Creatine Monohydrate

What Is Creatine Monohydrate?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in muscle cells. Your body produces it from amino acids (glycine, arginine, and methionine), and you also get small amounts from red meat and fish. Supplementing with creatine monohydrate tops up your muscles’ phosphocreatine stores, giving you more fuel for short, intense efforts like lifting and sprinting.

How It Works

During high-intensity exercise, your muscles use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy. ATP is depleted rapidly — within seconds of maximal effort. Creatine donates a phosphate group to regenerate ATP faster, letting you squeeze out extra reps, recover between sets more quickly, and train harder over time. The result is greater training volume, which drives muscle and strength gains.

What the Research Says

Creatine monohydrate is backed by hundreds of peer-reviewed studies spanning over 30 years. It consistently improves strength, power, and lean mass in both trained and untrained individuals. Emerging research also suggests modest cognitive benefits, particularly under stress or sleep deprivation. The International Society of Sports Nutrition considers it one of the most effective and safe supplements available.

The Loading Phase Debate

You may have heard about “loading” creatine — taking 20g per day for 5-7 days to saturate your muscles faster. While this works, it is not necessary. Taking 3-5g daily will fully saturate your muscles within 3-4 weeks. Loading just gets you there sooner, and some people find the higher dose causes stomach discomfort.

Who Should Take It

Almost anyone who resistance trains or does high-intensity exercise can benefit. It is safe for both men and women, and research supports its use across all age groups. If you only take one supplement, creatine is a strong contender.

Who Should Avoid It

People with pre-existing kidney disease should consult their doctor first, though research in healthy individuals shows no kidney damage even with long-term use. If you experience persistent stomach issues, try taking it with food or splitting the dose.

Vegan?

Creatine monohydrate is vegan-friendly. It is synthetically produced in a lab from sarcosine and cyanamide — no animal products are involved. Vegans may actually benefit more from supplementation, as they typically have lower baseline creatine stores due to the absence of meat in their diet.

Where to Buy

• Myprotein Creatine Monohydrate — from £9.99
• Bulk Creatine Monohydrate — from £8.99
• Amazon — Optimum Nutrition Creatine — from £14.99

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.