{"id":12,"date":"2025-04-01T07:48:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T07:48:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-04-27T11:08:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:08:07","slug":"creatine-part-iii-dosage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/?p=12","title":{"rendered":"Creatine Part III (dosage)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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<\/a><\/figure><\/td><\/tr>
Photo by Aleksander Saks<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creatine Supplementation Dosage<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A typical diet containing meat products provides about 1\u20132 g of creatine per day.
According to research, this results in muscle creatine stores being
approximately 60\u201380% full. Therefore, creatine supplementation may increase
muscle creatine and phosphocreatine (PCr) levels by 20\u201340%. <\/span>(Casey et al. 1996, Hultman et al.
1985, Green et al. 1996, Harris et al. 1992, Kreider et al. 2003, Greenhaff et
al. 1993)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loading Phase or Not?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, creatine can be consumed either with or without a loading phase. A
creatine loading phase typically involves consuming 20\u201325 g per day for 5\u20137
days (Casey et al. 1996, Greenhaff et al. 1994, Harris et al. 1992, Hultman et
al. 1985). It is recommended to divide the daily dose into smaller portions
taken 4\u20135 times a day, as doses exceeding 10 g may cause gastrointestinal
discomfort, such as diarrhea (Ostojic et al. 2008). The loading phase can also
be performed relative to body weight, such as 0.3 g\/kg\/day for 5\u20137 days.
Research suggests that a loading phase significantly increases creatine
stores\u2014or at least does so more quickly than supplementation without a loading
phase. <\/span>(Casey et al. 1996, Greenhaff et al. 1994, Harris et al. 1992, Hultman et al. 1985)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, a person can take 3 g of creatine monohydrate daily for 28 days (Hultman et al.
1985), though this method leads to a slower saturation of muscle creatine
stores compared to the loading phase. As a result, training and performance
improvements may also be delayed initially. However, smaller daily doses of 3\u20135
g per day are well established in scientific literature for increasing muscle
creatine stores (Kreider et al. 2018). Although effective, this method delays
the time required to reach maximal muscle creatine storage. In the study by
Hultman et al. (1985), muscle creatine content increased by approximately 20%
with both smaller and larger doses over different periods. In that study,
participants consumed either 3 g\/day for 28 days or 20 g\/day for six days. The
current recommendation is to take around 3\u20135 g of creatine daily for at least
four weeks to achieve similar muscle creatine saturation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an athlete aims to maximize creatine\u2019s performance-enhancing effects in a short
time (under 30 days), a loading phase is recommended. However, if long-term
supplementation is planned, beginning with a maintenance dose is sufficient.
This approach may also help avoid the potential weight gain associated with
creatine loading.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintenance Phase<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following the loading phase, a maintenance dose of 3\u20135 g per day is typically used.
(Hultman et al. 1985, Casey et al. 1996, Greenhaff et al. 1994) However, some
studies suggest that larger athletes may require as much as 5\u201310 g per day to
maintain creatine stores. <\/span>(Casey et al. 1996, Hultman et al. 1985, Green et al. 1996, Harris et
al. 1992, Kreider et al. 2003, Greenhaff et al. 1993)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no research evidence indicating that muscle creatine levels drop below baseline
after stopping supplementation (Kreider et al. 2003, Kim et al. 2011). Studies
suggest that creatine levels return to baseline within approximately 4\u20136 weeks
(Hultman et al. 1985, Greenhaff et al. 1993, Vandenberghe et al. 1985). Both
short- and long-term creatine supplementation (up to 30 g\/day for five years)
appears to be safe and well-tolerated. Moreover, significant health benefits
may be achieved by ensuring a habitual low dietary creatine intake (e.g., 3
g\/day) throughout life. (Kreider 2017)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I wouldn\u2019t recommend continuous creatine supplementation to everyone. A 20%
increase in creatine levels in the body does not directly translate to a 20%
improvement in performance, as the energy utilization mechanisms of creatine
are more complex. However, even a small improvement, such as one extra
repetition or an additional kilogram or even 100 g lifted, can be meaningful in
competitive settings, making all legal performance-enhancing strategies
worthwhile. On the other hand, some may find pure joy and satisfaction in
simply adding one extra repetition to their training sets. <\/span>\ud83d\ude0a<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Timing Matter? What About Carbohydrate Intake?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The timing of creatine intake relative to exercise might be significant (Antonio et al.
2013, Candow et al. 2008 & 2015) From a circulatory perspective, blood flow
increases within one second of muscle contraction initiation. Exercise itself
can increase skeletal muscle blood flow up to 100 times compared to resting levels.
In theory, this could enhance creatine transport and storage in muscles. Thus,
an optimal timing window might be 30 minutes before or after exercise. However,
current research provides little evidence that creatine timing has a
significant impact on performance. Some weak evidence suggests that
post-exercise creatine supplementation may be slightly more beneficial, but the
effect is marginal. The research on this topic is highly variable, with
numerous confounding factors, and more definitive studies on the effects of
creatine timing on absorption and performance outcomes are needed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When taken with carbohydrates or a combination of carbohydrates and protein, creatine has
been shown to be more effectively stored in muscles. <\/span>(Green et al. 1996, Kreider et al. 2003,
Steenge et al. 1985, Greenwood et al. 2000)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would recommend the amount which is relative to body weight. Then the loading
phase would be 0.3 g\/kg\/day for 5\u20137 days if the results will be needed sooner.
If there is not that kind of need, the smaller dosage might be suitable. For an
athlete of 70 kg, the daily need for the loading would be 21 g, in five smaller
dosages. Maintenance is then 0,05-0,1 g\/kg\/day (3,5 g- 7 g) depending on persons
activity level and sport activities. It is also good to remember that good,
nutrition full food is basis of all. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>

Mia<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Olen Terveystieteiden ja liikuntatieteiden maisteri, fysioterapeutti ja urheiluhieroja. Ty\u00f6skentelen v\u00e4it\u00f6skirjatutkijana sek\u00e4 tutkimusavustajana, ja toteutan lis\u00e4ksi valmennuksia ja luentoja. Minulla on my\u00f6s pitk\u00e4 kokemus liikunta-ja kuntoutusalan opetusty\u00f6st\u00e4.\r\nTutkimukseni keskittyy aivojen ja liikunnan vuorovaikutukseen sek\u00e4 menetelmiin, joilla voidaan kehitt\u00e4\u00e4 toimintakyky\u00e4. Olen erityisen kiinnostunut lihastoiminnasta, voimantuotosta ja motorisesta suorituskyvyst\u00e4 biomekaniikan ja neurofysiologian n\u00e4k\u00f6kulmasta.\r\nHy\u00f6dynn\u00e4n ty\u00f6ss\u00e4ni muun muassa EMG:t\u00e4, TMS:\u00e4\u00e4 sek\u00e4 toiminnallisia suorituskykytestej\u00e4 neuromuskulaarisen toiminnan tutkimiseen.\r\n\r\n\r\nI am MSc (Health Sciences & Sport Sciences), \r\nPhysiotherapist, sports massage therapist, and doctoral researcher. I currently work as a research assistant while also providing coaching and delivering lectures. I have extensive experience in teaching within the field of exercise and health sciences.\r\nMy research focuses on the interaction between the brain and physical exercise, as well as methods to enhance functional capacity. I am particularly interested in muscle function, strength production, and motor performance from a neurophysiological and biomechanical perspective.\r\nI utilize methods such as electromyography (EMG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and functional performance testing to study neuromuscular function.<\/div>\n\n\n

Photo: <\/b><\/span>Kuva: https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-bottle-of-creatine-next-to-a-spoon-on-a-table-e333ulMOZ_o?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference: <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes
\nSC, Gualano B , Jagim AR, Kreider RB, Rawson ES, Smith-Ryan AE, VanDusseldorp
\nTA, Willoughby DS & Ziegenfuss TN (2021): Common questions and misconceptions
\nabout creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antonio J
\n& Ciccone V. (2013): The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation
\nof creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bangsbo J
\n& Hellsten Y (1998): Muscle blood flow and oxygen uptake in recovery from
\nexercise<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candow DG,
\nVogt E, Johannsmeyer S, Forbes SC & Farthing JP (2015): Strategic creatine
\nsupplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candow DG
\n& Chilibeck PD (2008): Timing of creatine or protein supplementation and
\nresistance training in the elderly<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candow DG,
\nZello GA, Ling B, Farthing JP, Chilibeck PD, McLeod K, Harris J & Johnson S
\n(2914): Comparison of creatine supplementation before versus after supervised
\nresistance training in healthy older adults<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Casey A,
\nConstantin-Teodosiu D, Howell S, Hultman E & Greenhaff PL (1996): Creatine
\ningestion favorably affects performance and muscle metabolism during maximal
\nexercise in humans<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cordingley DM , Cornish SM
\n& Candow DG (2022): Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Catabolic Effects of
\nCreatine Supplementation: A Brief Review<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green AL, Hultman
\nE, Macdonald IA, Sewell DA & Greenhaff PL (1996): Carbohydrate ingestion
\naugments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation
\nin humans<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenhaff
\nPL, Bodin K, Soderlund K & Hultman E (1994): Effect of oral creatine supplementation
\non skeletal muscle phosphocreatine resynthesis<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenhaff
\nPL, Casey A, Short AH, Harris R, Soderlund K & Hultman E (1993) Influence
\nof oral creatine supplementation of muscle torque during repeated bouts of
\nmaximal voluntary exercise in man<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris RC,
\nSoderlund K & Hultman E (1992):Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised
\nmuscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hultman E,
\nSoderlund K, Timmons JA, Cederblad G & Greenhaff PL (1985): Muscle creatine
\nloading in men<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyner MJ
\n& Casey DP (2015): Regulation of increased blood flow (hyperemia) to
\nmuscles during exercise: A hierarchy of competing physiological needs<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyner MJ
\n& Wilkins BW (2007): Exercise hyperaemia: Is anything obligatory but the
\nhyperaemia?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J\u00e4ger R,
\nHarris RC, Purpura M & Francaux, M (2007): Comparison of new forms of
\ncreatine in raising plasma creatine levels<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim HJ, Kim
\nCK, Carpentier A & Poortmans JR (2011): Studies on the safety of creatine
\nsupplementation<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Korthuis RJ
\n(2011): Exercise Hyperemia and Regulation of  <\/span>Tissue Oxygenation During Muscular Activity.
\nIn Skeletal Muscle Circulation<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kreider RB
\n(2003): Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training
\nadaptations<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nKreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow
\nDG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL & Lopez HL (2017): International Society of
\nSports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine
\nsupplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kreider RB,
\nMelton C, Rasmussen CJ, Greenwood M, Lancaster S, Cantler EC, Milnor P & Almada
\nAL (2003): Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect
\nclinical markers of health in athletes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marshall RB, Droste J-N,
\nGiessing J & Kreider RB (2021): Role of Creatine Supplementation in
\nConditions Involving Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Narrative Review<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ostojic SM
\n& Ahmetovic Z (2008): Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation
\nin athletes: are side effects dose dependent?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rawson ES,
\nClarkson PM, Price TB & Miles MP (2002): Differential response of muscle
\nphosphocreatine to creatine supplementation in young and old subjects<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ribeiro F, I Longobardi I, Perim
\nP, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H & Saunders B (2021): Timing
\nof Creatine Supplementation around Exercise: A Real Concern?<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roberts PA,
\nFox J, Peirce N, Jones SW, Casey A & Greenhaff PL (2016): Creatine
\ningestion augments dietary carbohydrate mediated muscle glycogen
\nsupercompensation during the initial 24 h of recovery following prolonged
\nexhaustive exercise in humans<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedel JM,
\nTanaka H, Kiyonaga A, Shindo M & Schutz Y (1999): Acute creatine ingestion
\nin human: Consequences on serum creatine and creatinine concentrations<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steenge GR,
\nSimpson EJ & Greenhaff PL(1985): Protein- and
\ncarbohydrate-inducedaugmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vandenberghe
\nK, M Goris, P Van Hecke, M Van Leemputte, L Vangerven, P Hespel (1985): Long-term
\ncreatine intake is beneficial to muscleperformance during resistance training<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wallimann T, Hall CHT, Colgan SP
\n& Glover LE (2021): Creatine Supplementation for Patients with Inflammatory
\nBowel Diseases: A Scientific Rationale for a Clinical Trial<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Photo by Aleksander Saks on Unsplash Creatine Supplementation Dosage A typical diet containing meat products provides about 1\u20132 g […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[221],"tags":[93,94,95,96,97],"class_list":["post-12","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-creatine","tag-creatine-dosage","tag-creatine-phoshate","tag-creatine-supplement","tag-creatinemonohydrate"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions\/251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitmia.fi\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}