Should You Take Creatine? Benefits, Risks and What the Research Says
Updated: Oct 13
Written by Rosy Allan, BSc (Hons), ANutr
Registered Associate Nutritionist | Level 3 Personal Trainer | Level 4 Cancer Exercise Rehabilitation Specialist
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition, yet it remains surrounded by questions.
Does it really help build muscle? Is it safe to take every day? Will it make you gain weight? And is it something only serious gym-goers should consider?
As a nutritionist and personal trainer, I believe supplements should be evaluated on the strength of the scientific evidence rather than marketing claims.
Creatine is a particularly interesting example because its benefits for certain types of exercise are well established, while some of its other proposed health benefits remain less certain.
Let's examine what the research tells us.
What is creatine, and how does it work?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound produced by the body from amino acids. It is also found in foods such as meat and fish.
Most of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, where it plays a role in energy production.
During short bursts of demanding activity, such as heavy lifting or sprinting, the muscles require energy rapidly.
Creatine helps replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule used to provide energy for muscle contraction.
Supplementing with creatine can increase the amount stored in the muscles, improving the body's ability to sustain repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise (Kreider et al., 2017).
Creatine is not an anabolic steroid, and it does not replace the need for adequate nutrition or effective training.
What are the benefits of creatine supplementation?
1. Improved strength and exercise performance
The strongest evidence supports creatine supplementation for activities involving repeated, short bursts of high-intensity effort.
For example, it may help someone complete an additional repetition during resistance training or maintain their performance across demanding sets.
Over time, this can contribute to greater training adaptations when combined with an appropriate exercise programme.
However, creatine is not equally beneficial for every activity. Its effects are less consistent for prolonged endurance exercise.
2. Supporting lean mass during resistance training
Creatine can also support increases in lean body mass when combined with resistance training.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 12 studies involving adults younger than 50.
Researchers found that creatine supplementation alongside resistance training increased lean body mass by an average of approximately 1.14kg more than resistance training alone (Desai et al., 2024).
This is a useful finding, but it requires some explanation.
Lean body mass includes muscle tissue, water and other non-fat components. Creatine increases water storage within muscle cells, so changes in measured lean mass do not necessarily represent an equivalent increase in new muscle tissue.
Nevertheless, its established effects on training performance mean creatine can be a useful addition to a structured strength-training programme.
3. Potential benefits for older adults
Maintaining strength becomes increasingly important as we age.
Resistance training remains one of the most effective strategies for supporting muscle strength and physical function.
Research suggests creatine supplementation may provide additional benefits when combined with resistance training in some older adults.
A 2025 systematic review involving 482 participants found improvements in certain measures of strength and lean tissue mass, although results differed according to the outcomes assessed (Liu et al., 2025).
These findings are encouraging, but creatine should be considered a potential supplement to exercise rather than a replacement for it.
More research is needed to establish which older adults benefit most and whether improvements in muscle measurements translate into meaningful changes in everyday physical function.
What about creatine and brain health?
Creatine also plays a role in energy metabolism within the brain.
This has led researchers to investigate whether supplementation could benefit memory, attention and other cognitive functions.
Some studies suggest potential improvements in particular aspects of cognition, but the evidence is less consistent than it is for exercise performance.
Research findings vary according to participant characteristics, study design, dosage and the cognitive tests used.
At present, it would be premature to recommend creatine routinely for improved memory, concentration or protection against cognitive decline.
These are promising research areas, but further high-quality studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Does creatine cause weight gain?
It can, particularly when someone first begins supplementation.
Creatine increases water storage within muscle cells, which may lead to a relatively rapid increase in body weight.
This is not the same as gaining body fat.
For someone monitoring body composition, it's important to understand that the scales may change even when their energy intake and body fat have not increased.
Over longer periods, creatine combined with resistance training may also contribute to increases in lean tissue mass.
This is another reason I encourage clients to assess progress using more than body weight alone.
Strength, training performance, physical measurements and overall wellbeing can provide a more complete picture.
How much creatine should you take?
Creatine monohydrate is the most extensively researched form and is generally the most practical choice.
For healthy adults who choose to supplement, a common protocol is:
3–5g of creatine monohydrate daily, including rest days.
Some people use a loading phase of approximately 20g daily, divided into four 5g doses, for five to seven days before moving to a maintenance dose.
However, a loading phase is not essential.
Taking 3–5g consistently will also increase muscle creatine stores, although it generally takes longer to achieve saturation.
Taking creatine with a meal may be convenient, but there's no compelling reason for most recreational gym-goers to worry about precise supplementation timing.
Consistency matters more than whether you take it immediately before or after exercise.
Is creatine safe?
Creatine monohydrate has been studied extensively and is generally well tolerated at recommended doses in healthy adults.
One concern commonly raised is whether creatine damages the kidneys. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that supplementation could produce a small increase in blood creatinine levels without a corresponding significant reduction in the kidney-function measures examined (Naeini et al., 2025).
This distinction matters because creatinine is commonly used as a marker when assessing kidney function. A change in creatinine levels does not automatically mean kidney damage has occurred.
However, the available evidence does not establish safety for every population or every medical circumstance.
People with kidney disease, those taking medication that may affect kidney function, and anyone undergoing medical treatment should discuss supplementation with an appropriate healthcare professional before starting.
Creatine should not be routinely recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding without specialist medical advice because safety evidence is insufficient. Some users also experience gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly when taking larger doses.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
Another persistent concern is the suggestion that creatine may contribute to hair loss.
A 2025 randomised trial investigated this question in resistance-trained men.
After 12 weeks, researchers found no significant differences between the creatine and placebo groups in the hair-related measurements or hormone levels assessed (Lak et al., 2025).
This is reassuring, although the study was relatively small, involved men only and cannot exclude every possible long-term effect. Overall, current evidence does not establish that creatine supplementation causes hair loss.
Does everyone need creatine?
No.
Creatine is one of the better-supported sports supplements, but that doesn't mean everyone needs to take it.
Someone who regularly participates in resistance training or repeated high-intensity exercise may find it beneficial.
Someone who is mostly sedentary, or whose activity is predominantly low-intensity endurance exercise, may experience less noticeable benefits.
And for anyone beginning a fitness programme, I would prioritise the foundations first:
Appropriate, progressive exercise
Adequate dietary protein
Sufficient overall energy intake
Regular sleep and recovery
Consistency over time
Supplements can support a well-designed programme, but they cannot compensate for the absence of those fundamentals.
Final thoughts
Creatine monohydrate is among the most extensively researched supplements for strength and high-intensity exercise performance.
When combined with resistance training, it can support improvements in exercise capacity and lean body mass.
However, claims about brain health, injury rehabilitation and other potential benefits require more cautious interpretation.
For healthy adults who could benefit from supplementation, a consistent daily intake of 3–5g of creatine monohydrate is a commonly studied approach.
Ultimately, creatine is a useful tool for some people, not an essential requirement for everyone.
At ROSY, we provide evidence-based online nutrition and strength coaching throughout the UK, helping clients understand which strategies genuinely support their individual goals.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not constitute personalised medical advice. Supplements may be unsuitable for certain individuals or interact with medical circumstances. Consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before taking creatine if you have a medical condition, take relevant medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have concerns about kidney health.
References
Desai, I. et al. (2024) 'The effect of creatine supplementation on resistance training-based changes to body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(10), pp. 1813–1821. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004862
Kreider, R.B. et al. (2017) 'International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine', Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, article 18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Lak, M. et al. (2025) 'Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial', Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 22(Suppl. 1), article 2495229. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229
Liu, S. et al. (2025) 'The impact of creatine supplementation associated with resistance training on muscular strength and lean tissue mass in the aged: A systematic review and meta-analysis', European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 22, article 26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-025-00392-9
Naeini, E.K. et al. (2025) 'Effect of creatine supplementation on kidney function: A systematic review and meta-analysis', BMC Nephrology, 26, article 622. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04558-6
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