropic
The most-studied ergogenic supplement. Increases phosphocreatine stores in muscle, supporting short-duration high-intensity work and resistance-training adaptations. An emerging literature also examines cognitive outcomes.
Creatine monohydrate · chemical N-carbamimidoyl-N-methylglycine · chemical Cr · abbreviation Creapure · brand 6020-87-7 · cas
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Generally well tolerated in healthy adults across long-term studies. This page summarizes research and is not medical advice.
| Goal | Route | Dose | Frequency | Timing | Cycle | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapidly saturate muscle creatine stores Healthy adults 5 g per dose, four doses daily for 5–7 days, then switch to maintenance. Optional — speeds saturation versus the no-load approach. | oral | 20 g | 4×/day | with-food | 1 wk course | |
| Maintain saturated creatine stores Healthy adults | oral | 3–5 g | 1×/day | with-food | Continuous | |
| Reach saturation without a loading phase Healthy adults Stores saturate over ~3–4 weeks at this dose. | oral | 5 g | 1×/day | with-food | Continuous | human-rct |
Increases maximal strength and power output when combined with resistance training.
Strength / power positive
Improves repeated high-intensity exercise performance.
Anaerobic performance positive
May improve aspects of working memory and reasoning, possibly larger in sleep-deprived or older adults.
Cognition mixed human-rct
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that recycles ATP via the phosphocreatine system. Supplementation raises intramuscular creatine, which is the mechanistic basis for its performance effects.
The loading protocol saturates stores within a week; the no-load protocol reaches the same plateau over several weeks. Maintenance dosing sustains it.
See the structured protocol table and cited research below.