"Isn't that a steroid?" is still the most common reaction when someone spots a tub of creatine on a kitchen counter. It isn't. Creatine is a compound your body makes every day and that you eat in meat and fish, and it is one of the most thoroughly researched supplements in existence.
The main creatine benefits are better performance in short, intense efforts and bigger gains in strength and muscle when combined with training. The newer, more interesting research looks at the brain and at healthy ageing, where the evidence is promising but still early. What creatine doesn't do is cover the rest of your nutrition, which is why we pair it with a daily base like TANO THRIVE. More on that below.
Key takeaways
- Creatine is made in your liver and kidneys and stored mostly in muscle, where it helps recycle energy for short, hard efforts.
- The International Society of Sports Nutrition calls creatine monohydrate the most effective supplement for high-intensity exercise capacity and lean mass, and considers it safe for healthy people at recommended doses.
- A daily 3–5 g is the standard dose. Loading is optional; it just gets you to full stores faster.
- Early studies suggest creatine may support memory, particularly in older adults, vegetarians and people who are sleep-deprived, but this research is still developing.
- Creatine raises blood creatinine, a kidney test marker, so tell your doctor you take it. People with kidney disease should not use it without medical advice.
What is creatine and what does it do?
Your cells run on a molecule called ATP. During a sprint, a heavy lift or a quick dash for the LRT, you burn through ATP in seconds. Phosphocreatine, the stored form of creatine, rapidly donates a phosphate to rebuild it, buying you a few more seconds of high output.
Your body makes about 1 g of creatine a day from three amino acids (arginine, glycine and methionine), and an omnivorous diet provides roughly another gram, mostly from meat and fish. About 95% of it ends up in skeletal muscle, with smaller amounts in the brain and other tissues. Supplementing tops up those stores, typically by 20–40% in muscle, and a bit more in people who start low, like vegetarians.
What are the proven creatine benefits?
Strength, power and muscle
This is the part with decades of evidence. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand, creatine monohydrate reliably improves performance in repeated high-intensity efforts and, combined with resistance training, leads to greater gains in strength and lean mass than training alone. It doesn't build muscle by itself. It lets you do slightly more work in each session, and that adds up over months.
Healthy ageing
After your 30s, muscle mass and strength slowly decline, and this speeds up later in life. Several meta-analyses of older adults have found that creatine plus resistance training produces greater improvements in lean mass and strength than resistance training with a placebo. The key word is "plus": creatine without training does little. If you're building a strength habit, our guide to why muscle is your long-term health currency is a good place to start.
Research on bone health is mixed, and there isn't yet good evidence that creatine alone prevents falls or fractures.
Creatine and the brain: promising, not proven
Your brain is an energy-hungry organ, using around a fifth of your body's energy at rest, and it relies on the same creatine system as muscle. Supplementation raises brain creatine levels only modestly, but some effects show up in studies:
- Memory: meta-analyses published in 2018 and 2023 found small improvements in memory with creatine, with larger effects in older adults. Results in healthy young adults are less consistent.
- Vegetarians: a 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found memory improvements with creatine in vegetarians but not in meat-eaters, which makes sense given their lower starting levels.
- Sleep deprivation: small experimental studies suggest creatine may help maintain some aspects of mental performance after a night without sleep.
These studies are generally small and short. Creatine is not a nootropic miracle, and it won't replace sleep, as our guide to foods for focus makes clear. It's a reasonable area to watch rather than a reason to start taking it on its own.
Who might consider creatine?
| Who | Potential benefit | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| People doing strength or interval training | More strength, power and lean mass over time | Strong |
| Adults over 50 who lift weights | Better gains in muscle and strength than training alone | Moderate to strong |
| Vegetarians and vegans | Larger increase in muscle stores; possible memory benefit | Moderate |
| Healthy young adults wanting better focus | Possible small memory effects | Weak and mixed |
| People who don't exercise | Little measurable benefit for muscle | Weak |
How to take creatine
- Choose creatine monohydrate. It's the form used in almost all the research. Newer forms (hydrochloride, buffered, ethyl ester) have not been shown to work better, and often cost more. "Micronised" monohydrate simply dissolves more easily.
- Take 3–5 g a day. At this dose, muscle stores fill up in about three to four weeks.
- Loading is optional. The ISSN describes a loading phase of about 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day (around 20 g, split into four doses) for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g daily. It works faster but causes more stomach upset for some people.
- Timing doesn't matter much. Consistency does. Taking it with a meal may help absorption and is easier to remember.
- Check the label. Look for third-party testing (such as Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport). In Malaysia, check for halal certification if that matters to you. Creatine itself is usually synthetic, but capsules may contain gelatin. Our guide to halal supplements explains what to look for.
Is creatine safe? Side effects and myths
- Kidneys: in healthy people, research at recommended doses has not shown kidney harm. But creatine raises blood creatinine, a marker doctors use to estimate kidney function, which can make results look worse than they are. Tell your doctor before blood tests. If you have kidney disease, diabetes affecting your kidneys or take medication that affects them, talk to your doctor first.
- Water weight: a 1–2 kg increase in the first weeks is common, because creatine pulls water into muscle cells. It is not fat.
- Bloating or stomach upset: usually from large single doses. Split doses or skip loading.
- Hair loss: this worry comes from a single small 2009 study in rugby players that found a rise in the hormone DHT. It didn't measure hair loss and hasn't been replicated. The evidence doesn't support a link, but if you're concerned, speak to your doctor.
- Dehydration and cramps: studies have not found that creatine causes these, but in our climate, drink enough water anyway.
Creatine isn't well studied in pregnancy, breastfeeding or under-18s, so get medical advice first in those cases.
How TANO THRIVE fits alongside creatine
Creatine does one job well: topping up the fast energy system in your muscles. It doesn't touch the vitamins and minerals that training, long days and a sweaty climate lean on. That's the gap THRIVE is designed for. Think of creatine as the specialist and THRIVE as the daily base.
A 2-tablet serving of THRIVE provides:
- Vitamin B6 (6 mg) and B12 (18 mcg), which contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Iron (20 mg), which contributes to normal oxygen transport and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Worth noting for plant-based eaters, who, as above, also start with lower creatine stores.
- Vitamin C (800 mg), which contributes to normal immune function during and after intense exercise, plus zinc (16 mg).
- Sodium (about 606 mg) and potassium (180 mg). The sodium is a meaningful top-up after a sweaty session; the potassium is modest, so fruit and vegetables still do most of that work.
Dissolve 2 tablets in 250–500 ml of cold water once a day. THRIVE contains no creatine, so your 3–5 g dose stays the same. Its greens blend includes green tea and green coffee extracts, so morning or pre-training suits it better than late evening. If you have kidney problems, high blood pressure or take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor before adding either. Neither replaces protein, sleep or the training itself. Explore TANO THRIVE
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting creatine, especially if you are pregnant, on medication or managing a health condition such as kidney disease.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main benefits of creatine?
The best-established benefits are improved performance in short, intense exercise and greater gains in strength and muscle when combined with resistance training. Research also suggests benefits for older adults who train, and possible small memory improvements, though the brain research is still early.
Can I take TANO THRIVE with creatine?
Yes, they do different jobs and don't overlap: THRIVE contains no creatine, so your usual 3–5 g daily dose stays the same. THRIVE adds B vitamins, iron, vitamin C, zinc and electrolytes as a daily base, taken as 2 tablets in 250–500 ml of cold water once a day. Because its greens blend includes green tea and green coffee extracts, it suits the morning or pre-training. If you have kidney problems or take medication, check with your doctor first.
Do I need to do a loading phase?
No. Loading (around 20 g a day for 5–7 days) fills your muscle stores in about a week, while 3–5 g a day gets you there in three to four weeks. Both end in the same place, and skipping loading reduces the chance of stomach upset.
Is creatine bad for your kidneys?
Research in healthy people taking recommended doses hasn't shown kidney damage. However, creatine raises blood creatinine, which can make kidney tests look abnormal, so tell your doctor you take it. Anyone with existing kidney problems should get medical advice first.
Can women take creatine?
Yes. Women benefit in similar ways, including strength and muscle gains when training, and researchers are increasingly studying creatine across different life stages. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should speak to a doctor first, as it hasn't been well studied in these groups.
Will creatine make me look bulky?
Not on its own. The early weight gain is mostly water inside muscle cells. Any real increase in muscle size comes from training, and creatine simply helps you train a little harder.
Sources
- Kreider RB et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017
- Antonio J et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance
- Mayo Clinic: Creatine
- Prokopidis K et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on memory in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, 2023 (PubMed search)
