Creatine: What It Does, Whether It Works, and Which Form to Take

What creatine is

Creatine is a compound your body makes from three amino acids, mainly in the liver and kidneys. About 95% of it is stored in muscle. You also get 1 to 2 grams a day from meat and fish. People who eat no meat have lower muscle stores.

What it does

Muscles run on ATP, and during hard effort they use it faster than they can make it. Stored creatine, in the form of phosphocreatine, recycles ATP within seconds. More stored creatine means a few more seconds of high output: one or two extra repetitions, or a slightly faster sprint. Over months of training, that extra work adds up to more strength and muscle.

The brain uses the same system, which is why researchers study creatine for thinking and memory.

What the evidence shows

Strength and power: strong evidence. The International Society of Sports Nutrition, in its 2017 position statement, calls creatine monohydrate the most effective nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.

Muscle with age: good evidence. In adults over 50, creatine combined with resistance training adds about 3 pounds more lean mass than training alone, along with greater strength, according to a pooled analysis of 22 trials. Creatine without training does little.

Brain function: early evidence. A 2018 review of trials found improvements in short-term memory and reasoning. The effect was clearest in people under strain: the sleep-deprived, older adults and vegetarians. In well-rested young adults the effect is small.

Endurance: little benefit. Creatine helps repeated bursts of effort, not steady long-distance work.

Who benefits most

• People doing resistance training or sprint-based sport
• Adults over 50 who lift weights, to help hold on to muscle
• Vegetarians and vegans, who start with lower stores
• People losing weight, including on GLP-1 medications, who want to protect muscle while training. Ask your provider first.

How much to take

• Standard: 3 to 5 grams a day, every day. Muscle stores fill in about three to four weeks.
• Loading, optional: about 20 grams a day, split into four servings, for five to seven days, then 3 to 5 grams a day. It fills stores faster and is more likely to upset the stomach. The end result is the same.
• Timing: it makes little difference. Taking it daily matters more than when.
• With: water or any drink. Stay well hydrated.

Which form to buy

Choose plain creatine monohydrate powder with third-party testing, such as the NSF Certified for Sport mark. Supplements are not checked by the FDA before sale, so independent testing is the assurance that the product contains what the label says.

Safety, and the common worries

Kidneys. In healthy people, studies lasting up to five years have found no harm to kidney function. People with kidney disease, or at high risk for it, should not take creatine without their doctor's approval.

Blood tests. This one is real and often missed. Creatine breaks down into creatinine, the marker labs use to estimate kidney function. Taking creatine can raise blood creatinine slightly and make the kidney estimate (eGFR) look lower than it really is. Tell any provider ordering blood work that you take creatine. A different test, cystatin C, can clarify kidney function if needed.

Weight gain. Expect 2 to 4 pounds in the first weeks. It is water drawn into muscle cells, not fat.

Hair loss. This comes from a single 2009 study of 20 rugby players in which a hormone linked to hair loss rose. The study did not measure hair, and the finding has not been repeated. A 2025 trial that did measure hair found no effect.

Cramps and dehydration. Studies in athletes have not found more cramping or dehydration with creatine.

Stomach upset. Uncommon at 3 to 5 grams. More likely with loading.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and under 18. There is not enough research. Ask a doctor.

Where Zen IV Spa fits

Creatine is something you buy and take yourself. Where we come in is the testing around it: a baseline kidney panel before you start if you have any risk factors, and blood work read correctly once you are taking it. A licensed nurse draws your blood at home anywhere in New York & New Jersey, and a licensed provider reviews the results with you. Clients in our weight-loss programs can ask about muscle protection at any check-in. Our medical director oversees every treatment.

Quick answers

Does creatine work? Yes, for strength, power and muscle when combined with training. It is the best-supported sports supplement.

How much should I take? 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day.

Do I need to load? No. Loading is faster, and the result after a month is the same.

Is creatine bad for the kidneys? Not in healthy people. Ask a doctor if you have kidney disease.

Will it affect my blood tests? It can raise creatinine and lower the kidney estimate on paper. Tell your provider you take it.

Does creatine cause hair loss? The evidence does not support that.

Is it only for men? No. Trials in women show benefits for strength and lean mass.

Do I need to cycle off? No evidence says cycling is needed.

Starting creatine and want a baseline? Book a kidney and metabolic panel at home: zenivspa.com/labs-testing/.

All treatments are medical services. Every guest is screened, and every treatment is provided only under the clearance, prescription or standing protocol of a licensed medical provider. Compounded peptides are not FDA-approved unless stated. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis or a promise of results.