Quick answer

Most people in trials took 3 to 5 g of creatine a day. A loading week of about 20 g a day, split into four doses, fills muscle sooner but is optional: a steady daily amount reaches the same level in about four weeks.^1,2

Key facts

By body weight, studies used 0.3 g per kg a day for loading, and 0.03 to 0.1 g per kg a day without loading.¹
In a study of 31 men, 20 g a day for 6 days and 3 g a day for 28 days raised muscle creatine by a similar amount.²
Larger athletes may need 5 to 10 g a day to keep stores full.³
Stores fall back to their starting level about 4 to 6 weeks after stopping.³

The amounts used in studies

About 20 g a day, split into four 5 g portions, for 5 to 7 days. Some studies set the loading amount by body weight, at 0.3 g per kg a day.^1,3

3 to 5 g a day keeps muscle stores full for most people after a loading phase. The ISSN notes that larger athletes may need 5 to 10 g.^1,3

About 3 to 6 g a day, or 0.03 to 0.1 g per kg of body weight, for 3 to 4 weeks reaches the same muscle stores without a loading phase.^1,2

Two ways to reach full muscle stores^1,2
Approach	Daily amount	Time to full stores
Loading, then a daily amount	About 20 g for 5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g	About a week
A daily amount from the start	About 3 to 6 g	About 3 to 4 weeks

By body weight

For a person weighing 80 kg, 0.3 g per kg comes to 24 g a day for a loading week, and 0.03 to 0.1 g per kg comes to 2.4 to 8 g a day without loading. The calculator works this out for any weight.¹

Weight is a rough guide, not a rule. Most adults in trials took the same few grams a day whatever their size, and people who eat little meat or fish start with lower stores.^1,3

Is a loading week worth it?

Loading fills muscle stores in about a week. A steady 3 g a day reached a similar level in about 28 days in a study of 31 men.²

Loading is about speed, not the end result. If you want full stores before an event in a week's time, loading gets you there. If you are starting a long training block, a single daily serving reaches the same place within a month and avoids the larger early water gain.^1,2

When more is not more

In the 2025 pooled analysis of 69 trials, strength gains were seen at maintenance amounts of 8 g a day or less. Jump height and sprint cycling power differed from placebo only in studies using more than 8 g a day.⁴

Once muscle is full, extra creatine is broken down and passed in urine, so a bigger serving does not keep filling it.³

Who should ask before taking it

No tolerable upper intake level is set for creatine. NIH reports few safety concerns at 20 g a day for up to 7 days followed by 3 to 5 g a day, and says use for several years appears safe in healthy adults. The ISSN reports no harm in studies using up to 30 g a day for up to 5 years.^1,3

A small rise in blood creatinine on lab tests, without a change in estimated kidney filtration⁵

People with kidney disease or reduced kidney function
Anyone pregnant, nursing or under 18
Anyone taking medicines that affect the kidneys

Questions people ask

Is 10 g of creatine a day too much?

No upper limit is set. The ISSN reports no harm in studies using up to 30 g a day for up to 5 years, and notes that larger athletes may need 5 to 10 g a day to keep stores full. Most people do not need more than 3 to 5 g.³

How long until creatine starts working?

Muscle stores fill in about a week with loading and in about four weeks without it. The training effects measured in trials build over the weeks after that.²

Do I need to keep taking it every day?

Stores are kept full by a daily maintenance amount. If you stop, they drift back to their starting level over about 4 to 6 weeks.³

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Sources

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.