Creatine for muscle
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and most effective legal supplement for strength and muscle. Here's how to pick a good one, dose it right and get the most out of it.
Our top creatine picks
| Pick | Best for | Form | Testing | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentous Creatine | Best overall | Unflavored powder | NSF Certified for Sport | $$$ | View |
| Thorne Creatine | Best certified basic | Unflavored powder | NSF Certified for Sport | $$ | View |
| Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine | Best value name brand | Micronized powder | Check label for current testing | $ | View |
| Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate | Best budget | Powder, large tubs | Third-party tested (see brand) | $ | View |
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | Best flavored | Flavored powder | Third-party tested (see brand) | $$$ | View |
See the full best creatine guide →
Creatine guides
Best Creatine Supplements (2026)
Our top creatine picks by category.
Read →Best Creatine Gummies
Do creatine gummies work, and which are worth buying?
Read →Creatine for Women
Benefits, dosing and the best creatine for women.
Read →How Much Creatine Per Day?
Daily dosing by body weight and goal.
Read →Creatine Loading Phase
Should you load creatine? How, and is it needed?
Read →Creatine HCl vs Monohydrate
Which form is better, and is HCl worth the price?
Read →Creatine Side Effects
Real side effects vs myths, from bloating to kidneys.
Read →Creatine Benefits
What creatine does for muscle, strength, brain and aging.
Read →Worried about your hair?
The most common question lifters ask about creatine. Start with our evidence breakdown.
Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?
The full answer, from the 2009 rugby study to the 2025 trial.
Read →Creatine Hair Loss Studies
Both key studies side by side: what they measured and what they didn't.
Read →Creatine and DHT
How DHT drives pattern hair loss and what creatine does (and doesn't) do to it.
Read →Creatine Hair Loss in Women
What women need to know about creatine and thinning hair.
Read →Is Creatine Hair Loss Reversible?
Shedding, stopping creatine and what actually comes back.
Read →Creatine and Finasteride
Can you take them together? What lifters on finasteride should know.
Read →Creatine and Minoxidil
Using minoxidil while you supplement creatine.
Read →Creatine Before and After: Hair
What to really expect from your hair on creatine.
Read →Keratin vs Creatine for Hair
Two words that get mixed up, and what each does for hair.
Read →Best Creatine for Hair Loss Worries
Clean, tested creatine picks if you are protective of your hairline.
Read →How to Take Creatine Without Losing Hair
A practical hairline-protection plan for lifters.
Read →Get the creatine & hair research updates
New studies, deals on tested creatine and hair-loss treatments. One email a week at most.