Creatine monohydrate
supplementPerformance / muscle
Research status · Dietary supplement
Dietary supplement; one of the most-studied and well-tolerated supplements available.
Creatine monohydrate is among the most-studied supplements, commonly used to support strength, training output, and muscle over time. Inexpensive and well tolerated by most people; consistency matters more than timing.
How it works
Increases phosphocreatine stores in muscle, improving rapid ATP regeneration during short, intense efforts.
Commonly discussed use cases
- Strength/power
- Muscle
- Training output
- Cognitive (emerging research)
Supposed / potential benefits
- Improved strength and training volume
- Support for lean mass with training
Common side effects
- Mild water-weight gain early on
- GI upset in some (split the dose)
Warnings & contraindications
- Discuss with a clinician if you have kidney disease
- Stay hydrated
Typical timing considerations
Daily; timing is flexible. Splitting (e.g., AM/PM) is fine and improves consistency for some.
Administration route
Oral
Questions to ask your clinician
- Any kidney reason I shouldn't take it?
- Does it interact with my medications?
Commonly tracked in Reta
Tracking fields organize user-entered, clinician-directed routines — Reta never recommends or computes doses.
Track this in Reta
Beta members get a ready-made tracker for Creatine monohydrate — schedule, dose log, reminders, and check-ins — for organizing a clinician-directed routine. Personal tracking is available to everyone during the Public Beta.
Reta is a tracking and education tool — not a medical provider. Nothing here is a diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or dosing recommendation. Peptides and medications should only be used under the direction of a licensed clinician. Talk to a qualified clinician before starting, stopping, combining, or changing anything. Many compounds below are not FDA-approved for human use; some are investigational or sold through unregulated channels where purity and dosing are not guaranteed.