Momentous Creatine Monohydrate

Evidence

From the sources we read every week for our concierge recommendations.

• Examine.com

  “Creatine benefits, dosage, and side effects”

  Mike Murray, RDN, CSCS, CISSN • Natalka Roshak, AB+ 3 others Last Updated:January 5, 2026 Research Snapshot 167 references on this page 17,248 participants in 168 trials and 19 meta-analyses Examine Evidence Grades AMuscle Creatine Content + 16 more BDepression Symptoms + 46 more C164 outcomes D163 outcomes Creatine is linked to 63 conditions and outcomes. Get Examine+ or Examine Pro to unlock these insights and the details of over 50,000 other studies. Overview What is creatine? What are creatine’s main benefits? What are creatine’s main drawbacks? How does creatine work? Dosage InformationMedical disclaimer There are many different forms of creatine available on the market, but creatine monohydrate is the most extensively researched and tends to be the cheapest form. Another option is micronized creatine monohydrate, which dissolves more easily in water. In most studies, supplementation involved an initial loading protocol of around 0.3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (typically divided into four equal doses throughout the day) for 5–7 days followed by a daily maintenance dose of at least 0.03 g/kg of bodyweight. For a 180 lb (82 kg) person, this translates to a loading dose of 25 g/day and a maintenance dose of at least 2.5 g/day. The alternative to creatine loading involves simply taking a smaller dose (usually 3–5 g) of creatine every day. Supplements Demystified: Get Our Unbiased, Evidence-Based Guide Uncover the truth about popular supplements like creatine, turmeric, garlic, zinc, melatonin, and more. Plus, we'll debunk myths surrounding multivitamins, testosterone boosters, and immune supplements. Become a savvy supplement shopper. Learn how to spot the hidden signs of low-quality products and save money by avoiding ineffective supplements. Demystify scientific studies. Develop the skill to sift through the jargon and make empowered decisions for your health. Transform your lifestyle with easy-to-apply, practical health tips. Bonus PDF: Also get Examine's Top 10 Most Popular Study Summaries over the past 12 months, covering gluten-free eating, calorie and time restricted eating, cognitive health, ashwaganda, muscle building, and more. Show me what works Examine Database: Creatine Show Conditions Filters Expand AllCollapse All

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• Rhonda Patrick

  “Supplements — Articles, Videos, & Studies | FoundMyFitness”

  Creatine supplements prove safe, displaying similar rates of side effects as a placebo, debunking widespread online concerns, and confirming creatine monohydrate as one of the most thoroughly tested and tolerated substances. www.tandfonline.com Supplements Creatine often gets a bad rap online, but evidence suggests concerns about this naturally occurring compound are unfounded. A recent review found that creatine supplements are effective and safe, even when taken for long periods or in large doses. Researchers reviewed data from 685 human clinical trials involving nearly 26,300 participants, analyzed over 28 million adverse event reports from international safety databases, and reviewed social media posts about creatine. They compared how often people in these studies experienced side effects after taking creatine versus a placebo and evaluated the tone of public opinion online. They found no meaningful difference in the overall frequency of side effects between the creatine and placebo groups, with both around 13%. Although slightly more studies reported muscle cramps or digestive issues with creatine, the number of affected participants was very low (fewer than 1% in both cases). No differences appeared in kidney function, overall health markers, or any of the 49 side effects evaluated. Mentions of creatine in adverse event databases were infrequent, and while most public opinions were neutral, people with strong views tended to be slightly more negative. These findings indicate that concerns regarding creatine’s safety and tolerability aren’t backed by clinical or real-world evidence. Despite widespread claims on the internet, creatine monohydrate continues to be one of the most thoroughly studied and well-tolerated supplements available. Learn more about creatine in this episode featuring Dr. Darren Candow. Read more Short-term creatine monohydrate use, even without exercise, may boost lean body mass, particularly in women. www.mdpi.com Exercise Muscle Supplements Creatine monohydrate—one of the most widely studied and popular supplements—has a well-earned reputation for helping increase lean body mass, but some of those gains may come from changes in body water rather than actual muscle growth. A recent study found that creatine monohydrate alone, even without exercise, can boost lean body mass in the short term—especially in women. Researchers randomly assigned 63 healthy adults to take either 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily or nothing. After a one-week “wash-in” period with the supplement, everyone began a 12-week resistance training program. The researchers measured lean body mass using a body scan before and after the wash-in and after the training program.

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• Huberman Lab

  “AMA #19: Collagen vs. Whey Protein, Creatine, Smelling Salts, Stimulants & More”

  However, if you weigh more than 150 pounds-- let's say you're anywhere from 150 pounds up to 200 pounds. Well, then I would suggest taking a bit more, maybe 7 or 8 grams of creatine per day. And if you weigh more than 200 pounds, then I suggest taking 10 grams per day. You do not need to exceed 10 grams per day. Why? Because creatine gets loaded into your muscles. And it remains there unless you stop taking it, in which case you'll excrete the water that's brought in by that creatine into the muscles, and you will also eventually excrete that creatine. In fact, in the old days of creatine, meaning in the early '90s, when creatine monohydrate was first widely dispersed as a supplement, there was this idea that you needed to do a loading phase and a maintenance phase. I remember this because I did it. The idea was that you were supposed to take creatine monohydrate several times a day. Generally, it was 3 to 5 grams three to five times a day, 30 minutes before a meal, and you were supposed to mix that creatine monohydrate with a little bit of high-sugar fruit juice, like grape juice. So I did this. A lot of other people did this, and I can tell you it works spectacularly well to bring a lot of water into your muscles. You basically put on about, depending on how well you react to it-- I'm what you would consider a creatine hyper-responder, so I respond really strongly to creatine. And I would put on anywhere from 8 to 15 pounds. By the way, it's water weight, but it's mostly directed to the muscles. And you get much stronger really fast. You actually put on a lot of size really fast. And then after a loading phase of about three to five days, the idea was that then you were supposed to take the creatine either with water or with juice or with food just to keep it capped off in your system and do that indefinitely unless you did a washout of creatine. It's actually a pee-out out of creatine and the associated water-- for a duration of three to seven days. So in the old days, you would load creatine anywhere from 3 to 5 grams four times a day or three times a day or whatever it is for four to five days. You're drinking all this juice and creatine. You get really big. You get really strong for you, noticeable increases in size, and then you just maintain. If you take a week off where you're not doing the maintenance, then you have to reload the creatine again. That was the idea. We now know that you can load more gradually and that you don't need to do this fruit juice, high-insulin spike or glucose spike approach. I don't know if it works better than the current approach, but the current approach that most everybody uses is to ditch the juice, at least for that purpose, and just to take 5 to 10 grams of creatine continuously for about five to seven days to get the maximal effect on muscle size and strength. And I should say that most of the studies focused on how creatine impacts cognitive function, and we'll talk a little bit about why it actually impacts cognitive function favorably in a moment. It's also 5 to 10 grams taken over the course of anywhere-- depends on the study-- two to seven days. So I don't think there's any reason to do a so-called "loading phase." Just make sure that if you don't take any creatine for three to five days, that you are fairly continuous about taking it in the period after.

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• Stacy Sims

  “ Creatine FAQs for Active Women | Dr. Stacy Sims ”

  Yes, creatine can help with both brain fog and fatigue. The research shows that a single high dose—about 0.35g per kilogram of bodyweight (or 0.17g per pound)—can support brain function during periods of acute sleep deprivation, jetlag, or shift work. The creatine group showed improvements in cognitive performance (processing speed and mental tasks) and experienced less subjective fatigue compared with placebo. Does creatine cause bloating? At recommended doses of 3–5 g per day, bloating is uncommon. When it does occur, it is typically associated with large loading doses (which is more commonly done in bodybuilding) or low-quality creatine products (more on that below). Creatine and low kidney function—is there any evidence of harm? In healthy individuals, decades of research show no evidence that creatine damages kidney function when taken at recommended doses. However, creatine has not been extensively studied in people with pre-existing kidney disease, so supplementation is not recommended without medical supervision in those cases. Elevated creatinine alone is not the same as impaired kidney function. Does creatine cause hair loss? There is no evidence showing that creatine causes hair loss in women. The claim stems from a single small study in men that did not measure hair loss directly and has not been replicated. Is creatine safe to take long term? Yes. Decades of research show that creatine is safe for healthy adults when taken at recommended doses. (You can read the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position stand here). What is Creapure®? Creapure ® is a high-purity, pharmaceutical-grade creatine monohydrate produced in Germany. It is free from contaminants and well tolerated by most people. I recommend people look for brands using CreaPure, like Momentous Creatine. (Note that as a consumer you can’t buy Creapure directly; it is a B2B product that supplement manufacturers buy to use in their creatine products). Do I need a loading phase? No. A daily dose of 3–5 g will fully saturate muscle creatine stores within about three to four weeks, without the gastrointestinal issues that can come with loading. When should I take creatine? Timing is not critical. What matters most is consistency, so try to get into the routine of taking it at the same time each day. Can I take creatine during perimenopause or menopause? Yes. Creatine can support muscle mass, bone health, recovery, and training quality during periods of hormonal change. Can I take creatine during pregnancy? This Instagram reel covers this question well. In short, yes! Please talk with your healthcare provider before starting new supplements. Make sure you are comfortable taking creatine pre-pregnancy. Is creatine safe for breast cancer survivors? Current evidence suggests that creatine is safe for breast cancer survivors, particularly when used at standard doses (3–5 g/day) and combined with resistance training. Creatine does not act on estrogen receptors and has not been shown to promote cancer recurrence. In fact, preserving muscle mass, strength, and bone health is especially important after cancer treatment. That said, survivors should always discuss supplementation with their oncology or healthcare team.

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