Creatine is one of the buzziest topics swirling around the wellness world these days. Perhaps you’ve heard someone at the gym bragging about the benefits of creatine they’ve noticed since starting a supplement, or maybe a friend told you they’re trying to work more creatine-rich foods into their regular rotation. Regardless of how this amino acid compound landed on your radar, experts say creatine is much more than a passing fad.

But as research on the topic continues to evolve and progress, it’s understandable if you’re not sure exactly what creatine is or the benefits it can provide. So we dug into the science and chatted with three registered dietitians to break it all down, from how it affects the body to how much creatine experts recommend aiming for. Keep reading for everything you need to know about creatine.  

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a natural compound made in the body with three amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Creatine is most well-known for its ability to “help fuel our muscles for short-duration, high-intensity, explosive movements, such as sprinting and weight lifting,” explains Rachel Gargano, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and sports nutrition specialist at Live it Up.

However, scientists have found that the benefits of creatine don’t stop there. We’re learning that the compound is quite a master multitasker. (More on all the benefits to know below.)

Where Does Creatine Come From?

Creatine is made in small amounts by our liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is stored in our muscles and brain (among other tissues) in a form known as phosphocreatine, says Kelly Jones, RD, a board-certified sports dietitian. Creatine is also found in small amounts in mainly animal-based foods, including meat, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs, Gargano adds. Specifically, our bodies make about 1 gram of creatine, and you’ll get another gram from eating a combined animal- and plant-based diet. 

There’s absolutely no harm in sticking with the amount of creatine your body makes and that you get from food. But this creatine “bank” won’t be rich enough to help you notice any significant benefits of creatine, according to Jones.

“Without supplementation, creatine may only power muscles during high-intensity moves for 3–5 seconds before switching to another energy system. At a dose that’s achievable with a reasonable amount of supplementing, scientists have found that it may last closer to 20 seconds, increasing reps and intensity,” Jones explains. The result? A stronger, more effective workout—and over time, a potential increase in muscle growth. 

You might wonder if you can simply add more creatine-rich foods to your diet to notice these benefits. That’s a fair premise, but “to obtain the amount of creatine shown to benefit performance and health in research via food, you would need to be eating several pounds of meat, fish, and poultry each day,” Jones says. This would be extremely taxing on your gut health and kidneys, not to mention unenjoyable to get down. 

For this reason, some individuals turn to creatine supplements. Before we go any further, it’s important to note that it’s wise to speak to your doctor or dietitian before adding any new medications or supplements to your routine. And if you do decide to supplement, it’s smart to opt for a product listed in the NSF Certified for Sport® directory, which means that it’s been tested and confirmed to actually contain what it says on the label.

“Creatine is the most well-researched supplement out there, and most experts have deemed it safe and effective for both athletes and non-athletes alike,” explains Roxana Ehsani, RD, a board-certified sports dietitian.

There are many types of creatine supplements on the market, but all three pros we spoke to agree that creatine monohydrate is the MVP. “Creatine monohydrate has been found to be the most bioavailable and effective form of creatine, and is the most widely-studied form,” Jones says. “Since the vast majority of benefits have been found via research on creatine monohydrate powder, it’s most wise to invest in this form,” she suggests, rather than taking it via capsules or gummies. 

Benefits of Creatine

Mounting evidence points to short- and long-term benefits of creatine alike. Here are a handful of creatine benefits to consider.

1. Creatine Improves Muscle Strength and Power

Creatine supports the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the body’s preferred source of energy for important processes like muscle contractions, nerve impulses, and protein synthesis. When it comes time to exercise, creatine provides extra energy for our skeletal muscles as they sustain a certain workload, so they can be in it for the long run (or ride, lift, row, or otherwise). 

Research suggests that adequate creatine levels can also amp up strength and power. “Strength is how much you can lift or move an object, such as a kettlebell or bags of groceries,” Ehsani says. “Power is the speed in which you can do it—so how fast you can pick up that kettlebell or bag of groceries and move them from your car to your house.” Creatine is believed to support both, and over the course of weeks and months, this can lead to significant strength gains.

“For similar reasons to the improvements in muscular power, creatine may also improve sprint performance,” Jones adds.

2. It Helps Increase Lean Mass

Since creatine “increases energy storage within the muscle cells, helping to postpone fatigue and allow for more intense workouts,” Gargano says, it makes sense that adequate creatine intake can also increase lean body mass when combined with resistance training. 

That said, notable changes will only occur if these powerful workouts are paired with sufficient protein intake and ample recovery time to allow your body to repair and grow.

3. Creatine Benefits Bone Health 

As we age, so do our bones. It may not be surprising, then, that low bone mass is an issue that affects about one in two women and one in three men over 50, per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

One of the most effective ways to combat this age-related bone loss is through weight-bearing exercise, Ehsani says—and pairing it with creatine might provide extra support. “Research has shown that pairing resistance training with a creatine supplement may improve muscle mass and bone mass,” she says.

The scientific community is still learning exactly how and why this happens, but the current consensus is that creatine might reduce bone breakdown while bolstering the activity of osteoblasts, the cells that help form new bone tissue. 

4. It May Boost Cognition and Mental Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that the number of new dementia cases annually will double by as early as 2060, which is one reason why researchers are so keen on discovering ways to boost memory throughout the lifespan. One promising option: creatine. 

While more studies are needed, emerging research links creatine supplementation to improvements in memory, processing speed, and attention. Jones and Ehsani add that creatine appears to offer protection in the event of a traumatic brain injury, like a concussion. 

And creatine benefits for the brain don’t stop there: “Taking creatine may help reduce mental fatigue, particularly related to lack of sleep or exercise exhaustion,” Gargano says. “Other studies link supplemental creatine with lowered depressive symptoms, although more research is needed.”

How Much Creatine Should You Take?

For long-term use, many nutrition experts recommend aiming for 3–5 grams of creatine per day. To speed up the time it takes to accrue the benefits of creatine, some research recommends taking a “loading dose” of 5 grams four times per day, for a total of 20 grams, repeating for five to seven days. However, unless you’re a professional athlete or your healthcare provider says otherwise, you can skip the loading phase and simply take a consistent 3–5 grams daily, in which case you “may notice results within three to four weeks,” Gargano says.

The 3–5 gram recommendation goes for both athletes and non-athletes, Ehsani says, and  “the amount recommended doesn’t necessarily change with the amount of activity level, Gargano adds.

That said, your recommended creatine intake “can change depending on body size,” Gargano says. “Someone with more muscle mass would need to aim for a bit of a higher maintenance dose since their body uses a larger amount of creatine to produce energy in muscle cells.” Work with your healthcare provider to dial in your ideal dose.

When Should You Take Creatine?

Now that we know how much creatine experts recommend aiming for, you might be wondering if there’s an ideal time to have it. While one study involving male bodybuilders suggests it’s best to take creatine post-workout, research on the best time to take it is limited, Jones says. If you’re taking a creatine supplement, take it before or after a workout, “as there’s a chance that may increase its uptake,” according to Jones—or simply take it whenever is best for you, since consistency is likely the most crucial factor.

Are There Any Drawbacks of Creatine?

At this time, the research community hasn’t found any serious side effects from taking creatine, though most studies focus on appropriate dosing—rather than an overabundance, Jones says.

Taking more than 10 grams of creatine at once may cause temporary water retention-related weight gain, Ehsani says, since creatine increases water intention. However, this “can be combated by spacing out your creatine into smaller doses,” she adds, which is why the loading phase involves four 5-gram doses per day.

Any minimal water retention that occurs at the 3- to 5-gram per day rate typically evens out in a few weeks, Jones says, and while you have that extra H2O in your system, it may support thermoregulation, reducing the chance of overheating during exercise, she adds.

“A lot of the side effects we thought used to be linked with regular creatine use, such as dehydration, muscle cramping, hair loss, or gastrointestinal distress, have been debunked,” Gargano says. “Still, everyone reacts differently to supplements and it’s always important to chat with your primary care physician or dietitian before introducing new supplements into your daily routine and to keep a watchful eye on any medication interactions or side effects you may experience.”