Creatine is one of the most popular and widely studied sports supplements to improve performance and increase muscle mass with over a 1000 studies to date reviewing its ergogenic benefits for sport. While other proposed benefits of creatine supplementation exist such as promoting brain health for aging, post-concussion syndrome or mental health, that is outside the scope of this guide
This guide intended to help athletes (people who are engaged in competitive sports or those that are training 3-5+ days/week looking to get stronger or build lean muscle) understand best practices around taking the supplement.
Below are frequently asked questions about the supplement.
What is creatine?
Creatine is an amino acid (a substance that makes proteins in our bodies) that is either consumed (through meat, fish, nuts and seeds) or produced in your body. About 95% of creatine is stored in muscles as phosphocreatine (a compound that is used for muscle contraction). From there, it can be used as a quick energy source for short bursts of high-intensity activities to help replenish your ATP or body’s energy store.
When engaging in high intensity activity, like sprinting, CrossFit or weightlifting the energy demand can be greater than the speed at which your ATP stores are replenished. This is where creatine can come into play to provide your body a quick fuel so you can push out a couple last repetitions of a movement.
In other words, when supplementing with creatine, you’re increasing your energy stores within your muscles, allowing your body to work at a higher intensity for a longer period of time. Furthermore, this can translate to further strength gain and muscle development.
That’s why so many athletes who are looking to increase high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass choose to supplement with creatine.
What type of athlete would benefit from a creatine supplement?
Because creatine supplementation is used to increase strength and power, sports that include short duration, high intensity exercise (CrossFit, weightlifting, sprinting,etc) benefit most. It’s important to clarify that while supplemental creatine is helpful for high-intensity workouts, it’s not going to necessarily enhance performance for endurance athletes like running, biking, cross country skiing (etc.) long distances.
When is the best time to take creatine?
At this point, with the current literature, I suggest taking creatine at any point of the day you can remember to take it. Simply mix in 8-12 ounces of water and consume OR make a fun night time recovery mocktail out of it by combining 8 ounces tart cherry juice + creatine + seltzer.
Emerging research is perhaps revealing that creatine may have the greatest benefit when it’s taken shortly after training as a pre-or post-workout. Taking creatine before exercise may have a greater impact on performance, while evidence suggests taking it after exercise is more beneficial for muscle growth and recovery. However, more research on the timing of creatine supplements is needed.
How many grams of creatine per day should you take?
A typical diet containing a variety of meat, seafood and nuts may contain about 1-2 g of creatine per day leaving muscular stores about 60-80% saturated. Therefore, dietary supplementation of creatine serves to increase muscle creatine and phosphocreatine by 20-40%.
The most effective way to increase muscle creatine stores is to ingest 0.03 g/kg body weight per day. This translates for most adults 3 to 5 grams per day for performance enhancing benefits. For reference, most creatine powder supplements come with a 5 g scoop.
Athletes often inquire about whether or not a loading phase is required. A loading phase typically involves taking 20 to 25 grams of creatine per day for 5 to 7 days which is split into 4 or 5 servings per day prior to transitioning to a maintenance phase of 3 to 5 grams per day.
While the loading phase does pump creatine in your body, it does not necessarily boost your total creatine stores. In fact, 3-5 grams of creatine taken once a day can be just as effective at maximizing your body’s stores.
Furthermore, if you’ve been taking creatine, there’s no reason to take more than the recommended dose of 3-5 grams per day. Taking excess creatine can result in gastrointestinal distress (gas, bloating and diarrhea). Furthermore, after about a month of 3-5 g of creatine per day body stores have been fully saturated.
What type of creatine should I take?
There are several types of creatine available on the market, therefore selecting one can pose a challenge for consumers. The most widely used type of creatine is creatine monohydrate, but other forms such as creatine ethyl ester, buffered creatine, and creatine hydrochloride (creatine hcl) exist.
Each type of creatine all works similarly, but each one has its own distinct characteristics including how quickly and well they’re absorbed. You can also generally find each type in a variety in a variety of forms to ingest to fit your preference such as a powder to mix with water, a chewable tablet, or capsules.
Creatine monohydrate: This is a white, crystalline powder that is quickly absorbed and transferred from your blood to your muscles to be used for energy. It typically has no odor or flavor. Creatine monohydrate has been around the longest and therefore we have the most data on its benefits and efficacy for athletic performance, it also tends to be the most affordable
Creatine hcl: This newest form of creatine. This creatine has been modified to improve its solubility (how easily it dissolves in water). Hydrochloric acid is added to the supplement to help boost its absorption in the digestive system. In terms of creatine hcl vs monohydrate, this form is often recommended at a lower dose because of its proposed better absorption, but the evidence for this is limited.
Creatine ethyl ester: This form has been chemically modified with an addition of an ethyl group in order to boost its bioavailability. While it claims to be more effective than other forms of creatine, the evidence is mixed.
Buffered creatine: Also called Kre-Alkalyn, this type of creatine has been pH adjusted making it less acidic compared to creatine monohydrate. It also claims to be more stable, better absorbed, and have fewer potential side effects. Buffered creatine typically comes in capsules and powder. More research is needed on this form.
My top RD approved creatine monohydrate supplements are third-party approved (NSF, USP, NSF Sport or Informed Sport) assuring quality assurance:
Can teenagers take creatine?
The FDA has classified creatine as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), which technically applies to teenagers and adults. However, there are fewer studies that have examined the benefits, limitations, and safety of creatine use among teens.
The studies that do exist show creatine is beneficial for improving athletic performance in teen swimmers and soccer players. However, more extensive research is needed. For this reason, it is suggested to postpone supplementation until after puberty and work with athletes on optimizing their diet (including overall caloric intake, vitamin and mineral intake, and nutrient timing to support energy) prior to taking a creatine supplement.
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Written by our Registered Dietitian and board certified specialist, Lindsay Distel, MS, RD, CSSD
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