Finding the right dosage of creatine is to get the most benefit with the least side effects.
Emerging research suggests you’ll probably want to start with what’s called a ‘loading phase’ to get the most out of creatine without overdoing it. That means taking roughly around 20–25g daily, divided into four doses of about 5g each, for five to seven days. This can help to maximise your muscle creatine levels quickly according to some medical experts.5
After the loading phase, you may want to shift to a maintenance phase, taking 3–5g of creatine daily. Research suggests that this may keep your muscle creatine levels topped up.5,8 Some smaller scale studies suggest that larger athletes may need to take a higher dose of 5–10g of creatine a day to maintain their levels.5
If you’re not keen on the loading phase or if it upsets your stomach, you can skip straight to taking the maintenance dose right from the start. It’ll take a bit longer to increase your muscle creatine levels, but it can be easier on your digestion.1,9
Remember, taking more creatine than recommended doesn’t offer more benefits. Once your muscles are fully saturated, any extra will be lost in your urine.5 So don’t waste money taking more than you need.