Creatine Dosage Calculator: How Much Creatine Should You Take?
Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day. An optional loading phase uses about 0.3 g per kg of body weight daily for 5 to 7 days, split into four servings. Enter your weight below to see both numbers.
Pure and simpleOur Creatine Monohydrate is the most researched form of creatine.
Shop nowHow the creatine dosage calculator works
This creatine dosage calculator scales the amounts described in the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand to your body weight. Creatine is stored in muscle, and in smaller amounts in the brain, as phosphocreatine, which helps your cells quickly recycle ATP, their fast energy currency.
There are two common ways to start. Loading: about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day for 5 to 7 days, usually split into four servings, fills muscle stores quickly. For a 176 lb (80 kg) person that's about 24 g a day, or 6 g four times. No loading: about 3 g a day for 28 days reaches the same place more gradually.
After stores are full, a daily 3 to 5 g maintains them. The ISSN notes that some larger athletes use 5 to 10 g. The calculator also shows 0.03 g per kg as a weight-scaled reference point.
Creatine monohydrate is the most researched form. Timing matters far less than consistency: take it at the same time each day, with a meal if that helps you remember. A systematic review also linked creatine to better short-term memory and reasoning in healthy people, which is why it shows up in focus stacks as well as gym bags.
How it works
Creatine is stored in muscle (and brain) as phosphocreatine, which helps recycle ATP, your cells' quick energy currency. Supplementing raises those stores.
The math: loading = 0.3 g x body weight in kg per day for 5 to 7 days, split into about 4 servings. Daily maintenance is 3 to 5 g. Skipping loading also works: about 3 g a day for 28 days fills stores more gradually.
What the research says
- The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand describes about 0.3 g/kg/day for 5 to 7 days to load, then 3 to 5 g a day to maintain. Read the study
- A systematic review linked creatine to better short-term memory and reasoning in healthy people (Avgerinos et al., 2018). Read the study
Glossary
- ATP
- Adenosine triphosphate, the molecule cells spend for quick energy.
- Phosphocreatine
- Stored creatine that rapidly rebuilds ATP.
- Loading phase
- A short period of higher intake that fills stores faster.
- Monohydrate
- The most studied form of creatine.
Frequently asked questions
How much creatine should I take per day?
Most people take 3 to 5 g of creatine a day for maintenance. The ISSN notes some larger athletes may use 5 to 10 g.
Do I need to load creatine?
No. Loading (about 0.3 g/kg/day for 5 to 7 days) fills stores faster, but about 3 g a day for 28 days reaches a similar level more gradually.
When is the best time to take creatine?
Consistency matters more than timing. Many people take it with a meal or around training. See our best time to take creatine guide.
How long does creatine take to work?
With loading, muscle stores fill in about 5 to 7 days. Without loading, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks at 3 g a day.
Which form of creatine is best?
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied form and the one used in most of the research behind these doses.
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- Creatine Monohydrate: The most researched creatine form, linked in studies to strength and brain energy.
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- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/
For information only, not medical advice.