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Creatine has an image problem — a lot of people still think of it as something only bodybuilders or serious gym-goers take. I’ve been using Pure Creatine Monohydrate Powder, unflavoured and micronised, 315g/90 servings for 3-4 months now, and I think that reputation undersells what’s actually one of the most rigorously studied, genuinely safe supplements available.
Why creatine deserves its reputation
Creatine is naturally produced in your body and stored in muscle, where it’s used to rapidly regenerate the energy your muscles need during short bursts of effort — lifting, climbing a steep hill, or any activity that demands power rather than pure endurance. Supplementing tops up those stores beyond what your body makes on its own.
The evidence for muscle strength and lean body mass, especially combined with resistance training, is about as solid as supplement research gets. What’s become increasingly interesting more recently is research specifically in older adults, where creatine combined with resistance training may help counteract sarcopenia — the age-related muscle loss that affects mobility and independence over time. There’s also early, still-developing research into bone health and cognitive benefits (reaction time and brain creatine levels), though the article base there is newer and less settled than the muscle research.
What I’ve actually noticed
I take this specifically because I feel it supports my muscles during my daily lifting exercises and on long walks, especially steep hill walks, where that short, powerful effort really matters. Over 3-4 months of consistent use, it’s become a genuine part of how I approach staying strong as I get older, not just something for the gym.
How I take it
I dissolve it in water, or sometimes in fruit juice if I’m having one, usually with breakfast.
An important, honest note on dosage
I want to flag this clearly rather than skip past it: the well-established research protocol for creatine is either a short loading phase of around 20g a day (split into smaller doses) for 5-7 days, followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5g a day, or simply starting straight at 3-5g a day and letting your muscle stores build up gradually over a few weeks. Once your muscles are saturated at that level, taking more doesn’t appear to provide additional strength or muscle benefit — the extra simply doesn’t have anywhere useful to go. So while creatine has a strong safety record at standard doses in healthy adults (no evidence of kidney or liver harm in people without pre-existing kidney issues), meaningfully exceeding the standard 3-5g maintenance range on a sustained daily basis isn’t something the research has specifically tested, and I wouldn’t recommend it without a good reason and a conversation with a doctor first, particularly if you have any kidney concerns. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, starting at the standard dose and speaking to a healthcare professional before going higher is the sensible approach, rather than taking a friend’s word for how much to use.
A quick safety note
Creatine is very well tolerated at standard doses, with the most common side effects being mild water retention, modest weight gain (from that water retention, not fat), and occasional digestive upset, particularly if it’s not fully dissolved. It’s worth extra caution, or a chat with your doctor first, if you have any existing kidney condition.
Should you try it?
If you do any kind of resistance training, walking with elevation, or simply want to support muscle strength as you get older, creatine is one of the best-evidenced, most affordable supplements you can add — and it isn’t just for people chasing muscle size. Stick to the well-studied dose range unless a doctor has specifically advised otherwise.
