What is Creatine?
Creatine is a natural substance that your body makes on its own. It is produced mainly in the liver, kidneys and pancreas, using building blocks from protein (amino acids). Around 95% of the creatine in your body is stored in your muscles, with a small amount in your brain.
Creatine is also found in food, mainly in red meat and seafood. A typical diet provides around 1-2 grams of creatine per day, but this usually is not enough to fully top up your muscle stores. That is where supplementation comes in.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, your creatine levels are likely to be lower, since plant foods contain very little to no creatine. This means you may have even more to gain from supplementing.
What does it do / what are the benefits:
Creatine is a quick energy reserve for your muscles. When you exercise hard, like sprinting, lifting weights, or jumping your muscles need energy fast. Creatine helps your body produce that energy more quickly, so you can push harder for longer before you start to fatigue.
Most people’s muscle stores are only about 60-80% full. Supplementing with creatine gives you the chance to top them up fully, which is where the benefits start to kick in.
Sports performance
Creatine has some of the strongest and most consistent research of any supplement on the market. Studies show creatine can help with:
Improving strength and power, particularly during resistance training
Building muscle mass when combined with regular training
Improving performance in short, intense activities like sprinting, jumping or team sports
Recovering faster between sets or bouts of effort
Creatine works best for activities that involve short bursts of high effort, like weights, sprints, football, basketball, or interval training. If you are mainly doing long, steady-state cardio like marathon running, the benefits are likely to be less noticeable.
Cognition (Brain health)
Beyond exercise, research is starting to explore what creatine can do for the brain. Just like your muscles, your brain uses a lot of energy and creatine helps with that energy production too.
Some studies suggest creatine supplementation may help with:
Memory particularly short-term memory and working memory
Mental performance when you are tired, research has shown it may help reduce the mental effects of sleep deprivation
Processing speed how quickly your brain works through information
Research in this area is still growing. The current evidence suggests the biggest benefits are seen in older adults, people who are mentally fatigued (like shift workers or those with disrupted sleep) and those with lower baseline creatine levels, such as vegetarians.
For young, healthy adults who are well-rested, the brain benefits are less clear. The findings are promising, but we are not yet at the point of recommending creatine purely for brain health.
How do I take creatine?
The form of creatine with the most research behind it is creatine monohydrate. It is also the most affordable. Despite what supplement companies might tell you, there is no strong evidence that fancier or more expensive forms of creatine work any better.
Do you need a loading phase?
Some people start with a loading phase, taking around 20 grams per day (split into 4 doses of 5g) for the first 5-7 days. This saturates your muscle stores quickly.
However, you do not have to do this. You can skip the loading phase entirely and go straight to a smaller daily dose. It just takes a bit longer, around 3-4 weeks to get the same result.
Maintenance dose:
Once your stores are topped up, a daily dose of 3-5 grams is all you need to maintain the benefits. This is the dose most people should start with and is safe for long-term use.
When to take it:
Timing is not as important, but you do need to take it daily to see the benefit, including rest days. Consistency is extremely important.
Taking it around the time of your workout (before or after) is a common and practical approach. Some research suggests taking it after exercise with a carbohydrate-containing meal or snack may help with absorption.
Who is creatine suitable for?
Creatine is generally considered safe and beneficial for:
Adults who do resistance training or high-intensity sport
People who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet
Older adults looking to maintain muscle mass and strength
If you have a pre-existing kidney condition, it is worth having a chat with your GP or dietitian before starting creatine, as the research in this group is more limited.
Who should be cautious?
While creatine is safe for most healthy adults, there are some groups who should check in with their GP or dietitian before starting:
Individuals with pre-existing kidney disease. Creatine is processed by the kidneys, and while research consistently shows it is safe for healthy individuals, there is limited data for people who already have reduced kidney function. If this applies to you, it is best to get clearance from your doctor first.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women. There is simply not enough human research to confirm that creatine supplementation is safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease who consume a lot of caffeine. One large study found that people with Parkinson’s who took creatine and consumed more than 300mg of caffeine per day (roughly 3 or more coffees) had faster disease progression. More research is needed, but it is worth discussing with your neurologist.
Children and adolescents. Creatine is not recommended for children and teenagers as a general performance supplement
If you are on any medication or have an existing health condition, it is always worth checking with a healthcare professional before adding any new supplement.
Side effects:
Creatine is one of the safest and most studied supplements available. Overall, the research shows that side effects at the recommended dose (3-5g per day) are mild, uncommon and often avoidable.
Fluid retention:
One of the most common concerns is that creatine causes bloating or unwanted water weight. Creatine does draw a small amount of water into your muscle cells when you take it, and this is actually part of how it works. You might notice:
A small increase on the scales, usually around 1-2 kg, especially in the first week if you do a loading phase
Muscles may look slightly fuller
Some people feel mildly bloated at first
The key thing to understand is that this water is going into your muscle cells, not sitting under your skin. It is not the same puffiness you get from a salty meal, and it is not fat gain. Creatine contains no calories, so it cannot directly cause fat gain.
For most people, any initial fluid shift settles down after the first few weeks. Research shows that over the long term, creatine does not cause ongoing problematic fluid retention.
Gastrointestinal side effects:
Some individuals may experience stomach discomfort when taking creatine, particularly at higher doses. The most commonly reported symptoms include:
Bloating
Stomach aches or cramping
Diarrhoea
Nausea
These symptoms are more likely to occur when taking large single doses (10g or more at once), which is why the loading phase can be harder on the stomach for some people. Studies show that splitting creatine into smaller doses of 5g or less at a time significantly reduces the risk of GI discomfort. Symptoms are generally mild, temporary, and settle once your body adjusts.
To reduce the chance of stomach upset:
Take creatine with food rather than on an empty stomach
Split doses rather than taking a large amount in one go
Stay well hydrated throughout the day
Skip the loading phase and start on 3-5g per day instead
Summary:
Creatine is one of the safest and most evidence-backed supplements on the market. When taken consistently at the right dose, it can support strength, muscle mass, sports performance and potentially brain health, particularly as we get older.
Like any supplement, it works best alongside a solid foundation of good nutrition, adequate protein, quality sleep and consistent training. Supplements should support your diet, not replace it.
For personalised guidance on whether creatine is right for you and how to fit it into your overall nutrition plan, feel free to book a consultation.
By Melissa D’Elia, APD
Sprout Nutrition & Dietetics