Creatine Dosage Calculator

Why Creatine? The Research Consensus

Creatine Monohydrate is the most extensively studied ergogenic supplement in sports science history, with over 500 peer-reviewed trials confirming its safety and efficacy. It works by increasing intramuscular phosphocreatine (PCr) stores, enabling faster ATP regeneration during maximal-intensity efforts lasting 1–30 seconds.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Position Stand (Kreider et al., 2017) concludes:

*Source: Kreider RB, et al. (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, 14:18. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z*

Loading vs. Gradual Protocol

| Protocol | Dose | Duration to Saturation | GI Tolerance | |---------|------|----------------------|--------------| | Loading | 20g/day split into 4 × 5g doses | 5–7 days | May cause GI discomfort in some | | Gradual (No Load) | 3–5g/day | 3–4 weeks | Well tolerated |

Both protocols reach the same endpoint: ~160 mmol/kg dry weight muscle creatine saturation. Loading simply gets there faster.

Dosage by body weight: Research supports 0.1 g/kg/day for maintenance (Hultman et al., 1996). For a 75 kg athlete: 7.5g loading split × 4, then 3–4g maintenance.

Who Benefits Most

• High-intensity athletes: Sprinters, powerlifters, team sport athletes — greatest performance gains (8–14% improvement in repeat sprint ability)
• Vegetarians/Vegans: Baseline muscle creatine is ~50% lower without dietary meat sources; response to supplementation is significantly larger
• Masters athletes (50+): Growing evidence for neuroprotective and anti-aging benefits beyond muscle performance (Smith-Ryan et al., 2021)

Form and Timing

Creatine Monohydrate remains the gold standard. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that creatine HCl, buffered creatine (Kre-Alkalyn), or creatine ethyl ester outperform monohydrate in matched-dose comparisons.

• Timing: Post-workout with carbohydrates shows marginally superior uptake in some studies (Antonio & Ciccone, 2013). Consistency matters more than perfect timing.
• Cycling: Not necessary. Long-term use (up to 5 years) has shown no adverse health effects in healthy adults (Bizzarini & De Angelis, 2004).

Common Side Effects and Safety

• Mild weight gain (0.5–1.5 kg) in the first week due to intramuscular water retention — this is normal and beneficial
• GI discomfort during loading: mitigate by splitting doses and taking with food
• Creatine does NOT cause kidney damage in healthy individuals; the concern originates from case studies in individuals with pre-existing kidney pathology