Creatine 101: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters

Have you ever walked into the gym hearing people ask each other “Did you take creatine today yet?” and started wondering if this substance called “creatine” can turn you into The Rock? Should you take it too? If yes, then this blog is for you! In this blog, we will briefly explain how creatine works, how you should use it, and “bust some myths” around this supplement. 

What is creatine? 

• Creatine can either be naturally created by the kidney, liver, pancreas, and some specific regions in the brain, or taken from outer sources, such as supplementary powder or products like red meat and fish (Kreider et al., 2022). 

• 95% of creatine in the body is stored in muscles, while the remaining can be found in the heart, and brain (Kreider et al., 2022). 

• Used as a supplement for athletes since it is proven to enhance exercise performance.

Common form of Creatine supplement 

• Creatine supplements can come in varied forms differing in their chemical arrangements. 

• For maximal absorption of creatine, the monohydrate form is superior to any other form with nearly 100% absorption rate (Kreider et al., 2022). 

Therefore, next time looking for your Creatine product, make sure it says “monohydrate” on the label!

How does creatine work in your body

• In your muscles, energy is stored in these small batteries called ATP, when the batteries run out, it becomes ADP.

• Creatine is like a charger, its role is to charge ADP with energy in the form of a phosphate group to turn it back to the ATP batteries, therefore maintaining energy to power your muscle contractions. 

• Without creatine, the ATP batteries in muscles would run out in 2 seconds (Parolin et al., 1999), energy then would have to depend on other paths that are not as efficient, and your muscle would fatigue.

(Kreider & Stout, 2021) 

Generally, the natural amount of creatine in muscles can aid in muscle contractions for the first 10 seconds of the exercise set. However, with supplementary creatine, this time can be extended up to 30 seconds.

 “Only 30 seconds?” Is that what you are thinking? Well, a typical workout set usually lasts 50 seconds, meaning that supplementary creatine maintains your energy throughout more than half of your workout sets!

After each workout set, creatine storage in muscles is recharged during the resting period. Therefore, do not underestimate your rest between workout sets!

(Parolin et al., 1999)  

Using guides

For athletes who want to boost their performance faster: 

• Loading phase: 20g/day for 5 days (5g x 4 doses/day)

• Maintenance phase: 2g/day

For people who are busier or just workout casually:

• Loading phase: 3g-5g/day consistently (3g-5g x 1 dose/day)

(Hultman et al., 1996)

Myths around creatine

1. Creatine damages your kidneys or liver

Truth: there are reports of side effects associated with creatine consumption, such as stomach discomfort, muscle cramps, decreased kidney and liver function, but these can come from other life factors such as diet and lifestyle. Studies so far show no side effects of creatine harming your body if you follow the recommended doses. Side effects of creatine use have been reported however, if you have pre-existing kidney diseases.(de Souza e Silva et al., 2019)

2. Creatine is a steroid

Truth: Creatine is a naturally occurring compound created in your body from other essential building blocks called amino acids, and can be found in foods like red meat and fish. It recycles ATP for maintaining energy rather than triggering muscle growth like steroid hormones. (Kreider et al., 2022)

3. Creatine only helps body builders

Truth: Creatine not only enhances muscle growth and strength, but also other athletic activities like swimming, sprinting, etc. It has also been and studied and applied in clinical settings for brain function(Marshall et al., 2025).

References: 

de Souza e Silva, A., Pertille, A., Reis Barbosa, C. G., Aparecida de Oliveira Silva, J., de Jesus, D. V., Ribeiro, A. G. S. V., Baganha, R. J., & de Oliveira, J. J. (2019). Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Renal Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 29(6), 480–489. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2019.05.004 

Hultman, E., Soderlund, K., Timmons, J. A., Cederblad, G., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(1), 232–237. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.1.232

Kreider, R. B., & Stout, J. R. (2021, January 29). Creatine in health and disease. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/447 

Kreider, R. B., Jäger, R., & Purpura, M. (2022, February 28). Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: A critical review. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/5/1035 

Marshall, S., Kitzan, A., Wright, J., Bocicariu, L., & Nagamatsu, L. S. (2025). Creatine and Cognition in Aging: A Systematic Review of Evidence in Older Adults. Nutrition Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaf135

Parolin, M. L., Chesley, A., Matsos, M. P., Spriet, L. L., Jones, N. L., & Heigenhauser, G. J. F. (1999). Regulation of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase and PDH during maximal intermittent exercise. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 277(5), E890–E900. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.1999.277.5.e890