How to Take Creatine: Dose, Timing and the Truth About the Myths
How much to take, when, whether you need a loading phase, and the truth about the myths (kidneys, hair, water retention), based on the science. A guide for people who train.
Creatine is, at the same time, the most studied and effective supplement there is and the one people have the most questions about at the gym. It's a substance the body already produces and stores in the muscles, where it helps regenerate energy for short, intense efforts, like a heavy set of squats or a sprint. Decades of research confirm it works, but a huge amount of noise has built up around it: complicated loading phases, the "best time" to take it, expensive forms that promise more, and myths about kidneys and hair that are nothing more than that.
The good news is that taking creatine is simple. This guide gives you the right way to use it, how much and when, whether a loading phase is worth it, which one to buy, and the truth about the myths, based on the position stand from the International Society of Sports Nutrition and on Portuguese sources.
The answer fits in one sentence: 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day, every day, including the days you don't train. It isn't a pre-workout dose you take only when you go to the gym. Creatine works by saturating the muscles, a cumulative effect that builds up with daily intake and stays as long as you keep going.
That's why consistency matters more than anything else. Missing a day now and then ruins nothing, but the idea of "only taking it on training days" rests on a misunderstanding: what counts is the creatine level stored in the muscle, not the moment you take it. People with more muscle mass may need the top of the range, and larger athletes even 5 to 10 g a day, according to the ISSN. For the vast majority, 3 to 5 g is enough. If you're still building your routine, see our beginner gym workout plan to understand where creatine fits in.
You already get some creatine through food: red meat and fish are the main sources, but in small amounts, around 1 to 2 g a day on a normal diet. That's why vegetarians and vegans, who start from lower muscle stores, tend to feel a bigger effect when they begin supplementing. Either way, the supplement is there to reliably reach the daily dose that food alone rarely guarantees.
Do you need to do a loading phase?
The loading phase is the step that confuses beginners most, and the truth is that it's optional. You have two routes to the same destination. The first is to load: around 20 g a day split into 4 doses of 5 g, for 5 to 7 days, to saturate the muscles quickly. The second is to skip loading and take the normal 3 to 5 g a day straight away, in which case the muscles end up just as saturated in 3 to 4 weeks.
The end result is exactly the same. The only difference is how fast you get there. Loading also tends to cause more gastrointestinal discomfort, precisely because it concentrates a lot of creatine at once. So, unless you're in a hurry to feel the effect (before a competition, for example), skipping the load is simpler and just as effective.
When is the best time to take creatine
This is the question that sparks the most debate and the one with the most boring answer: the time of day isn't decisive. Before training, after training, in the morning or at night, the evidence shows no practical difference that matters. What decides the effect is taking it every day, not the clock.
There's one small nuance: taking creatine with a meal that contains carbohydrate or protein may slightly improve retention, because insulin helps transport it into the muscle. It's a minor optimisation, not a rule. In practice, pick the time you find easiest to stick to consistently, whether with breakfast or in the post-workout shake. And on rest days, keep taking it just the same.
There's nothing complicated about how to take it: dissolve the dose in water, juice or your protein shake. Monohydrate dissolves better in warm liquid, but you don't need to worry about that: even if some powder settles at the bottom of the glass, just drink it all and you still get the dose. You also don't need to weigh it to the gram, the scoop in the tub usually holds 3 to 5 g.
Which type of creatine to buy
This is where money gets wasted. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied, most effective and cheapest form there is, and it's the only one you need to buy. Every major scientific position, including the ISSN's, points to it as the gold standard.
The shelves are full of so-called "advanced" versions: creatine HCl, ethyl ester, buffered, micronised with appealing names. They cost more and show no additional benefit over plain monohydrate. Micronisation (a finer powder) only helps it dissolve better, nothing more. If you want a quality seal, Creapure is monohydrate with a purity guarantee, but it's an optional extra, not a necessity.
How long until you see results
It depends on what you're measuring. If you do a loading phase, the muscles are saturated in about one week; without loading, in 3 to 4 weeks. From then on, the effect is available, but saturation isn't the same as seeing changes in the mirror.
The visible gains in strength and muscle mass come over weeks and months of training, because creatine works indirectly: it lets you train with a little more volume and intensity, and it's that accumulated work that builds muscle. In the first few weeks, the most common thing is to notice one to two kilos more on the scale, which is water inside the muscle, plus maybe a bit more strength on your last reps. It's also worth knowing that non-responders exist: people with naturally high muscle creatine stores who feel little or no extra effect. That's normal and doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.
The myths about creatine
Few supplements carry so many unfounded fears. Most have no support in the evidence, and they're worth dismantling one by one.
Does it harm the kidneys?
This is the most persistent myth, and the answer is clear: in healthy people and at the recommended doses, there's no evidence of kidney damage. The ISSN documents safety at up to 30 g a day for 5 years with no adverse effects on kidney function. The confusion comes from creatine raising creatinine in the blood, a marker used to assess the kidneys, but that rise is an expected effect of supplementation, not a sign of injury. The important caveat is that anyone who already has kidney or liver disease should avoid supplementing without medical supervision.
Does it cause hair loss?
There's no evidence that creatine causes hair loss. The myth rests on a single study in rugby players, which showed a temporary rise in DHT, the hormone associated with genetic baldness. That study was never replicated, and it never even measured actual hair loss, only the hormone. Pinning hair loss on it is a leap the science doesn't support.
Does it make you fat or retain water?
The weight gain some people notice in the first few weeks is water inside the muscle, not fat. Creatine draws water into the muscle cell, which is part of how it works, and that retention is slight and most noticeable during the loading phase. It doesn't make you gain fat or "bloat" in the negative sense of the word. In fact, that water inside the cell is part of the mechanism that helps performance, not a side effect to avoid.
Do you need to cycle it?
No. The idea of stopping and restarting from time to time has no basis for creatine. You can take it continuously and indefinitely. If you decide to stop, muscle levels simply return to normal within 5 to 8 weeks, with no withdrawal effect.
Does caffeine cancel out creatine?
You'll hear that coffee or pre-workout "cancels" the effect of creatine. The idea comes from an old study using high doses of caffeine, and it doesn't hold up in everyday practice. Taking coffee and creatine on the same day isn't a problem, so keep your coffee.
Creatine doesn't replace training
However effective it is, it's worth keeping creatine in its place: it boosts resistance training, it doesn't create it. The gain in strength and muscle mass comes from the stimulus of training with progressive loads; creatine only lets you do one or two more reps, recover a little better and, over the months, add up more work. Without consistent training, the tub of creatine does nothing on its own. Research also points to benefits beyond the muscle, from recovery to cognitive function, but the central effect, and the reason most people take it, remains performance in training.
That's why the deciding factor is never the supplement, it's the consistency of your training. If you're starting out, it's worth investing in that base rather than in powders: see how to start going to the gym and get familiar with the gym machines before worrying about creatine timing. The supplement comes later, as a small nudge to a habit that already exists.
At MySelf Studio, that work happens in a space that's just yours, with no queues or waiting for machines, from 6am to midnight. Book the session, do your training without interruptions, and let the supplement play the small part that's its own. Creatine helps, but it's training done consistently that makes the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, every day, including rest days. The loading phase (20 g a day split into 4 doses, for 5 to 7 days) is optional and only speeds up muscle saturation.
The time of day isn't decisive; what counts is taking it every day. Taking it with a meal (carbohydrate or protein) may improve absorption. Before or after training, both work.
It isn't mandatory. Taking 3 to 5 g a day saturates the muscles in 3 to 4 weeks. The loading phase only makes sense if you want to feel the effect sooner.
In healthy people and at the recommended doses, there's no evidence of kidney damage; the ISSN documents safety at up to 30 g a day for 5 years. It is contraindicated for anyone who already has kidney or liver disease, in which case consult your doctor.
There's no evidence that it causes hair loss. The myth comes from a single study in rugby players that showed a temporary rise in DHT, never replicated nor linked to actual hair loss.
The early weight gain is water inside the muscle, not fat. The retention is slight and mostly during the loading phase, and it doesn't make you gain fat.
There's no need to stop and restart. If you stop taking it, muscle levels simply return to normal within 5 to 8 weeks.
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TLDR: Key Points
Take 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, every day, even when you don't train.
The loading phase (20 g a day, 5 to 7 days) is optional: it only speeds up saturation, it doesn't change the end result.
Timing barely matters; consistency is what counts. Taking it with a meal may help absorption.
Buy monohydrate: it's the most studied, effective and cheapest form. The "advanced" versions aren't worth it.
It's safe in healthy people (ISSN: up to 30 g a day for 5 years); contraindicated with kidney or liver disease.
It doesn't cause hair loss or "make you fat": the early weight is water inside the muscle. And you don't need to cycle it.
Tomás Jorge
