summary of creatine dosing
0 g (baseline) β Normal endogenous production (1 g/d) and diet (meat/fish) maintain muscle phosphocreatine at 60β70 % of saturation.
1β2 g/d β βLow-doseβ supplementation
β Slightly raises muscle creatine (~10β15 % above baseline).
β May offer modest cognitive support in vegetarians or during sleep deprivation, but minimal strength/power gains.
3β5 g/d β Standard daily dose (no loading)
β Achieves near-maximal muscle phosphocreatine saturation (β 20 % rise) within 3β4 weeks.
β Improves high-intensity exercise capacity (β 5β15 %), lean mass accrual (β 1β2 kg over 8β12 weeks), and recovery.
β Cognitive benefits in older adults and those with low dietary intake.
20 g/d (split 4 Γ 5 g) for 5β7 days β βLoading phaseβ
β Rapidly saturates muscle stores (β 20 % rise) in <1 week.
β Same long-term performance benefits as 3β5 g/d, just reached faster.
β Higher incidence of mild GI upset or water-weight gain (1β2 kg).
>5 g/d maintenance (>10 g/d)
β No additional muscle or performance benefit once stores are saturated.
β May increase plasma creatinine without renal harm in healthy kidneys, but offers no extra advantage.
Bottom line:
β 3β5 g/d is the sweet spot for strength, hypertrophy, and recovery.
β 20 g/d loading for 5β7 days speeds saturation if rapid benefit is desired.
