What is creatine?
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements available on the market with sales estimated at $400...read more
Creatine Monohydrate
The overall rating for creatine monohydrate is 2 out of 3 meaning there is some evidence that this supplement does some (not all) of what it claims. Using this supplement may lead to some improvements.
What is creatine?
Creatine is one of the most popular supplements available on the market with sales estimated at $400 million annually. This popularity comes for a good reason; creatine is one of the few supplements that consistently demonstrates its effectiveness in a high number of research articles. Read More
Table of Contents
- Articles
- Simple Report
- Detailed Report
- Overall Effectiveness Rating
- Research Rating
- Products Containing Creatine Monohydrate
- Claim Ratings
- Dosing
- The Bottom Line
- References
Articles
Does creatine make you stronger?
Creatine and strength training go together like (insert your favorite pair). Creatine works by provi...read more
Creatine and Strength
Plenty of studies have confirmed the positive effects of creatine supplementation. One meta analysis...read more
Creatine and Aerobic Performance
Caffeine is a popular supplement used to improve performance and increase alertness. Americans consu...read more
Does creatine improve cardio?
There are fundamental problems with supplementing creatine in order to improve aerobic performance. ...read more
Does creatine help with sprints?
The research on creatine and cardio was at best, mixed. While cardio is long and low or moderate int...read more
Does creatine help with HIIT?
We know creatine has the most potential to help when coupled with short bouts of exercise where ener...read more
Can creatine help me gain muscle?
It’s fairly clear that creatine monohydrate causes weight gain. For many, this is a benefit. Unfor...read more
Does creatine decrease body fat?
In this series, we've learned creatine definitely increases strength and muscle mass. It accomplishe...read more
Does creatine decrease muscle damage?
There are quite a few supplements which claim to reduce muscle damage; creatine is one of them. The ...read more
Does creatine speed up post exercise recovery?
Exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) is the result of a new workout routine or high intensity activ...read more
Is creatine loading necessary?
There is research demonstrating that consuming 20-30 grams of creatine per day for up to a week incr...read more
Is creatine cycling necessary or is long term creatine use safe?
Cycling creatine on and off is unnecessary. There is no good research indicating that long term crea...read more
Is creatine worth taking?
Creatine is a somewhat rare supplement in that there is plenty of evidence that backs its use. It im...read more
Is creatine worth taking?
Creatine is a somewhat rare supplement in that there is plenty of evidence that backs its use. It im...read more
Creatine Monohydrate Simple Report
Creatine Monohydrate Detailed Report
Overall Effectiveness Rating
The overall effectiveness rating for creatine monohydrate is 2 out of 3. This rating means the evidence is mixed on the supplement's ability to deliver positive results. While some of the research supports its use, other evidence does not. Using this supplement may lead to positive results. Note, this effectiveness rating is for creatine monohydrate as a whole; there are also individual ratings for the claims below.
Read more: What is the effectiveness rating?
Research Rating for Creatine Monohydrate
There are 60 studies in the database on creatine monohydrate; the research rating is 113. A score above 80 means the effectiveness rating for this supplement is reliable. A score under 80 means there is insufficient evidence to ensure a reliable effectiveness rating. Note, this research rating is for creatine monohydrate as a whole; there are also individual ratings for the claims below.
Read more: What is the research rating?
Products Containing Creatine Monohydrate
| Products Names | Amount of Creatine Monohydrate |
|---|---|
| Lionblast Pre-Workout | 2g |
| Sinner Outbreak | 5g |
| Vigor8 | 5g |
| Golden Era Pre-Workout | 3.06g |
| Pomp Apparaat | 6g |
| Full list of all 558 products containing Creatine Monohydrate. |
Claim Ratings
The overall ratings above are an average of the individual claim ratings below. Individual claims may have higher or lower ratings compared to the supplement's overall rating. For example, some supplements may have excellent backing for one claim, but be completely useless for another. Click on a claim below for more information.
| Body Composition (weight, muscle, body fat) Claims | Effectiveness Rating | Research Rating |
|---|---|---|
| decrease body fat | increase muscle mass |
| Protein Synthesis Claims | Effectiveness Rating | Research Rating |
|---|---|---|
| increase protein synthesis |
| Recovery Claims | Effectiveness Rating | Research Rating |
|---|---|---|
| improve recovery | reduce muscle damage | reduce muscle soreness |
| Mental Health Claims | Effectiveness Rating | Research Rating |
|---|---|---|
| improve cognitive ability | improve memory | improve mood |
Dosing
The Supplement Database includes 58 studies on creatine monohydrate dosing. These studies indicate an effective dose ranges from 2 to 30 grams per day, the average dose being 12.1 grams per day. For a more detailed dosing analysis visit: Supplement Dosing for Creatine Monohydrate.
The Bottom Line
Creatine is a somewhat rare supplement in that there is plenty of evidence that backs its use. It improves strength, enhances recovery, and increases muscle mass. It does not however, work on every activity. The evidence on creatine use to improve aerobic activity, high intensity exercise, sprints, and decrease body fat is at best, mixed.There are various forms of creatine on the market. Creatine monohydrate is the cheapest, easiest to get, most widely studied, and arguably, most effective. Other forms are much more expensive and largely untested.
Effective creatine doses range from 2 to 30 grams per day. When using this supplement, start with a smaller dose as it may be just as effective as larger doses. Creatine can cause unwanted weight gain and gastrointestinal discomfort; avoid taking it right before exercise. Creatine has been shown to be safe and effective for upwards of five years; cycling it on and off is not necessary. Read full article: Is creatine worth taking?