Evidence-first · Single-ingredient guide

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Creatine Guide

Start with creatine monohydrate, understand the 3–5 g/day maintenance range, then use the research library for population-specific questions such as women, older adults, cognition, kidney safety, and loading.

Foundational guide

What is creatine?

An introduction to creatine — what it is, where it comes from, and how Creatine Science reviews the research.

Fast path

A single-path guide to creatine benefits, dosing, forms, safety, and product selection.

Creatine is a nitrogen-containing organic compound that the human body produces naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, and that also occurs in foods such as meat and fish. In supplement form it is most often sold as creatine monohydrate. Creatine Science is an independent project that reads the published scientific literature on creatine and summarizes what individual studies report, with links to their primary sources. We do not sell products directly. The information here is educational and is not medical advice; consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing your diet or supplement routine.

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How to use this guide

Move from background to evidence to product criteria

This page is the main entry point for the creatine site. It connects the broad guide, focused topic pages, research summaries, and product comparison so readers can move through the site in a clear order.

Product-selection path

Best Creatine Supplements, Compared

An evidence-informed comparison of leading creatine monohydrate supplements, evaluated on form, labeled dose, transparency, and independent testing.

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Research library

Featured creatine research

Creatine and Cognition

Research overview of creatine and cognition. Meta-analyses of randomized trials report small improvements in memory, strongest in older adults, but evidence for broader cognitive function remains limited and mixed.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →

Creatine and Hair Loss

The claim that creatine causes hair loss traces to one small trial reporting a rise in DHT, but it never measured hair; the only RCT to assess hair follicle health directly found no effect. The evidence is limited and not conclusive.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →

Creatine and Kidney Function

Evidence review of creatine and kidney function: pooled human studies in healthy adults show no demonstrated harm to renal markers such as serum creatinine and urea, with important limits for people who have pre-existing kidney disease.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →

Creatine and Muscle Growth

Meta-analyses of randomized trials report that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training produces a modest additional increase in lean body mass (around 1 kg on average) versus training alone, at doses near 7 g/day or 0.3 g/kg/day; creatine without exercise showed no significant lean-mass effect.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →

Creatine and Water Retention

Evidence-based overview of creatine and water retention, drawing on an expert review of the creatine literature and a meta-analysis of randomized trials reporting modest gains in lean body mass with creatine plus resistance training.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →

Creatine for Older Adults

Evidence review of creatine for older adults: meta-analyses report that creatine plus resistance training increases lean tissue mass and strength more than training alone, while noting limited trials and study-to-study variability.

Published June 22, 2026Read research →