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Highest evidence

Creatine

The most-studied supplement on earth. Strong evidence for strength and power. Cognitive benefits are clearest in stressed states (sleep deprivation, vegetarian baseline, aging).

Aminos Last verified 2026-05-06
energy

What it does

Creatine monohydrate at 5 g/day is the cheapest, best-studied performance supplement. The 2017 ISSN position stand calls it 'the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available.' Recent trials show cognitive benefit under sleep deprivation and in vegetarians.

  • Strength, power, and lean mass Strong evidence

    5 g/day combined with resistance training reliably increases high-intensity exercise capacity, lean body mass, strength, and power output.

    Sources: PMID 28615996

  • Cognition under sleep deprivation Moderate evidence

    A single high oral dose (0.35 g/kg) maintained brain phosphocreatine and improved working memory and processing speed during 21 hours of sleep deprivation.

    Sources: PMID 38418482 · PMID 16416332

  • Cognitive benefit in vegetarians Moderate evidence

    Vegetarians have lower baseline brain creatine. Rae 2003 showed large improvements on Backwards Digit Span and Raven's Progressive Matrices after 5 g/day for 6 weeks. A larger 2011 trial did not replicate vegetarian advantage over omnivores.

    Sources: PMID 14561278 · PMID 21118604

Top picks

  1. 1

    Thorne

    Creatine (Micronized Monohydrate, NSF Certified for Sport)

    NSF Certified for Sport; 90 servings; clean ingredients.

    Check on Amazon
  2. 2

    Optimum Nutrition

    Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Unflavored

    Widely available; cheapest cost-per-gram from a national brand.

    Check on Amazon
  3. 3

    BulkSupplements.com

    Creatine Monohydrate Powder (Micronized)

    Bulk format; lowest cost per gram if you measure your own scoops.

    Check on Amazon

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How to use it

Dosage
5 g/day creatine monohydrate. Loading phase (20 g/day for 5 days) is optional and only speeds onset.
Timing
Any time of day. Consistency matters more than timing.
With food
Yes
Onset
Muscle saturation in ~28 days at 5 g/day (or ~5 to 7 days with loading). Brain creatine accrues more slowly.

What to look for

  • Monohydrate form. HCl, citrate, ethyl ester, and 'buffered' creatine are not better in head-to-head trials at matched doses.
  • Creapure certification (German-made AlzChem) is the de facto purity gold standard.
  • Third-party tested (NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport) for athletes.
  • Cost-per-gram: bulk unflavored powder runs $0.03 to $0.08/g; capsules cost 2x to 5x more.
  • Micronized: smaller particles, mixes better; no efficacy difference.

Formats: powder, capsules.

Skip if:
  • Pre-existing serious renal disease (long-term safety up to 30 g/day for 5 years in healthy kidneys; CKD or single-kidney status should consult a clinician first).
  • GI upset at high single doses (rare; mitigated by splitting loading doses).

FAQ

Does it cause hair loss?
No. The 2009 van der Merwe rugby study (n=20) showed a transient DHT rise within normal clinical limits and never measured hair. A 2025 12-week RCT (PMID 40265319) found no DHT, DHT:T ratio, or hair-growth differences vs placebo. Treat as debunked.

Additional references