Creatine monohydrate: dosage, timing and the loading phase

Creatine is by far the most studied sports supplement in the world. Hundreds of clinical trials, several decades of hindsight, and above all: a health claim officially authorised in the European Union. That is rare. For most of the ingredients you come across in the gym, nobody is allowed to promise anything at all. For creatine, they are.

This guide answers the three questions we get asked constantly: how much, when, and whether you really need a loading phase.

What European law allows you to say

The European regulation on health claims authorises one precise wording, and one only:

“Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise.”

The claim comes with a condition of use: the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. It is aimed at adults performing high intensity physical exercise.

Everything else — “guaranteed mass gain”, “faster recovery”, “more energy” — is marketing, not law. A brand that writes it on its tub is breaking the rules. We would rather tell you what is in the product and let you judge.

Monohydrate: why the other forms are not worth the premium

You will come across creatine HCL, kre-alkalyn, ethyl ester, tri-creatine malate. All are sold at a higher price than monohydrate, on the argument of “better absorption”.

The problem: monohydrate already has a bioavailability close to 100 %. There is not much room to improve an ingredient the body already absorbs almost entirely. It is also the form used in the vast majority of studies — so the only one we have real hindsight on.

That is why our creatine monohydrate 500 g contains nothing else: no flavouring, no additive, no “patented complex”.

What dose?

The maintenance dose

3 g a day is enough to reach and maintain muscle saturation. Many lifters take 5 g — that is the historical dose from the American studies, it remains safe, but beyond 3 g the extra benefit is marginal for most people. One scoop of our tub is 3.5 g: a comfortable margin without wasting product.

Do you need a loading phase?

No, it is not compulsory. The loading phase (around 20 g a day split into 4 intakes for 5 to 7 days) saturates the muscles faster — in a week instead of three or four. That is its only advantage.

The downsides: you get through four times as much product, and it is during this phase that most digestive discomfort occurs. If you have no competition in ten days, simply take your daily dose and let time do the work.

When to take it?

This is the question that generates the most argument, and the one that matters least. Creatine does not work like a stimulant: it fills a reservoir. Once your muscles are saturated, the time of day you take it is of little interest.

What really counts:

• Consistency. Every day, including days without training, including weekends. A week of forgetting and the reservoir goes back down.
• Hydration. Creatine draws water into the muscle. Drink normally, without forcing it.
• What you mix it with. Water, milk, juice, coffee, a protein shake: it makes no difference. The legend of coffee “cancelling out” creatine comes from a single 1996 study that was never replicated.

Powder or chewable gummies?

The molecule is the same. The choice is a lifestyle choice.

Powder remains unbeatable on cost per dose: 500 g is 142 doses, close to five months of use. It takes a glass, a scoop, and remembering to do it.

The chewable gummies solve creatine's only real problem: forgetting. No shaker, no scoop, the dose is identical every time. At the office, travelling, away for the weekend, it works. The best supplement is still the one you actually take.

Both formats are in our creatine range.

Weight gain: what actually happens

Yes, the scales often go up by 1 to 2 kg in the first few weeks. No, it is not fat. Creatine is osmotically active: it draws water into the muscle cell. That is intracellular water, not subcutaneous retention — it makes the muscle look fuller, not blurrier.

If you compete in a weight category, take it into account. Otherwise, ignore the scales for a month.

Side effects and received wisdom

• “It damages your kidneys.” In healthy people, no study has shown kidney damage at usual doses. On the other hand, if you have a known kidney condition or are on medication, talk to your doctor first — that is true of any supplement.
• “It makes your hair fall out.” The idea comes from a small study on 20 rugby players, never confirmed since.
• “You have to cycle it.” Nothing requires it. The receptors do not become “desensitised”.
• Digestive discomfort. This is the most common side effect, especially at high doses. It usually disappears by splitting the intake or staying at 3 g.

What to remember

• 3 g a day, monohydrate, every day.
• Loading phase optional: it speeds things up, it does not improve the end result.
• Timing does not matter, consistency matters enormously.
• The only legal promise: an increase in performance during very intense, short, repeated efforts.

Sources

• EU Register of nutrition and health claims — European Commission. The official database of authorised and rejected claims.
• Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 — the list of authorised health claims, including the one on creatine and its 3 g per day condition.
• EFSA — Nutrition and health claims — the European authority that scientifically assesses every claim before it is authorised.

Food supplements are no substitute for a varied and balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or for people on medication. Further questions? Our FAQ answers them.