Supplement
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine, Cr
Legal / OTCExtensive Human DataOral
Half-life
N/A (saturation based)
Common dose
3-5g/day
How it works
Replenishes ATP via the phosphocreatine system during high-intensity effort. Increases intramuscular water retention. Most studied ergogenic aid in sports nutrition history.
Commonly used for
StrengthPower outputRecovery
Potential benefits
- Most researched supplement in existence — thousands of studies
- Proven 5-15% strength and power increase
- Safe long-term for healthy adults
- Cheap and widely available
- Emerging evidence for cognitive benefits
Risks and downsides
- Initial water weight gain of 2-5 lbs
- Must be taken consistently — not acute
- Bloating in some users
- Requires adequate daily hydration
- ~30% of users are non-responders
Heads up: This is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Many compounds here are not FDA approved for human use. Please talk to a doctor before starting anything.
Risk level
Evidence
What you need to get started
Where to buy
Ranked by reputation · prices may vary
Bulk SupplementsBest value
$19.97·per 500g
Cheapest price per gram with consistent quality — hard to beat for basics
3rd party tested
★★★★★
Nutricost Creatine (via Amazon)Gold standard
$34.99·per 500g
#1 seller on Amazon with excellent reviews — NSF certified for sport, great COA transparency, consistent quality
3rd party tested
★★★★★
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