{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"creatine","kind":"supplement","name":"creatine","aliases":["creatine monohydrate","micronized creatine"],"brands_sg":["Thorne","Optimum Nutrition","MyProtein"],"class":"amino-acid derivative","tags":["fitness","cognitive"],"use_for":"strength, power and lean mass with training","use_after":"any time of day · daily use matters more than timing","use_duration":null,"take_with":"water · carbs or protein may raise uptake, not results","pros":["one of the most studied supplements","studies use 3–5 g a day — no loading phase","cheap per serving"],"cons":["~1–2 kg gain early on, mostly water","big single doses (10 g+) can upset the stomach","kidney condition? ask your doctor first"],"dose_note":"studies use 3–5 g a day; a loading phase is optional, not required; stores fill over ~4 weeks at that dose","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"g","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["kidney disease — safety data is in healthy adults; ask your doctor first","under 18 — most studies are in adults"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"nih_ods_exercise","url":"https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/","label":"NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (Health Professional)","quote":"one of the most thoroughly studied and widely used dietary supplements … May increase strength, power, and work from maximal effort muscle contractions … of little value for endurance sports","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"kreider2017","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC5469049","label":"ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation (Kreider et al., JISSN 2017)","quote":"increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training … carbohydrate or carbohydrate and protein appears to increase muscular uptake of creatine, although the effect on performance measures may not be greater","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"antonio2021","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC7871530","label":"Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation (Antonio et al., JISSN 2021)","quote":"Smaller, daily dosages of creatine supplementation (3–5 g) are effective. Therefore, a creatine 'loading' phase is not required … dosages of greater than 10 grams may potentially lead to gastrointestinal distress … does not result in kidney damage in healthy individuals","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"ribeiro2021","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8401986/","label":"Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern? (Ribeiro et al., Nutrients 2021)","quote":"adapting creatine timing … is not currently supported by solid evidence … daily dose and duration play important roles","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":[{"brand":"Thorne","example":"Thorne® Creatine","programme":"NSF Certified for Sport","matching_products":7,"brand_total_certified":66},{"brand":"Optimum Nutrition","example":null,"programme":"NSF Certified for Sport","matching_products":0,"brand_total_certified":2}],"updated_at":"2026-08-30T17:59:39.960259+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}