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Creatine

Supplement amino-acid derivative fitnessbrain & mood
Aka: creatine monohydrate, micronized creatine
Brands seen in Singapore: Thorne, Optimum Nutrition, MyProtein
Third-party tested: Thorne lists a certified creatine product with NSF Certified for Sport. Optimum Nutrition certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for creatine.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Strength, power and lean mass with training
When to take
Any time of day · daily use matters more than timing
Take with
Water · carbs or protein may raise uptake, not results
Pros & cons
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
Sources
  1. NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (Health Professional) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
  2. ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation (Kreider et al., JISSN 2017) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
  3. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation (Antonio et al., JISSN 2021) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
  4. Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern? (Ribeiro et al., Nutrients 2021) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “adapting creatine timing … is not currently supported by solid evidence … daily dose and duration play important roles”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.