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How much creatine should you take?

Creatine Calculator: Your Daily Dose by Body Weight

Sources checked · 2 sources · By Anthony Falcone

Before you start

  • If you have kidney disease or take medicine that affects your kidneys, talk to your doctor before taking creatine. The few case reports of kidney problems in creatine users involved existing kidney disease, medication or other supplements.2
  • Tell your doctor you take creatine before a blood test: it can raise creatinine, the marker used to estimate kidney function.2
  • This calculator is for healthy adults. If you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor.

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The short answer: The standard dose of creatine monohydrate is 3–5 g a day, or about 0.1 g per kg of body weight. A loading phase of about 0.3 g per kg a day for 5–7 days fills your muscles faster, but it is optional: 3–5 g a day gets there in about 3–4 weeks.1,2

How the calculator works

  • Daily dose: 3–5 g a day, or 0.1 g per kg of body weight a day.2,1
  • Upper end: larger athletes in hard training may need as much as 5–10 g a day to keep their stores full, so the weight-based dose stops at 10 g.1
  • Optional loading phase: about 0.3 g per kg a day, usually 5 g four times a day, for 5–7 days, then the daily dose.1
  • Serving size while loading: 10 g or less per serving, because bigger single doses can upset the stomach. The calculator splits the loading amount into at least four servings and adds servings if one would go above 10 g.2
  • Loading ceiling: the ISSN reports that up to 30 g a day for 5 years was safe and well tolerated in healthy people, so the loading total stops at 30 g a day.1

Example: at 70 kg, the daily dose is 0.1 × 70 = 7 g. A loading phase would be 0.3 × 70 = 21 g a day for 5–7 days, as 4 servings of about 5.3 g.2,1

How sure is this?

  • Both papers are by creatine researchers, several of whom declare ties to the supplement industry, such as research funding and advisory roles.1,2
  • The 10 g and 30 g ceilings are where the published dose ranges end, not personal limits worked out for you.1
  • The doses apply to creatine monohydrate in healthy people; there is less research in women than in men.2

Common questions

How much creatine should I take a day?

3–5 g of creatine monohydrate a day, or about 0.1 g per kg of body weight. Larger athletes in hard training may need 5–10 g a day.2,1

Do I need a creatine loading phase?

No. Loading (about 0.3 g per kg a day for 5–7 days) is the fastest way to fill your muscles, but 3–5 g a day reaches the same stores over about 3–4 weeks.1,2

How should I split a loading dose?

Into several servings across the day, each 10 g or less, because bigger single doses may cause stomach upset such as diarrhoea.2

Is creatine safe for your kidneys?

In healthy people, the research reviewed by the ISSN shows no kidney harm at recommended doses. The case reports of problems involved existing kidney disease or medication, so ask your doctor first if that applies to you.1,2

Sources

  1. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017. Position stand. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
  2. Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021. Review. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

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