Moderate

Creatine monohydrate

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology

Creatine is the supplement aisle's one dependable product: cheap, heavily studied, and it does what it says, adding a few percent to strength and training capacity. It is not a longevity drug. Buy it if you train; skip the premium versions and the brain-age marketing.

Why it grades Moderate

The International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand reviews hundreds of trials: creatine monohydrate at about 3–5 g a day reliably increases muscle phosphocreatine, training output and lean mass, with an extensive safety record in healthy people. Trials measure performance and body composition, not mortality or disease. Early work on cognition in sleep-deprived people is interesting and preliminary.

Doing it: 3–5 g of plain creatine monohydrate daily, any time, with or without loading. It is one of the cheapest supplements per effective dose; the branded salts and blends add price, not evidence.

Who it suits: People doing resistance training get the clearest return. Kidney disease patients should discuss with their doctor first, mostly because creatine raises a waste marker the kidney tests rely on.

What it costs$–$$ (a year of generic monohydrate costs less than a month of most stacks)

Sources

Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.

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