How much creatine should I take per day and for how long?

Javier Colomer 5 min. of reading Creatine Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered how to take creatine, what your ideal daily dose is and how long you should take it for? HSN tells you all about optimal creatine dosage and duration, tailored to your individual needs and training goals.

You can do a loading phase or start with a constant daily dose from the beginning.
Differences in creatine intake between men and women are not significant, so both genders can take the same dose.
If daily dosing is chosen, there is no need to take breaks.

What is the recommended daily dose of creatine?

How much creatine to take per product type

Creatine Monohydrate: The standard dose is 3.5 grams per day (3 grams of creatine base). No loading phase is required (optional if competition is your goal) and you can take this dosage from day one.
Creatine Creapure: It is exactly identical to creatine monohydrate but under the Creapure:registered: patent. The same dosage as monohydrate should be followed.
Creatine alkaline (Kre-Alkalyn): This type of creatine is designed for more efficient absorption, so the dosage is usually lower. It is recommended between 1.5 grams per day, no loading phase is required.

The recommended daily dose of creatine is 3 grams.

This amount is sufficient to maintain the creatine stores in your muscle mass and continue to reap its long-term benefits.

How much creatine to take per kilo of body weight?

If you are a competitor looking for a strategy to maximise the benefits of creatine supplementation for your next event, you can do the creatine loading phase.

Creatine loading phase: for 5-7 days you should take a total of 20-25 g/day in a fractional manner.

This will quickly saturate the creatine stores in your muscles.

According to your gender

Both men and women can follow the same dosage guidelines.

How long should I take creatine?

The duration of creatine supplementation at the indicated daily dosage can be maintained without the need for break cycles.

If you opt for the loading phase, rest periods are necessary: they allow the creatine reserves in the muscles to remain high.

Our recommendation is to go straight into a constant maintenance phase without interrupting creatine intake, as rest periods have not been shown to improve its effectiveness and may even have adverse effects.

Long-term effects of creatine supplementation

In general, creatine is considered a safe supplement when consumed within recommended doses. Some studies have explored the long-term effects of creatine supplementation on the body, concluding that there are no serious adverse effects on the body.

Where can I get quality creatine supplements?

HSN is the sports nutrition website for athletes looking for quality creatine supplements. Our products are specially formulated for high intensity exercise with certified quality ingredients.

Creatine monohydrate powder: created by combining the amino acids arginine, methionine and glycine. Its effect concerns the increase of strength, performance and muscle mass. Easy to mix and fast absorption.

Creatine monohydrate powder by RawSeries

Buy this creatine product in our online shop.

Creatine Creapure^®: a creatine free of impurities and contaminants, which means better results and less chance of side effects.

Creatine Creapure by RawSeries

Creatine with Creapure seal for sale at HSNstore.

Alkaline creatine: the benefits of Kre-Alkalyn^® include improved absorption and use, while reducing fluid retention and stomach upset associated with other forms of creatine.

Type of alkaline creatine for sale on our website.

Bibliographic sources

Buford, T. W., Kreider, R. B., Stout, J. R., Greenwood, M., Campbell, B., Spano, M., … & Antonio, J. (2007). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 4(1), 6. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-4-6
Kreider, R. B. (2003). Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 244(1), 89-94. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022465203458
Hultman, E., Söderlund, K., Timmons, J. A., Cederblad, G., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(1), 232-237. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232
Persky, A. M., & Brazeau, G. A. (2001). Clinical pharmacology of the dietary supplement creatine monohydrate. Pharmacological Reviews, 53(2), 161-176. https://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/53/2/161.long
Cooper, R., Naclerio, F., Allgrove, J., & Jimenez, A. (2012). Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 33. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-9-33