Creatine is one of the most popular — and often misunderstood — supplements in the fitness world. You’ve probably heard someone at the gym talk about it, seen it on store shelves, or read claims online that range from “muscle miracle” to “unnecessary gimmick.” So what’s the real deal?

Let’s cut through the hype and misinformation. We’ll break down what creatine actually is, how it works in your body, who can benefit from it, and when it might not be the right fit.

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound your body naturally makes from amino acids, specifically glycine, arginine, and methionine. It’s stored mostly in your muscles, where it plays a key role in energy production during high-intensity activities like lifting, sprinting, and jumping.

You also get small amounts of creatine from foods like red meat and fish. But to see performance benefits, most people would need to supplement with a concentrated form — typically creatine monohydrate, which is the most researched and widely recommended type.

Creatine vs. Pre-Workout

Creatine and pre-workout supplements serve very different purposes and aren’t interchangeable.

Creatine is a performance-enhancing compound that works over time. It helps your muscles regenerate energy for high-intensity efforts, leading to increased strength, power, and muscle growth when used consistently. It doesn’t give you a “kick” or noticeable boost immediately after taking it.

Pre-workout supplements, on the other hand, are designed to give you an instant energy and focus boost before training. Most contain ingredients like caffeine, beta-alanine, and nitric oxide boosters to increase blood flow, delay fatigue, and enhance mental sharpness during your workout.

In short, creatine supports long-term gains in strength and performance while pre-workout gives you short-term energy and focus to power through your session.

How Creatine Works in the Body

Your body uses ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as its primary energy currency. During short, explosive movements, ATP is used up within seconds. That’s where phosphocreatine comes in. Stored in your muscles, it helps regenerate ATP quickly, allowing you to push harder, lift heavier, or move faster before fatigue sets in.

Think of creatine as a cellular energy booster that helps you squeeze more performance out of every rep, set, or sprint.

4 Benefits of Creatine Supplementation

Research has shown that creatine has certain benefits, especially for building strength and particularly for power athletes:

1. Increased Strength and Power Output: Supplementing with creatine has been shown to improve performance in short-duration, high-intensity efforts like weightlifting, HIIT, and sprinting.
2. More Muscle Growth Over Time: By allowing you to train harder and recover faster, creatine indirectly supports muscle hypertrophy. It also increases water content in muscle cells, which may trigger muscle-building pathways.
3. Improved Recovery: Some studies show creatine helps reduce muscle damage and inflammation post-workout, which may enhance recovery and training frequency.
4. Proven Track Record of Safety: Creatine is one of the most well-studied supplements on the market, with hundreds of studies backing its effectiveness and safety when used as directed.

Who Should Consider Using Creatine?

While creatine has broad appeal, it’s particularly beneficial for certain types of people:

• Strength and Power Athletes: If you’re a weightlifter, sprinter, football player, or CrossFit athlete, creatine can give you an edge in performance, endurance, and recovery.
• Recreational Lifters: Even if you’re just training for aesthetics or general fitness, creatine can help you push through plateaus and build muscle more efficiently.
• Vegetarians and Vegans: Since plant-based diets have little to no dietary creatine, supplementing can help restore muscle stores to optimal levels and improve training performance.
• Older Adults: Creatine may help combat age-related muscle loss, especially when combined with resistance training.

How to Take Creatine Effectively

There’s a lot of confusion about how to use creatine, but it’s simpler than you think. The recommended dose of creatine monohydrate is 3-5 grams per day. Some protocols suggest a “loading phase” of 20 grams per day for 5-7 days to initially “saturate” your muscles faster. This isn’t necessary, but it can sometimes accelerate results.

You don’t need to time your dosage of creatine perfectly, but some research suggests that taking it post workout with some carbs may help enhance uptake. The most important factor is consistency; take it daily, even on rest days.

When taking creatine, it’s important to stay well hydrated throughout the day because creatine pulls water into the muscles. 

When Creatine Might Not Be Right for You

Creatine is effective and safe for most people, but there are cases where it may not be necessary, ideal, or where you should proceed with extra caution.

1. You Have Pre-Existing Kidney Issues

Creatine has been shown to be safe for healthy kidneys, even over long-term use. However, if you have a history of kidney disease, impaired kidney function, or other renal conditions, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider before starting creatine. 

Since creatine is broken down into creatinine — a compound measured during kidney function tests — supplementing could skew lab results or potentially place stress on already compromised kidneys.

2. You Experience Digestive Discomfort

Some individuals report gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, gas, cramping, or nausea when taking creatine, especially in higher doses or during a loading phase. If you have a sensitive stomach or GI tract, consider:

• Starting with a lower dose (2-3g/day).
• Using micronized creatine, which dissolves more easily in water and may be gentler on digestion.
• Splitting the dose throughout the day.

If symptoms persist, creatine may not be a good fit for your supplement routine.

3. Your Goals Are Endurance-Based

Creatine primarily supports short bursts of high-intensity activity, not long-duration, steady-state efforts. If you’re training for marathons, triathlons, or other endurance sports, creatine may not enhance performance significantly. 

In fact, the slight increase in water retention (and therefore body weight) that can come with creatine use might be counterproductive for endurance athletes where power-to-weight ratio matters.

4. You’re Not Training Consistently

Creatine amplifies the results of consistent, progressive training, especially resistance or explosive workouts. If you’re in a phase of inconsistent workouts, low training intensity, or just getting started without a structured plan, creatine won’t offer much benefit. You’ll get more out of building a strong foundation of regular training and recovery first.

5. You’re Managing Water Retention or Body Weight

Creatine causes muscles to retain more water, which can lead to a small increase in scale weight (typically 1–3 lbs). While this isn’t fat gain, and the water is stored inside the muscle, it can be a concern for individuals closely monitoring their weight for aesthetic or sport-specific reasons (e.g., fighters, dancers, or bodybuilders during a cutting phase). 

If temporary weight fluctuations are problematic for your goals or mindset, creatine may not be ideal during certain training phases.

6. You’re Taking Multiple Supplements or Medications

Creatine is generally safe to stack with other supplements (like protein powder, electrolytes, or pre-workout), but if you’re on prescription medications or taking multiple performance supplements, it’s smart to review everything with a doctor or pharmacist to rule out any interactions or unintended side effects.

Common Myths and Misconceptions

Let’s clear up a few common creatine myths:

“Creatine is a steroid.”

False. Creatine is not a steroid. It’s a legal, naturally occurring compound found in food and made in your body.

“It causes hair loss.”

There’s one small study linking creatine to increased DHT levels (a hormone related to hair loss), but no direct evidence shows that creatine causes hair loss in healthy individuals.

“It just makes you look bloated.”

Creatine does cause water retention inside the muscle cells, which actually contributes to a fuller, more muscular look, not soft, puffy bloat.

The Bottom Line on Creatine

If you’re looking to improve strength, build muscle, and train harder, creatine is an effective — and often affordable — supplement you can add to your routine. It’s especially helpful for athletes, lifters, and anyone eating a plant-based diet.

However, it’s not for everyone. If your training is mostly endurance-based, or if you have health conditions, it may not be the right fit. As with any supplement, it’s a tool, not a shortcut. The foundation still needs to be good training, solid nutrition, and consistency.

If you want help building a training and supplement plan that aligns with your goals, work with a fitness and nutrition coach for personalized guidance. Creatine can be a game-changer, but only if you’re ready to put in the work.

Written by Emily Greffenius. Reviewed by Meghan Farrell, CPT, BSN