Creatine

What it does

Creatine is a compound the body makes and also gets from foods like meat and fish. Muscles store it and use it to rapidly regenerate ATP, the cell's energy currency, during short, intense efforts.

What the research says

• Increases strength and power output in resistance training

  Evidence: strong. Multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses support this in trained and untrained adults.

• Increases lean muscle mass when combined with resistance training

  Evidence: strong. Effect is well replicated; magnitude varies by study and training status.

• May support cognitive performance under stress or sleep deprivation

  Evidence: emerging. Early studies are promising but small; not yet replicated at scale.

DRAFT: large RCT base and meta-analyses for strength and lean mass; cognitive claims still emerging, which keeps this from a full A.

What the experts say

Every position links to its source. We include skeptics alongside supporters.

• Andrew Huberman

  “What is the threshold level of creatine to supplement in order to get the cognitive benefit? [It] appears to be at least five grams per day”

  Source, 2025-09-14 Takes creatine daily and cites cognitive benefits beyond training; says at least 5g/day for the cognitive effect, especially for people not getting creatine from meat.

• Andy Galpin

  “From Dr. Galpin's perspective, creatine is not a 'young athlete' supplement, it is a lifespan supplement.”

  Source, 2026-01-28 Recommends 3-5g/day of creatine monohydrate taken daily with no cycling, calling it a foundational supplement for strength, cognitive performance under stress or fatigue, and healthy aging.

• Rhonda Patrick

  “5g is enough to saturate muscles, but around 10g/day benefits brain, bones, and immune system as well”

  Source Takes 10g/day of creatine monohydrate, double the standard 5g dose, because of emerging brain, bone, and immune benefits; she increases to 15-20g when sleep deprived to counteract cognitive fog.

• Layne Norton

  “The verdict? Absolutely no evidence of harm.”

  Source, 2025-10-19 Cites the 2025 Kreider et al. meta-analysis of 250+ studies and 26,000+ participants and concludes there is no evidence of harm, dismissing claims that creatine damages kidneys or liver.

• Gary Brecka

  Source Takes 1.5g of liposomal creatine daily, framing it as valuable for muscle strength, recovery, and cognitive performance, especially for adults over 40; notes most people can use 3-5g of standard monohydrate.

Is it worth it?

DRAFT: strong evidence base plus very low cost per month makes this the benchmark for evidence per dollar.