All about creatine: What is it and what does it do for your body?

Creatine is one of the most researched and used supplements among athletes and bodybuilders. But what exactly is creatine, and what does it actually do in your body? In this blog we clearly explain how creatine works, how much you need per day, and which form is the best absorbed.

What is creatine?

Creatine is an endogenous substance stored mainly in the muscles. It plays an important role in providing energy during short, explosive efforts such as sprinting, strength training or intense interval training. Although your body makes its own creatine, supplementation with creatine is a popular and science-based way to noticeably improve performance.

Dietary sources of creatine

Creatine occurs naturally in animal products such as red meat, fish and poultry. Although these food sources contain small amounts of creatine, in practice it is difficult to get enough creatine through food alone to experience the performance-enhancing effects. For example, a serving of steak contains only about 1 gram of creatine, while athletes often need 3 to 5 grams per day for effect.

How exactly does creatine work in the body?

Creatine acts as a direct source of energy at the cellular level. In muscle, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine, a substance that helps regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) the primary energy carrier in muscle cells. During short, intense efforts such as sprinting or strength training, the supply of ATP is quickly depleted. Phosphocreatine ensures that this energy source is replenished at lightning speed, helping your muscles continue to perform better under high loads (Cooper et al., 2012).

Supplementation increases the total creatine supply in muscle tissue, leading not only to improved explosive power, but also to faster muscle recovery capacity. In addition, there is evidence that creatine may indirectly contribute to muscle growth by increasing training volume and stimulating muscle cell hydration. This is an important growth stimulus in resistance training (Kreider et al., 2017).

What does creatine monohydrate do for your performance?

Creatine monohydrate offers an efficient and reliable way to support your physical performance. Using creatine monohydrate:

• Increases physical performance during successive, short, intense efforts (Cooper et al., 2012).
• Enhances the effect of resistance training on muscle strength in adults over 55 years of age (Cooper et al., 2012).

The effect of creatine monohydrate has been extensively researched. It is widely regarded as the best proven form of creatine supplementation. Scientific research indicates that supplementation can contribute to:

• Improved muscle strength and explosiveness
• Better training results
• Support of muscle function in aging adults

For many athletes and recreational users alike, creatine not only means better performance in the gym, but also greater ease in daily movements.

How much creatine per day is effective?

The standard dosage for creatine monohydrate is usually:

• 3 to 5 grams per day as a maintenance dosage
• 20 grams per day for 5-7 days as a “loading phase” (divided into 4 intakes per day)

The maintenance dosage is often sufficient to support performance. The loading phase can help increase muscle creatine stores more quickly, but is not necessary. To use creatine, consistent intake is important, preferably with a meal. This ensures optimal absorption.

Please note that creatine is safe under normal use, butuik, but drink plenty of water during supplementation.

Are there better forms than creatine monohydrate?

In addition to creatine monohydrate, there are several alternative forms on the market, such as creatine hydrochloride (HCl), creatine ethyl ester, magnesium chelate and creatine malate. These are often promoted as “faster absorbing” or “less stressful on the stomach. But what does independent research say?

Conclusion

Although multiple forms of creatine are available, creatine monohydrate remains the best-supported choice. It is extensively researched, effective at low doses and safe with long-term use. Other variants are often positioned as “advanced,” but in practice provide no measurable benefit that has been conclusively demonstrated scientifically.

Those who choose creatine monohydrate choose simplicity, reliability and proven results.

Resources

• Cooper, R., Naclerio, F., Allgrove, J., & Jimenez, A. (2012). Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-9-33
• Eghbali, E., Mogharnasi, M., Mohammadi, H., & Ghasemi, A. (2024). Effects of creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride supplementation on strength and hormonal adaptation following resistance training: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1305912. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1305912
• Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z

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