Creatine monohydrate is, quietly, the most researched and best-evidenced supplement in sports nutrition. Hundreds of human trials over three decades back it up — and recently research has expanded beyond the gym into something more interesting: the brain.
What creatine is and how it works
Creatine is a compound your body makes naturally and stores mostly in muscle, where it helps regenerate ATP — your cells' rapid energy currency. Supplementing increases the phosphocreatine stored in muscle, letting you produce more energy during short, intense efforts. That means a bit more work per session, and it's that accumulated training stimulus that drives the long-term gains.1
The evidence: strength and muscle
This is where creatine's reputation is earned. A meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 721 older adults found creatine combined with resistance training produced significantly greater gains in lean tissue mass — a mean difference of about 1.37 kg — versus resistance training alone.2 Creatine doesn't build muscle on its own, but it reliably amplifies what training delivers.
The newer frontier: cognition
Because the brain is also energy-hungry and uses phosphocreatine, researchers have asked whether creatine supports cognition too. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomised controlled trials (492 participants) found significant positive effects on memory, attention and processing speed.3 Honest caveats: certainty was moderate for memory but low for the others, and effects may be clearest when the brain is under stress (sleep deprivation, older age). Promising, not settled.
How to take it: do you need to load?
Two equally valid options, per the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand:4
- Loading: ~0.3 g/kg/day (roughly 20–25 g, split into 4–5 doses) for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g/day to maintain. Saturates muscle stores fastest.
- No loading: simply take 3–5 g/day from day one. You reach the same saturation in about 3–4 weeks — the benefit just arrives more gradually.
Most people skip loading: it's simpler, gentler on the stomach, and reaches the same destination. Consistency matters more than timing — take it daily, with or without food.
Safety: putting the myths to rest
- Kidneys: current research indicates creatine does not harm kidney function in healthy adults at recommended doses. It causes a small, transient rise in serum creatinine — normal metabolism, not kidney damage, with no meaningful change in filtration rate. The renal-toxicity concern traces back to isolated case reports, some with pre-existing kidney conditions.5
- "It's a steroid": it isn't. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in food (notably red meat and fish).
- Caution: those with pre-existing kidney conditions, and people who are pregnant, should consult a doctor first, as evidence in those groups is limited.
Creatine for women
Creatine is often assumed to be a "men's" supplement — it isn't. Early research suggests it may support muscle and bone health in women, with particular interest in the post-menopausal years as oestrogen declines, though more research is underway.5 Concerns about "bulking up" or water-weight gain are largely overstated.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The bottom line
If you train, creatine monohydrate is one of the few supplements with overwhelming evidence for strength and lean mass, and a growing body of work pointing to cognitive benefits. It's cheap, safe for healthy adults, and simplest taken as 3–5 g daily — no loading required. That mix of strong evidence and low cost is why it sits at the core of Proco Creatine Monohydrate and the Performance Stack.
References
- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. JISSN. tandfonline.com
- Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. OAJSM. tandfonline.com
- Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis (2024). PMC. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- A short review of the most common safety concerns regarding creatine ingestion. PMC. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Proco Creatine Monohydrate is dosed to the researched 3–5g range and third-party tested every batch. Shop Creatine →