What do the states mean?+
- Solid: well studied, and it works.
- Half-there: the science is still forming.
- A ghost: almost no real studies.
- Hollow: well studied, and it does not work.
- A cord: the pair itself has been tested together.
- Air: nobody has ever tested this pair.
The full scoring method: How we score
Creatine benefits: where the science stands
For strength and power: yes.
Strength and power are what most people take creatine monohydrate for, and the strongest evidence says it helps (two combined reviews covering 33 trials). As of August 2026, the verdicts on this page rest on evidence from 97 trials, drawn from the strongest research among the 2,625 papers on PubMed that mention creatine monohydrate. Every claim is checked below.
2,625 papers on PubMed · evidence from 97 trials · 1 caution
3 to 5 g · any time · daily
Claim by claim
- Strength and powerWell studied, and it works. The biggest review covered 23 trials.
- EnduranceThe science is still forming. No real difference found so far.
- Memory and focusThe science is still forming. The best studies disagree.
- Muscle in older adultsThe science is still forming. Results lean positive, but there is not much yet.
See 3 more scored claims+
- Muscle sizeThe science is still forming. Results lean positive, but there is not much yet.
- Sprint and repeated-effort powerThe science is still forming. Results lean positive, but there is not much yet.
- The hair-loss worryAlmost no real studies. A safety question was raised; later testing found no change.
The best time to take creatine monohydrate
Consistency beats timing; loading is optional. Doses shown are common label doses, not a prescription.
Pairs people ask about
The eleven sources we read
- 2009Crossover trial · 20 people · a harm signal on the hair-loss worrysource
- 2014Meta-analysis · 357 people · small benefit for muscle in older adultssource
- 2018Meta-analysis · pools 6 trials, 281 people · small benefit for memory and focussource
- 2019Meta-analysis · pools 9 trials · moderate benefit for sprint and repeated-effort powersource
- 2021Meta-analysis · pools 10 trials, 211 people · small benefit for strength and powersource
- 2023Meta-analysis · pools 8 trials · small benefit for memory and focussource
- 2023Meta-analysis · pools 10 trials · small benefit for muscle sizesource
- 2023Meta-analysis · pools 27 trials · no clear effect on endurancesource
- 2024Meta-analysis · no clear effect on memory and focussource
- 2024Meta-analysis · pools 23 trials, 509 people · moderate benefit for strength and powersource
- 2025Randomized trial · 45 people · no clear effect on the hair-loss worrysource
Chosen as the strongest evidence out of 2,625 papers on PubMed. Every row links to its paper.
Fair questions
Does creatine monohydrate work?+
For strength and power, yes. The biggest review covered 23 trials.
Is creatine monohydrate safe?+
One caution is recorded: Kidney disease: ask your doctor first. In healthy people, trials at label doses keep coming back clean.
Why only 11 sources, when PubMed lists 2,625?+
The 2,625 is every paper that mentions creatine monohydrate in any way: animal studies, blood measurements, papers where it is a side note. The strongest sources are combined reviews, and each one already gathers every trial its authors could find. Our 11 cover 97 trials between them, and every one is linked above. Both counts are measured, not estimated.