The Creatine Dosage Calculator calculates loading and maintenance creatine monohydrate doses scaled to your body weight, using the protocol published in the ISSN position stand on creatine.
Creatine is the most extensively studied ergogenic supplement in sports science. Several hundred peer-reviewed studies have examined its effects on strength, power output, lean mass, and recovery, and the conclusions are unusually consistent across the literature: creatine monohydrate, taken at appropriate doses, modestly but reliably improves performance in activities involving short, repeated bursts of high-intensity effort. The ISSN position stand (Kreider et al., 2017) consolidates this evidence and provides the dosing protocol this calculator implements. Unlike most supplements, where the literature is fragmented and the marketing outpaces the science, creatine has a settled evidence base — and a body-weight-scaled dosing protocol that does not require guesswork.
The Two Protocols
The ISSN position stand recognises two valid creatine loading approaches that produce identical end-state intramuscular saturation. The difference is timeline, not outcome.
The loading protocol uses 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day for 5-7 days, divided into four equal servings spaced across the day. For an 80 kg individual, this works out to 24 g/day in 6 g servings. The dose is split because a single 24 g serving causes GI discomfort in some people, while four 6 g servings are well tolerated. After the loading week, a maintenance dose continues indefinitely. Saturation — defined as full replacement of the muscle creatine pool, approximately 120 g in a healthy adult — is reached in about 6 days.
The maintenance-only protocol skips loading entirely and uses 0.03 g per kg of body weight per day, with a practical floor of 3 g/day for individuals under approximately 100 kg. For the same 80 kg individual, this is 3 g/day taken as a single serving. Saturation is reached over approximately 28 days (4 weeks) instead of 6 days. The end state is identical — full intramuscular creatine — but the path takes longer.
Why Body Weight Matters
Both protocols scale with body weight because the muscle creatine pool scales with lean mass, and lean mass correlates strongly with total body weight in healthy adults. A 60 kg individual has a smaller muscle pool than a 95 kg lifter, so the loading dose required to saturate that pool is proportionally smaller. The 0.3 g/kg coefficient is what the ISSN position stand identifies as sufficient to fully saturate the muscle pool within the 5-7 day window. The 0.03 g/kg maintenance coefficient matches the daily creatine turnover rate (approximately 1-2% of the muscle pool per day) for typical adults.
The 3 g/day practical floor for maintenance exists because below approximately 100 kg body weight, 0.03 g/kg yields a number small enough (1.5-3 g) that the inherent imprecision of scoop-based dosing matters. A 3 g floor comfortably exceeds daily turnover for anyone in this weight range and removes the need for precise gram-level dosing. Above approximately 100 kg, the calculated maintenance dose exceeds 3 g and the formula provides the correct value directly.
| Body Weight | Loading Daily | Loading Per Serving | Maintenance Daily |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 18 g | 4.5 g × 4 | 3 g (floor) |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 21 g | 5.25 g × 4 | 3 g (floor) |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 24 g | 6 g × 4 | 3 g (floor) |
| 95 kg (209 lb) | 28.5 g | ~7 g × 4 | 3 g (floor) |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 33 g | ~8 g × 4 | 3.3 g |
The numbers reinforce why monohydrate is the practical form to use — 3 g of micronised creatine monohydrate is approximately one rounded teaspoon, easily mixed into water, juice, or a protein shake.
Choosing Between the Protocols
Loading is justified primarily by speed. If you are starting creatine to test it during a defined training block (a 12-week strength cycle, for example, or in preparation for a competition), loading reaches the saturated state in a week instead of a month, leaving more of the block at the supplemented end state. Some users also report a subjective "feel" — slightly fuller-looking muscles, an early bump in training capacity — within the first two weeks of loading.
Skipping loading is justified by simplicity and cost. A single 3 g daily serving is easier to remember than four 6 g servings, eliminates the need to space doses through the day, and uses less product over the first month. There is no performance disadvantage at the saturated state — only the four-week wait to reach it. For supplementation that is intended to continue indefinitely as a baseline, the loading week is a small fraction of the overall timeline and the choice is largely preference. Pairing creatine with the lean bulk surplus where creatine pairs naturally or maintaining it through a cut both work the same way once saturation is achieved.
What Creatine Does (and Does Not Do)
Mechanistically, creatine increases the intramuscular pool of PCr (phosphocreatine), the substrate that rapidly regenerates ATP during the first 10-15 seconds of high-intensity work. Higher muscle PCr means a small but measurable increase in the work output sustainable in that window: an additional rep or two on a heavy set, slightly faster recovery between sprint efforts, marginally heavier loads sustainable over a multi-set workout. These effects are real but modest — typically 5-15% improvements in repeated-bout performance metrics in resistance training studies.
Creatine does not directly build muscle. It supports training volume that creatine supports through faster ATP regeneration, which then drives the actual hypertrophy stimulus. Lean mass gains seen in creatine studies are partially water (intramuscular fluid pulled in alongside creatine) and partially the result of the additional training work creatine enables. The water component appears within the first 1-2 weeks; the additional muscle accrues over months as a function of the augmented training stimulus.
Creatine is also not a substitute for adequate protein intake target you set, sufficient calories, or the broader dietary context. The supplement provides a small ergogenic edge on top of an otherwise sound training and nutrition framework. The energy needs that anchor any supplementation plan remain the dominant variable for body composition outcomes — creatine does not change those numbers, only what you can do at the gym while hitting them.
Practical Notes
Several practical considerations affect how creatine fits into a supplement routine.
- Dissolve in warm fluid. Creatine monohydrate is only modestly soluble in cold water. Mixing into warm water, then topping up with cold liquid or ice, dissolves it more reliably and reduces the gritty residue at the bottom of the glass.
- Take with carbohydrates if convenient. Insulin promotes muscle creatine uptake, so taking creatine alongside a meal containing carbohydrates may marginally improve absorption. The effect is small enough that meal timing should not become a barrier to adherence.
- Maintain hydration. Creatine increases intracellular water demand. Track your daily hydration target and increase intake slightly during loading. Most people do not need to do anything dramatic — a normal hydration status is sufficient.
- Do not cycle creatine. Unlike some supplements, creatine does not require cycling on and off. Continuous daily use indefinitely is what the research has actually studied, and that is what the ISSN position stand recommends.
For a complete picture of how supplementation fits alongside training, the strength testing where creatine often shows the clearest acute effect tool can help track changes in maximal strength over a creatine-supplemented training cycle.
Phosphocreatine
The high-energy phosphate compound stored in muscle that rapidly regenerates ATP during the first 10-15 seconds of intense effort. Phosphocreatine is the immediate energy currency for activities such as a heavy single, a short sprint, or the first reps of a heavy set. Creatine supplementation increases the muscle PCr pool, providing a small extension of this rapid-energy capacity.
Loading Phase
A 5-7 day period of elevated creatine intake (0.3 g/kg/day, split across four daily servings) used to rapidly saturate the muscle creatine pool. The loading phase achieves full saturation in approximately 6 days, compared to roughly 28 days at the standard maintenance dose. Loading is optional — both protocols reach identical end states.
Maintenance Dose
The daily creatine intake required to maintain the saturated muscle pool after either reaching saturation through loading or building up gradually over 28 days. The maintenance dose (0.03 g/kg/day, with a 3 g/day practical floor) replaces the small daily creatine loss from normal cellular turnover.
Creatine Monohydrate
The most extensively researched form of creatine and the form recommended by the ISSN position stand. Other forms (creatine HCl, ethyl ester, buffered) have not demonstrated superior absorption, retention, or performance outcomes despite often higher prices. Monohydrate is the practical default for evidence-based supplementation.