Creatine Dosage: What the Research Describes
Most creatine monohydrate products state a serving of three to five grams. Protocols in the research are often expressed relative to body mass rather than as a flat number, and creatine also appears inside pre-workout and post-workout blends, so totals can stack past what any single label shows.
Creatine is dosed more consistently than almost anything else on this site, which makes the labels unusually easy to read — and makes the exceptions worth spotting.
The standard serving
Most creatine monohydrate products state a serving of three to five grams. The ISSN position stand sets out the maintenance and loading protocols used in the research, including how loading intakes are split across the day and over what period.
Body size
Protocols in the literature are frequently expressed relative to body mass rather than as a flat figure, which is why a single number on a tub is a simplification. If you are working from a published protocol, check whether it is per kilogram.
Where the dose hides: blends
Creatine appears inside many pre-workout and post-workout blends. Two things to check: the creatine amount stated separately rather than inside a proprietary blend total, and whether you are also taking a standalone creatine product. Stacking a pre-workout, a post-workout blend and a tub of monohydrate can take total intake well past what any of the labels individually suggests.
Alternative forms are not dosed the same
HCl and other forms are typically sold at lower gram amounts, and the amount of creatine delivered per gram of compound differs. See monohydrate vs HCl and buffered forms before comparing serving sizes across forms.
Who should take medical advice first
Anyone with kidney disease or reduced kidney function, anyone taking medication that affects the kidneys, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone under 18 should speak to a doctor before using creatine. The research base is predominantly in healthy adults, and it should not be extrapolated past that.
See creatine side effects and our medical disclaimer.
Comparing on dose
Convert every product to grams of creatine per day at its labelled serving, then work out cost per day. Our creatine comparison shows pack size and servings per container so that arithmetic is straightforward.
References
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance
- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation