Creatine

No. Taking your daily serving consistently gradually tops up the creatine stored in your muscles over around three to four weeks. A loading phase (around 20 g a day for a week) gets there faster, but it isn't needed, and larger single doses are more likely to upset your stomach.

Whenever suits you best. Studies comparing creatine taken just before or just after training have found similar results, and expert reviews conclude that taking it consistently every day matters more than the exact timing. On rest days, take your serving at any convenient time. Many people find it easiest to have it with a meal.

No need to double up. Creatine works by gradually topping up the creatine stored in your muscles, and those stores fall slowly. Studies show they take around four to six weeks to return to normal after stopping completely, so one missed day makes very little difference. Just take your usual serving the next day and carry on. Do not exceed the recommended daily serving.

Some people notice a small rise in weight in the first week or so, mostly water held in the muscles. It's seen mainly with high-dose “loading” of around 20 g a day. Studies using lower daily amounts over several weeks have generally not found meaningful changes in body water, and research has not found that creatine increases body fat. Large single doses (10 g or more) are more likely to upset the stomach; our recommended daily serving is well below that.

Yes, most people can. One small 1996 study suggested very high caffeine intakes might blunt creatine during a high-dose loading phase. Later studies using coffee or caffeine have not consistently found this, and a recent expert review concluded the two are unlikely to work against each other at normal intakes. A few people report mild stomach discomfort taking them together. If that's you, take them at different times of day.

Yes. Creatine has been studied in both men and women, and the same daily serving applies. Take it every day, including rest days; there is no need to time it to your cycle. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP before use.

This worry comes from a single 2009 study of 20 rugby players taking high doses, which found a rise in DHT, a hormone linked to male-pattern hair loss. That study didn't measure hair. A 2025 randomised controlled trial in men taking 5 g a day for 12 weeks found no difference in DHT, hair density or hair thickness compared with a placebo. Research has not found that creatine causes hair loss, though studies are limited. If you're concerned about hair loss, speak to your GP.

Studies in healthy adults taking recommended amounts have not found that creatine harms kidney function. Creatine can raise creatinine, the marker used in routine blood tests to estimate kidney function, so results can appear lower than they really are. If you're having a kidney blood test, tell your doctor you take creatine. If you have a kidney condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under 18, speak to your GP before use.