NutriStack
Creatine increases lean body mass and strength, the receipts.
One of the most reproducible findings in sports nutrition: about 1 to 2 kg lean mass and meaningful strength gains over 4 to 12 weeks when paired with resistance training.
Strong evidence, per the methodology. Strongest 5 studies linked to PubMed.
Recommendation, contrary evidence, and dose are all on this page.
The studies
Strongest evidence, sourced.
Sorted by study tier (meta-analyses first, then RCTs, then reviews) and recency. Every entry links to PubMed by PMID.
At a glance
- Substances
- Creatine, Creatine Monohydrate
- Evidence tier
- Strong evidence
- Strongest studies surfaced
- 5 of 5 matching
- One-line verdict
- Strongest evidence base of any performance supplement.
- Last verified
- May 30, 2026
Top 5 studies
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Meta-analysis
Creatine enhances memory performance, especially in older adults
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Review
Short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) is safe and well-tolerated; creatine can improve exercise performance and may have neuroprotective benefits.
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Meta-analysis
Creatine plus resistance training increased lean body mass by 1.14 kg and reduced body fat percentage by 0.88% versus resistance training alone.
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Meta-analysis
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Meta-analysis
Contrary evidence
What pushes back.
Caveats, null findings, and methodological limits that hold the tier where it is.
What argues against the claim
- Without resistance training, gains are minimal.
- Some individuals are non-responders (low baseline muscle creatine saturation).
Recommendation
What the evidence supports.
What we recommend, with caveats
3 to 5 g creatine monohydrate daily, every day. Timing does not matter. No loading phase needed. Plain monohydrate; ignore the proprietary forms.
Tier criteria are documented at /methodology/evidence-tiers. Sourcing standards at /methodology/interactions.
Stack interaction risks
Where these substances clash.
Documented pairings involving the substances behind this claim. Cautions and conflicts come first.
Pairs in the database
- Alpha-GPC + Creatine · Synergy
- Alpha-Lipoic Acid + Creatine · Synergy
- BCAAs + Creatine · Synergy
- Beta-Alanine + Creatine · Synergy
- Cordyceps + Creatine · Synergy
- Creatine + HMB · Synergy
Open the free interaction checker at /interactions to scan a full routine.
Goal hubs
Where this claim feeds in.
Goal-based hubs that index this claim alongside related supplements and protocols.
Related goal hubs
Before you go
One claim, opened up. NutriStack does this for every claim in the database.
The full library lives at /research. Every entry follows the same shape: the verdict, the studies, the contrary evidence, the recommendation, and the primary literature.