What are the effects of taking creatine every day?
Taking 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily, combined with strength training, measurably increases muscle strength and muscle mass, especially in older adults and postmenopausal women. For cognition there are positive indications, though the conclusions there are still less certain.
Creatine monohydrate has the strongest support among older adults who do strength training. In people aged 55 and over, taking 3 to 5 grams of creatine daily, combined with at least 12 weeks of strength training, leads to greater muscle mass and better leg strength than training alone. Postmenopausal women saw an average of 0.37 kg extra muscle mass and 7.5 kg more on their leg press maximum. Effects on strength appear slightly more consistent in older women than in older men. Creatine has no measurable effect on fat mass.
People with muscular dystrophy or a related muscle disease involving swelling and irritation of the muscles showed more than 8% greater muscle strength than the comparison group in several studies, and also felt subjectively better. An important caveat: in people with McArdle disease, an inherited condition affecting how muscles get their energy, a high dose of creatine actually led to a worsening of daily activities and more muscle pain. If you have a muscle disease and are considering creatine, discuss this with your doctor first.
In combat sports such as wrestling, judo and taekwondo, creatine improved muscle strength and explosive power, but not endurance, recovery or fatigue. Creatine also causes weight gain, which can be a disadvantage if you need to stay within a weight class.
Five out of six studies in older adults reported a positive link between creatine use and memory and attention. If you want to try creatine for this purpose, 5 grams per day for at least 4 to 8 weeks is a commonly used amount. The evidence here is still limited: it is largely based on studies where people were simply followed over time, without anyone being able to demonstrate cause and effect. Large independent studies with random assignment are still lacking.
Creatine slightly raises serum creatinine, a blood marker that doctors use to assess how well your kidneys are working. On paper this looks like a decline in kidney function, but actual kidney damage has not been demonstrated in healthy people: the true filtration measurement of the kidneys does not change. If you have a kidney condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, caution is advised and it is sensible to discuss this with your doctor before starting. Creatine monohydrate has the most supporting evidence; alternative forms such as creatine ethyl ester do not work better and raise the apparent kidney marker even further, which can lead to a false diagnosis.
This answer draws on several combined analyses of studies with random assignment, together with one small study involving ten athletes. The findings on muscle strength in older adults, postmenopausal women and muscular dystrophy come from studies with hundreds of participants and are therefore the strongest in this overview. The cognition findings are based on six studies with more than 1,500 participants, but largely without random assignment. Several review authors in other creatine overviews are connected to Alzchem, the largest creatine manufacturer; the findings central to this answer also come from independent overviews. Long-term data at high doses are still lacking.
How many grams of creatine per day is worthwhile?
For muscle strength and explosive performance, 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day has a clear effect; a loading phase is convenient but not obligatory. For other goals the evidence is thinner, but safety for healthy adults is reasonably well supported.
What does creatine monohydrate do for your health?
For strength and muscle mass during high-intensity training, creatine monohydrate (3 to 5 g per day) has the strongest evidence base of any dietary supplement. In endurance sports it offers no benefit, and if you have a kidney condition you should discuss its use with your doctor first.
What is the best way to use creatine?
Creatine works best in combination with strength training: optionally start with a loading phase of 20 grams per day for 5 days and then maintain with 2 to 5 grams per day. If you have a kidney condition, discuss it with your doctor first.
Does creatine speed up muscle recovery?
Creatine (3 to 5 grams per day) can probably speed up muscle recovery after intense training and improve strength and muscle mass, but for the recovery effect specifically the research findings are not fully consistent.
Does creatine affect your sleep?
Creatine may improve how you experience your sleep, but objective measurements show no effect. The research is based on dozens of participants and the results are contradictory; do not use it as a sleep aid.
Does creatine affect dopamine levels?
In healthy people, creatine has no demonstrable effect on dopamine in the blood. Positive signals so far come exclusively from animal studies.