Your Comprehensive Guide To Creatine

Written By Zoe Dellaportas

Let’s bust a myth right out of the gate: creatine isn’t just for gym bros chugging protein shakes.

It’s one of the most researched and safest supplements out there, and it can do wonders for your strength, brain health, bone density, recovery, and long-term vitality.

You may be thinking "this isn't for me," but I encourage you to give this blog a read. You might change your mind.

WHAT IS CREATINE?

Creatine is a natural compound made in your body—mostly in the liver, using amino acids (the building blocks of protein).

Once it’s made, it’s sent to your muscles, brain, and other tissues where it helps produce energy.

However - your body only makes about 1–2 grams a day, and that’s usually not enough to fully fuel your muscles and brain—especially if you’re active, aging, or plant-based.

That means most of us are likely running on low reserves—which can impact energy, performance, mood, and even brain function over time.

That’s why supplementing can make a big difference.

SO, HOW DO WE ADD MORE CREATINE INTO OUR BODY?

You’ve got two main options: food and supplements.

Creatine is found in animal products like red meat and fish—but you'd need to eat a lot to get the full benefits (about half a kilo of steak = 5g of creatine).

So what if you’re vegan?
Vegans and vegetarians get virtually zero creatine from their diets.

The easier option? Supplementing with creatine monohydrate. It's safe, affordable, and the most researched form available.

Supplementing with creatine has an even bigger upside for plant-based people. Studies show that vegans often respond better to supplementation because their stores are so low to begin with—so they see more noticeable benefits, faster.

HOW DOES HAVING MORE CREATINE IN YOUR SYSTEM POSITIVELY IMPACT YOUR LIFE?

Creatine Boosts Muscle Strength

More ATP = More Output
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is your body’s immediate energy currency. It fuels every contraction your muscles make. But, during high-intensity efforts like lifting or sprinting, your ATP stores get used up in seconds.

That’s where creatine steps in. It helps recycle ATP faster.

Creatine helps by donating a phosphate group to ADP (the “used-up” version of ATP), turning it back into ATP—fast.

This recycling process means your cells can keep generating energy more efficiently, so you can keep pushing through those heavy sets or intense intervals without fading.

More available ATP = more reps, more power, more gains.

Cell Volumisation = Growth Signals

Creatine pulls water into your muscle cells, literally hydrating them from the inside out.

This “cell volumisation” creates a more anabolic (muscle-building) environment by:

  • Increasing nutrient delivery

  • Enhancing cell signaling pathways

  • Making your muscles look fuller and more pumped

Together, these effects—faster ATP regeneration and enhanced cell hydration—boost your muscle strength by letting you lift heavier, improving your training performance by helping you push harder for longer, and your body composition by promoting more muscle gain and better fat distribution over time.

Creatine & Brain Health

Your brain is a power-hungry beast. Even though it makes up just 2% of your body weight, it burns around 20% of your daily energy—and that demand doesn’t go down with age.

In fact, as we get older, the energy systems in our brain become less efficient, leading to mental fatigue, slower thinking, forgetfulness, and that all-too-familiar brain fog.

Creatine helps by replenishing ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule your brain cells use to fuel everything from firing neurons to forming memories.

When ATP levels drop, your brain struggles. When ATP is topped up, it functions smoother and sharper.

What does that look like in real life? Research has shown that creatine can:

  • Improve short-term memory and reaction time

  • Help with mental clarity, especially during high-stress periods or sleep deprivation

  • Reduce feelings of mental fatigue, especially in demanding cognitive tasks

  • Support mood regulation and protect brain function as we age

But here’s the thing: most of the creatine you consume gets taken up by your muscles.

So for brain-specific benefits, recent studies suggest a higher daily dose—around 10–20g/day—may be necessary to reach full saturation and see noticeable improvements in cognitive function.

Creatine & Bone Health

Muscle and bone don’t work in isolation—they’re a team.

When you move, lift, jump, or even walk, your muscles pull on your bones.

That mechanical stress signals your bones to stay strong and rebuild themselves.

It’s one of the reasons resistance training is so crucial for maintaining bone density as we age.

But here’s where creatine comes in: it amplifies the effect of resistance training on bone.

While creatine doesn’t directly build bone, it:

  • Increases muscle strength and mass, which boosts the load placed on bones during training

  • Supports cellular energy in bone cells (yes, bones use ATP too!), which may enhance bone remodeling and recovery

  • May improve balance and coordination via stronger, faster-reacting muscles—reducing the chance of falls

Research shows that creatine combined with resistance training can:

  • Help maintain or even increase bone mineral density

  • Lower the risk of falls and fractures

  • Support long-term mobility, independence, and quality of life

In other words: stronger muscles = stronger bones. And creatine supports both.

STRESSED? TIRED? CREATINE HELPS

Stress and sleep deprivation burn through brain energy like a wildfire.

Your brain needs ATP to think clearly, regulate mood, and stay sharp—and when you're mentally overloaded or running on fumes, ATP production tanks. That’s when creatine really shines.

Creatine acts like a backup power generator for your brain. It supports ATP production even when your body is under pressure—whether that’s:

  • Mental stress

  • Sleep deprivation

  • Cognitive fatigue

Pro tip: If you know you’ve got a brutal day ahead, try taking 10–20g of creatine the night before. It may help your brain stay more resilient under pressure the next day.

CREATINE & MOOD

Mental health is complex, and no supplement is a magic fix—but creatine has started to turn heads in the world of mood and mental resilience.

Early studies show that creatine may:

  • Help alleviate symptoms of depression, especially when used alongside other treatments

  • Support brain energy metabolism, which is often disrupted in people dealing with mood disorders

  • Aid faster recovery from mental burnout, especially in high-stress environments

  • Improve emotional regulation during physically or cognitively demanding tasks

Researchers are still digging into the how and why, but the theory is simple: a well-fueled brain is a more stable brain.

Creatine might help your neurons fire more efficiently, reduce mental fatigue, and keep you more even-keeled under stress.

Again, it’s not a replacement for therapy or medication—but it’s a solid, research-backed tool in your mental health toolbox.

WHAT’S THE BEST DOSAGE?

When you supplement with creatine, your body doesn’t distribute it evenly—muscles get first dibs.

That’s why most of the early effects you feel are strength, power, and endurance boosts.

Muscle Saturation

With a standard dose of 3–5g/day, it takes around 3 to 4 weeks for your muscles to become fully saturated. At that point, your muscles have stored as much creatine as they can hold, and you’re primed for optimal physical performance. (You can speed this up with a loading phase—more on that later.)

Brain & Bone Saturation

Your brain and bones are a bit more resistant. They absorb creatine slowly and inefficiently, especially compared to muscle tissue. And because they don’t have large storage capacity, it takes higher and more consistent doses to saturate them.

Emerging research shows that for the brain and bones to fully benefit from creatine, you may need to supplement with 10–20g/day over a longer period—especially if you’re aiming for improvements in:

  • Memory

  • Mental clarity

  • Stress resilience

  • Mood regulation

  • Bone remodeling and density

So while 5g/day might be enough to power your squats, it may fall short when it comes to supporting your cognitive function and skeletal strength.

The key takeaway? If you're looking beyond just performance— brain health, aging well, and bone protection—a higher daily dose may be worth considering, with consistent and long-term use.

HOW TO TAKE CREATINE

For Muscle Strength & Performance

  • 3–5g per day

  • It’ll take about 3–4 weeks to fully saturate your muscles at this rate.

For Brain & Bone Health

  • Aim for 10-20g per day.

  • The brain and bones are slower to absorb creatine than muscles.

Loading Phase (Optional)

If you’re the impatient type or want quicker results:

  • Take 20g/day for 5–7 days, split into 4 smaller doses (e.g., 5g x 4 times a day).

  • This saturates your muscles faster, within a week instead of a month.

BUT—fair warning:

  • Loading can lead to temporary water retention, especially inside the muscles.

  • This can cause a “puffy” or “bloated” look for some people (totally harmless, but not everyone loves it).

Not into that?

  • Just go with the daily 3–5g dose, and you’ll get there—slower, but smoother.

  • Or, if you’re aiming for 10–20g/day for brain benefits, split it: half in the morning, half at night. That can reduce bloat and improve absorption.

Do You Need to Cycle It?

No. Creatine isn’t a hormone—it doesn’t mess with your natural production. Just stay consistent.

Best Time to Take It

  • Daily = key. Creatine works through saturation, not timing.

  • But for best bang-for-buck: take it post-workout, ideally with protein and carbs (this helps it get into the muscles faster).

THE BEST CREATINE TO TAKE

  • Go for Creatine Monohydrate—the most tested, proven form.

  • Go for a tested and verified brand - there are so many options out there

  • Avoid blends, gimmicks (e.g. gummies), or liquid versions—just 100% powder.

DID I MISS ANYTHING?

Let me know!

Mark my words, creatine will be a staple supplement in everyone’s daily diet in the next 20 years.

Will you be an early adopter?

I don’t push supplements on anyone. If you’ve been coached by me you would have heard me say “carbs aren’t bad, get your protein in and drink more water”.

That’s kind of it.

But, creatine is such a widely researched and safe supplement that I am happy to write an email all about it.

Got questions or want help getting started? Just hit reply.

To strength, energy, and longevity,
Coach Zoe

P.S - some interesting tidbits:

Rory McIlroy Uses It - after his Masters win this week, Rory McIlroy credited creatine as a key performance booster and being the difference to him winning this tournament.

Creatine for Postmenopausal Women - after menopause, drops in estrogen can lead to muscle loss, weaker bones, and brain fog. Creatine helps counter that when paired with resistance training. In fact, postmenopausal women may respond even better to creatine than younger women.

Zoe Dellaportas