Creatine benefits
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Creatine is the most researched sports supplement in the world, and one of the few with consistent results. Here's what it does and who it helps most.
How creatine works
Your muscles store creatine as phosphocreatine, which rapidly regenerates ATP, the fuel for short, intense efforts. More stored creatine means you can do a few more reps, sprint a bit harder and recover between sets a bit faster. Over weeks and months, that extra quality work adds up.
Proven benefits
- Strength and power: improved performance in lifting, sprinting and jumping.
- Lean muscle: greater gains in lean mass when combined with resistance training.
- Training volume and recovery: more work per session and better repeat-effort performance.
Promising areas of research
- Brain health: studies are looking at cognition, mental fatigue and sleep deprivation.
- Healthy aging: creatine with strength training may help older adults maintain muscle and function.
- Plant-based diets: vegetarians and vegans have lower creatine stores and may notice bigger effects.
Who benefits most
Anyone doing resistance training or high-intensity sport, older adults who strength train, women, and people who eat little or no meat.
Getting the benefits
Take 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate every day from a tested brand. Dosing guide · Best creatine
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
What are the main benefits of creatine?
More strength and power, greater lean muscle gains with training, and better high-intensity performance.
How long does it take creatine to work?
About a week with loading, or 3 to 4 weeks at 3 to 5 g a day.
Does creatine help your brain?
Research is promising, especially under fatigue or sleep loss, but it's still developing.
Keep reading
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Read →Best Creatine Gummies
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Read →Creatine for Women
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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 →Get the creatine & hair research updates
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