On Creatine Monohydrate

Almost everyone who should take creatine should take monohydrate, so these questions our naturopaths ask in store are mostly about which monohydrate, and the few situations where any creatine is the wrong choice.

A good fit if

• You want the form used in the research rather than the newest one on the shelf
• You're comparing a standard powder with a micronised one and want the difference explained plainly
• Texture is what put you off before, and a finer grind would solve it
• You want a named raw material source and batch documentation on the pack
• You're happy to take a few grams daily and judge it over weeks rather than days

Check with us first if

• You take any prescription medicine, especially diuretics, regular anti-inflammatories, or anything your doctor checks your kidney function for.
• You have a blood test coming up, or diabetes, high blood pressure or another condition where your kidney function is checked regularly. Creatine raises serum creatinine, and the doctor who ordered the test needs to know before reading the result.
• You're under 18. The evidence in teenagers is limited, so this is a decision for a health professional, not the shelf.
• You compete in a weight-category sport, where the water weight creatine adds matters at weigh-in.
• You're drug-tested in sport. Batch contamination is the real risk with any sports supplement, so follow Sport Integrity Australia's current guidance.
• Creatine has upset your stomach before. That's usually from a large single dose with too little water, and splitting the serve settles it.
• You're buying a flavoured blend or capsules and aren't sure how many grams of creatine a serve gives you. Bring the label in.

• Standard creatine monohydrate powder. Best known for: The plain version, and the standard every other form is judged against. Absorption: The benchmark every other form has been measured against. Nothing has been shown to do better at building up creatine in muscle. Typical use: One level scoop in water or juice. Stir, drink, and rinse the glass, because anything left in the bottom is powder you didn't take.
• Micronised creatine monohydrate. Best known for: Texture. The same crystal ground finer so it mixes in instead of sitting on top of the water. Absorption: It dissolves faster because there's more surface area. No measured advantage in absorption or muscle uptake exists. Typical use: The sensible choice if you've given up on creatine before because it was gritty.
• Creapure (branded monohydrate raw material). Best known for: A single German-made raw material with a published purity guarantee, used by many finished brands. Absorption: Chemically identical to any other monohydrate. The maker's claim is manufacturing control and a stated minimum purity of 99.9 per cent, not better absorption. Typical use: Chosen where knowing the raw material's origin matters, often by tested athletes and people who want a named source.
• Unbranded bulk monohydrate. Best known for: Usually sold with no raw-material origin stated on the pack. Absorption: The same molecule if the material meets specification. The unknown is purity, which you can't see and the label may not mention. Typical use: Look for a stated origin, a certificate of analysis or batch testing. Missing information isn't evidence of a problem, but it is missing information.
• Capsules, tablets and flavoured blends. Best known for: Convenience. No scoop, no shaker, and something that actually has a taste. Absorption: The same monohydrate inside. The limit is the maths, not the chemistry. Typical use: Check the grams per serve, not the capsules or scoops per serve. Reaching 3–5 g often takes four to six capsules, and blends can give you well under that once other ingredients take up room.

Reference values. None. Creatine isn't an essential nutrient, so the NHMRC sets no recommended intake for creatine monohydrate or any other form of creatine.

Typical supplemental range. There are two published approaches. The loading approach from the International Society of Sports Nutrition is 5 g of creatine monohydrate, or about 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight, taken four times a day for five to seven days, then 3–5 g daily. The slower approach skips the loading week entirely. In the original loading study, 20 g a day for six days and 3 g a day for 28 days both raised total muscle creatine by roughly 20 per cent. The difference was how long it took, not where it ended up.

Upper level. There's no NHMRC upper limit, and Australia's permitted ingredients list (Schedule 1) sets no maximum daily dose for item 1607 CREATINE MONOHYDRATE.

Worth knowing. Two simple tips come from the chemistry rather than the dose. Use enough water, because powder left in the glass is powder you didn't take. And split a loading dose across the day, because large single serves are the usual cause of an upset stomach. Stopping is easy: in the same study, raised muscle creatine drifted back to normal over about 30 days. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• No food contains creatine monohydrate: monohydrate is a manufactured crystal. Dietary creatine arrives as free creatine and phosphocreatine in animal muscle tissue instead.
• Red meat and fish: the dietary sources. Cooking degrades some creatine to creatinine, so a well-done steak supplies less than a rare one.
• Eggs and dairy: trace amounts only: creatine sits in muscle tissue, and these are not muscle foods
• All plant foods: essentially nil, which is why vegetarians and vegans start from a lower muscle creatine baseline

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• You have diagnosed kidney disease or reduced kidney function. Don't take it; the safety reviews didn't look at people with existing kidney disease.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. Don't take it; safety hasn't been established.
• You take any prescription medicine, especially diuretics or regular anti-inflammatories. Check with your doctor or pharmacist first.
• You have blood tests coming up, or diabetes, high blood pressure or any condition where your kidney function is monitored. Creatine raises blood creatinine, which can be mistaken for poor kidney function.
• You're under 18. Only take it with professional supervision; the evidence in teenagers is limited.
• You compete in a weight category. Water weight gain is the most consistently reported effect of taking it.
• You're a tested athlete. Batch contamination is a real anti-doping risk; follow Sport Integrity Australia guidance.
• Stomach upset. Nausea, cramping and diarrhoea, usually from large single doses in too little water.
• You have unexplained or ongoing tiredness. Get it checked rather than treating it yourself with a performance ingredient.
• You're using capsules, tablets or flavoured blends. Check the grams of creatine per serve, which is often well below a powder serve.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before starting.