Last reviewed September 2026
Most experts take: 3-10 g of plain monohydrate powder a day, with no loading phase.
Best evidence: Strength and lean mass alongside resistance training, including in older adults.
Weakest evidence: Memory and focus, depression and sleep loss. No effect on bone density.
More likely to benefit: Vegetarians and vegans, who start with lower stores, and older adults who lift.
On this page: Which form · What the experts take · Taken for vs shown to do · Do you need it, and how much? · How to choose
Which form to buy
Monohydrate is the form used in almost all the research. Nearly all of an oral dose is taken up by the body or excreted as creatine, and less than 1% breaks down in the gut (ISSN position stand), so there is little room for a “better absorbed” form to improve on it.
| Form | Creatine by weight | Pick it for | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monohydrate (incl. micronized) – best studied | 88% | Everything | The tested form and the cheapest, from about $0.04 per gram. Micronized mixes more easily; there is no evidence it absorbs better. |
| Creapure | 88% (it is monohydrate) | Purity | A German-made monohydrate used in many clinical trials. The case for it is purity, not absorption. |
| HCl | 78% | Nothing specific | Dissolves better in water, but a 2024 trial found no benefit over monohydrate. |
| Buffered (Kre-Alkalyn) | Monohydrate base | Nothing specific | A 2012 trial with muscle biopsies found no more muscle creatine or strength than monohydrate. |
| Ethyl ester | Lower | Avoid | Raised muscle creatine less than monohydrate in a 2009 trial. |
| Gummies, liquids | Varies | Avoid | Creatine turns into creatinine in water, and 6 of 13 gummy brands failed their label claim in a 2024 test by NOW Foods, a competitor. |
What the experts take
Every row links to the Fast Life Hacks article that documents it, with the podcast or video source.
| Expert | Form | Dose | Brand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhonda Patrick | Monohydrate, prefers Creapure | 10 g, split into 2 x 5 g; 20-25 g on days with poor sleep or travel | Thorne |
| Bryan Johnson | Monohydrate | 7.5 g | Blueprint (own brand) |
| Andrew Huberman | Monohydrate powder | 5 g | Not stated |
| Stacy Sims | Monohydrate, Creapure-sourced | 3-5 g, no loading | Momentous |
| Andy Galpin | Monohydrate | 5 g; about 3 g for a small woman, 7-10 g for large athletes | Has named Thorne |
| Peter Attia | Monohydrate | 5 g, during his workout | Not stated |
| Gary Brecka | Liquid liposomal packs; says he prefers HCl | About 5 g | Cymbiotika, Rho Nutrition |
| Joe Rogan | Gummies (previously powder) | Not stated (about 5 g on powder) | Gummy brand not identified |
| Tim Ferriss | Monohydrate powder | 1-2 g | Not stated |
Taken for vs shown to do
Muscle is where the trials are strongest. The brain is the reason several experts give most often, and it has the thinnest evidence.
| Outcome | Who takes it for this | What the trials show |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Patrick, Sims, Galpin, Brecka, Rogan, Johnson | ✅ Works, with training. A meta-analysis of 60 trials found more squat and leg-press strength than training alone. The effect is small but consistent. |
| Lean mass | Sims, Brecka, Johnson | ✅ Works, with training. About 1.1 kg more lean mass than training alone in a 2024 meta-analysis of 12 studies in adults under 50. |
| Muscle in older adults | Sims, Brecka, Rogan | ✅ Works, with training. A meta-analysis of 22 trials in adults aged 57-70 found about 1.4 kg more lean mass and more strength. |
| Memory and focus | Huberman, Ferriss, Patrick, Rogan | ⚠️ Weak. A 2024 meta-analysis found a small memory benefit, mostly in older adults. The largest trial (123 people, 5 g a day) found only a borderline effect. |
| Thinking under sleep loss | Patrick, Rogan | ⚠️ Weak. One crossover study of 15 people found a single dose of about 25 g helped processing speed during a night without sleep. Promising, but tiny. |
| Mood | Sims, Hyman | ⚠️ Weak. A 2025 meta-analysis of 11 trials found an effect on depression scores below the level that matters clinically, with very low certainty. |
| Bone density | Sims, Rogan | ❌ No effect. A meta-analysis and a two-year trial in postmenopausal women found no change in bone density. |
Do you need it, and how much?
The body makes about 1 g of creatine a day, and a diet with meat or fish adds 1-2 g (NIH ODS). That leaves muscle stores about 60-80% full (ISSN). A pound of raw beef or salmon has roughly 1-2 g, so reaching 5 g from food alone is not realistic. The groups most likely to notice a difference:
- Vegetarians and vegans, who start with lower stores. In one trial, vegetarians gained more muscle creatine and lean tissue than meat eaters.
- Older adults doing resistance training, per the evidence table above.
- Not endurance athletes. NIH says creatine is of little value for distance running or swimming, and the extra weight can get in the way.
Dose figures from the ISSN position stand and NIH ODS:
| Figure | Note | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily dose | 3-5 g | Larger athletes may need 5-10 g. |
| Loading (optional) | 20 g/day in 4 doses, for 5-7 days | Fills muscle faster. Without it, 3 g a day reaches the same level in about four weeks (Hultman 1996). |
| Upper limit | None set | No RDA or upper limit exists. ISSN found no evidence of harm in healthy people at up to 30 g a day for five years. |
| When | Any time | Taking it every day matters more than taking it before or after training (ISSN 2025). |
| Cycling | Not needed | Stores return to baseline 4-6 weeks after stopping, with no drop below it. |
Doses are what studies and experts used, not advice for you. See the medical disclaimer.
What to expect. Four points worth knowing before starting:
- Weight gain. A gain of 1-2 kg in the first month is common, mostly water and muscle (NIH). It is the only side effect reported consistently.
- Blood tests. Creatine raises blood creatinine, which can make a kidney test look worse without any change in kidney function (2026 meta-analysis). Tell the doctor you take it.
- Kidney disease. ISSN found no harm in healthy people but suggests anyone with existing kidney disease check with their doctor first.
- Hair. The hair-loss worry comes from a 2009 study in 20 rugby players that measured a rise in DHT, not hair. A 2025 trial found no change in DHT or hair density at 5 g a day.
How to choose a product
Pick plain monohydrate powder with third-party testing (NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport) and at least 3 g of creatine per serving. A Creapure logo is a purity signal. Ignore “38 times more bioavailable” claims for HCl: the figure comes from how well it dissolves in water, not from muscle measurements in people.
Reputable brands of creatine include:
Powders - Creatine Monohydrate
| Brands | Quantity | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|
| Nutricost | 500 g | $0.04 |
| NOW | 500 g | $0.06 |
| Momentous Creatine | 450 g | $0.09 |
Capsules - Creatine Monohydrate
| Brands | Quantity | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|
| Nutricost | 500 x 750 mg capsules | $0.07 |
| California Gold Nutrition | 240 x 750 mg capsules | $0.10 |
Roundup
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
Disclaimer: The above information is for research and educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full medical disclaimer.
Note: We have no affiliation with the experts listed here - this page is based on publicly shared information.