The Ultimate Creatine Guide
Creatine monohydrate is the single most effective supplement for increasing muscle mass and strength. Backed by over 1,000 studies and decades of safe use.
What is Creatine?
The Science
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from 3 amino acids (glycine, arginine, methionine). Your body produces it in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
It's stored in muscles as phosphocreatine and used to rapidly regenerate ATP—your muscles' primary energy currency during high-intensity exercise.
Why Supplement?
Your body naturally stores about 120g of creatine. Supplementing increases stores to 140-150g (+15-20%), which enhances performance during explosive movements like lifting, sprinting, and jumping.
You'd need to eat 1kg of raw beef daily to get 5g of creatine from food. Supplementation is far more practical.
Proven Benefits
Creatine is one of the few supplements with overwhelming evidence for safety and effectiveness. Here's what the research shows.
Performance & Physique Benefits
✅ Who Benefits Most:
- • Strength athletes & bodybuilders
- • Sprinters & explosive sport athletes
- • Vegetarians/vegans (lower natural creatine stores)
- • Anyone over 50 (helps maintain muscle mass)
How to Take Creatine
Taking creatine is simple, but there are two main protocols. Both work—choose based on your preference.
Two Loading Protocols
Day 6+: 5g daily maintenance
Best Practices
Types of Creatine
There are many forms of creatine on the market. Here's the truth: creatine monohydrate is king.
Creatine Types Comparison
Most researched form. 99.9% purity. Cheapest. Most effective. This is what 95% of studies use.
Just monohydrate with smaller particles. Slightly better mixability. Same effectiveness. Worth it if you dislike texture.
More expensive. Claims "better absorption" but no evidence it works better than monohydrate. Marketing hype.
Claims reduced bloating. Research shows no advantage over monohydrate. More expensive for no benefit.
Marketed as "better absorption." Studies show it's LESS effective than monohydrate. Avoid.
💡 Bottom Line:
Buy Creapure® creatine monohydrate. It's the gold standard, backed by 1,000+ studies, and costs £10-15 for 3 months supply. Everything else is marketing.
Myths vs Facts
Creatine is one of the most misunderstood supplements. Let's debunk the common myths with science.
MYTH: Creatine damages kidneys
FACT: Decades of research show creatine is safe for healthy individuals. Studies on 5-30g daily for years show no kidney damage. Only avoid if you have pre-existing kidney disease.
MYTH: Creatine causes hair loss
FACT: Based on ONE study from 2009 showing increased DHT. No follow-up studies confirmed this. Millions of users for 30+ years with no pattern of baldness. Extremely unlikely.
MYTH: You need to cycle creatine
FACT: No evidence you need breaks. Your body doesn't "get used to it" or stop responding. Take it year-round for sustained benefits.
MYTH: Creatine is just water weight
FACT: Initial 1-2kg gain is water in muscles (good thing—it aids protein synthesis). Long-term studies show real lean mass gains beyond water retention.
MYTH: Creatine is a steroid
FACT: Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from amino acids. It's found in meat and fish. It's not hormonal, not a steroid, and completely legal in all sports.
Quick Start Guide
Buy Quality Creatine
Get Creapure® creatine monohydrate. Micronized if you prefer smoother texture. Avoid fancy forms.
Take 5g Daily
Mix with water, juice, or protein shake. Take anytime. Load with 20g for 5 days if you want faster results.
Stay Consistent
Take every single day. Drink 3-4L water. Expect strength gains in 1-2 weeks.
The Bottom Line
Creatine monohydrate is the most effective, safest, and most researched supplement for building muscle and strength. If you only take one supplement, make it creatine.
It's cheap (£10-15 for 3+ months), safe (thousands of studies), and actually works (8-15% strength gains). No hype—just science.