Resources · Creatine
Creatine monohydrate: the evidence, the dose, the protocol.
The most researched supplement in sports nutrition, explained without the mythology: what it does, how much to take, when to take it, and what the evidence actually says.
- 5g of creatine monohydrate daily is the studied, effective dose.
- Loading is optional; daily consistency is what matters.
- Timing has little effect. Rest days count as much as training days.
- Monohydrate is the reference form. Newer forms have not outperformed it in head-to-head research.
- It is among the most extensively safety-studied supplements in existence.
What creatine actually does
Creatine is stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, the fastest system your body has for regenerating ATP, the energy currency behind short, intense efforts. Supplementation raises those stores beyond what diet alone typically achieves, which is why the best-documented effects sit exactly where you would predict: repeated high-intensity work, strength, power output, and lean mass gained alongside resistance training.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position stand calls creatine monohydrate the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement available to athletes for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training. That is an unusually direct sentence for a scientific body, and it has held up across hundreds of trials.
The dose: 5g, daily
Most of the research base uses 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day as a maintenance dose. Five grams is the standard because it saturates muscle stores reliably across body sizes. Doses commonly sold at 3g per serving are cheaper to manufacture, not better supported.
Do you need a loading phase?
No. Loading (roughly 20g per day, split into four doses, for 5 to 7 days) saturates stores in about a week instead of three to four. It is a convenience option, not a requirement. Either road ends at the same place.
Do you need to cycle off?
Long-term studies of continuous daily use have not shown a need to cycle. Creatine is not a stimulant; there is no tolerance curve to reset.
Timing, and why it barely matters
Creatine works by saturation, not by acute effect. Once your stores are full, the scoop you took this morning is indistinguishable from the one you took last night. Take it whenever you will actually remember it, every day, including rest days. Consistency is the entire protocol.
Monohydrate versus everything else
| Form | Evidence base | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | Hundreds of trials over three decades | The reference standard |
| Micronized monohydrate | Same molecule, smaller particle size | Same effect, mixes cleaner |
| HCl, ethyl ester, buffered | Limited; no head-to-head superiority shown | Pay more, get the same or less |
Micronization changes the particle, not the molecule: a 200-mesh powder dissolves and sits better in liquid, which mostly matters for the texture of your daily habit.
The emerging frontier: creatine and the brain
The brain also runs on phosphocreatine, and a growing body of research explores creatine’s cognitive effects, particularly under stress, sleep deprivation, and in older adults. A 2018 systematic review found signals for improved short-term memory and reasoning, with plenty left to establish. It is a reason for interest, not yet a headline claim.
Safety
Creatine monohydrate has one of the deepest safety records in sports nutrition, studied continuously since the early 1990s. The persistent myths, kidney damage in healthy users, cramping, dehydration, have been examined and not supported in the controlled literature. As with any supplement, people with medical conditions or on prescription medication should consult their healthcare provider first.
References
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017.
- Antonio J, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021.
- Avgerinos KI, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: a systematic review. Exp Gerontol. 2018.
- Candow DG, et al. Effectiveness of creatine supplementation on aging muscle and bone. Nutrients. 2019.
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is educational and is not medical advice.
PRAXIS ONE is exactly what this guide describes: 5g of 200-mesh micronized creatine monohydrate, one ingredient, 66 servings.