Creatine
amino acid
ApprovedGeneral information about nutrients. No diagnosis, no medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.
Overview
Involved in ATP production. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. One of the most researched supplements.
Interactions
Creatine kinase, the enzyme that phosphorylates creatine to phosphocreatine (the cellular energy buffer), requires Mg²⁺ as an essential cofactor for the ATP→ADP transfer.
Top 5 food sources
Expert opinions
Dr. Peter Attia
An article on Attia's website names creatine monohydrate at about 5 g per day as the usual supplementation dose. This describes common practice, not a personal recommendation by Attia.
Recommended dose: ~5 g/day (usual study dose)
Source: An emerging role for creatine supplementation in the treatment of depression (peterattiamd.com) · as of 2025-04-05
Bryan Johnson Blueprint
Johnson takes 2.5 g creatine monohydrate daily, at the lower end of research-optimal doses, reflecting his smaller lean mass and sustained saturation strategy without loading. Always taken with carbohydrates or after a meal to exploit insulin-mediated uptake. Micronized creatine monohydrate is preferred over 'designer' forms (HCl, nitrate) that lack equivalent outcome data.
Recommended dose: 2.5 g
Source: Blueprint Protocol
Dr. Andrew Huberman
Huberman names 5 g creatine monohydrate daily. Taken daily without cycling, timing non-critical, preferred with water or after training. He lists it alongside omega-3, vitamin D3, and magnesium.
Recommended dose: 5 g
Source: Huberman Lab
Current Research
Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 g daily is the most researched ergogenic aid, with over 1,000 controlled studies. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. No loading phase is required, and saturation of muscle phosphocreatine takes 3 to 4 weeks at standard dosing. Long-term safety has been examined in RCTs of up to 5 years, which did not confirm the concern about kidney damage.
Source: Current Research
Expert profiles summarise publicly available statements. The named people do not cooperate with Stackwell and have not authorised these summaries. Not medical advice.
Considered one of the safest supplements.