Creatine monohydrate builds strength, muscle and cognition

What the evidence says

The studies, decoded

Over 700 published studies. Kreider 2017 ISSN position paper, Antonio 2021 review: 5g/day creatine monohydrate produces ~5-10% strength improvement, 1-2 kg lean mass over weeks-to-months in resistance-trained adults. Cognitive effects (Avgerinos 2018 meta-analysis): improved short-term memory and reasoning, especially under fatigue or sleep deprivation, with larger effects in vegetarians. Safety profile excellent: no kidney or liver issues in healthy adults across decades of data.

How it actually works

Mechanism

Creatine phosphate is the rapid energy buffer for high-intensity work (lifts, sprints, brain). Supplementation increases muscle creatine stores ~20%, improving capacity for repeat efforts and downstream signaling for growth.

What to actually expect

Realistic outcome

5g/day monohydrate, any time of day, with water. No loading phase needed (just takes ~30 days to fully saturate vs ~7 with a loading phase). 2-3 kg water-weight gain is normal at the start — that's the point, not bloating. Discontinuing returns you to baseline over 4-6 weeks.

If this is overhyped — what is not

Better alternatives

Creatine HCl, ethyl ester, micronized: marginally different bioavailability, same effect, more expensive. Save the money — monohydrate is the standard.

Sources

Citations

• ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine
  Kreider et al., 2017, J Int Soc Sports Nutr
• Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function — meta-analysis
  Avgerinos et al., 2018, Exp Gerontol