Creatine Calculator
How much creatine should you take? Get a precise daily dose based on your lean body mass, not just your weight.
Based on ISSN creatine guidelines · Updated 16 June 2026
You are
Body fat (pick the closest)
Your daily dose
— g/day
Enter your weight and pick a body-fat level to see your dose.
Optional: faster loading
—
How it works
Creatine is stored in your muscles, so dosing by lean body mass (your weight minus fat) is more accurate than using total weight.
Maintenance dose
≈ 0.06 g × lean mass (kg)
Usually 3–5 g a day, and that is all you need. Your muscles fully saturate within 3–4 weeks.
Loading dose (optional)
≈ 5 × maintenance dose
Split into 4 servings a day for 5–7 days to saturate faster, then drop to the maintenance dose.
How to take creatine
- 1
Find your dose
Use the calculator above: enter your weight and body fat to get your daily dose in grams.
- 2
Take it daily
Mix your dose into water, juice, or a shake once a day. Timing barely matters, so pick a moment you will remember.
- 3
Load it if you are impatient (optional)
For the first 5 to 7 days you can take about five times your normal dose, split into four servings, to fill your muscles faster.
- 4
Give it a few weeks
Without loading, your muscles are fully topped up in three to four weeks. After that, just keep taking your daily dose.
Is creatine actually worth it?
Short answer: for most people who train, yes. Creatine is one of the few supplements that genuinely does what it claims, and it has been studied for decades. It helps your muscles make energy during hard sets, so you squeeze out a couple more reps, recover a little quicker, and build more strength over time.
It is not a stimulant, so you will not feel it kick in like caffeine. The effect is quiet: over a few weeks your muscles fill up with creatine and your training simply gets a bit better. The “water weight” people worry about is mostly water pulled into the muscle itself, not bloat under the skin.
You do not need the expensive versions. Plain creatine monohydrate is the cheapest and the most researched, and nothing has beaten it yet. Take your dose every day, do not stress about a missed day, and give it a month before you decide if it works for you.
Sources
These numbers are not guesswork. The dosing follows the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) — the main scientific consensus on creatine.
Why we dose by lean mass: creatine is stored in muscle, so lean (fat-free) mass is a better basis than total weight. The standard maintenance dose is 3–5 g a day, and our figure of about 0.06 g per kg of lean mass lands in that range for most people. The optional loading phase (around five times maintenance for 5–7 days) mirrors the classic ~20 g/day protocol from the research.
FAQ
How much creatine should I take per day?+
For most healthy adults the standard maintenance dose is 3–5 g of creatine monohydrate a day. Since creatine is stored in muscle, dosing by lean body mass is a bit more precise: about 0.06 g per kg of lean mass per day.
Do I need a loading phase?+
No, the loading phase is optional. Taking about 5 times your maintenance dose (split into 4 servings) for 5–7 days fills your muscles faster. If you skip it and just take your normal dose, you reach the same point in about 3–4 weeks.
When is the best time to take creatine?+
Timing barely matters; what counts is taking it every day. Any time works, with or without food. Taking it around your workout might be very slightly better, but the difference is tiny.
Do I need to cycle creatine?+
No. There is no need to cycle creatine on and off. Continuous daily use is safe and effective for healthy people.
Is creatine safe for women?+
Yes. The dose depends on your body size (lean mass), not your sex, so it works the same way for women. Research keeps showing benefits for strength, recovery, and even brain function.
Is creatine monohydrate safe?+
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements and is considered safe for healthy adults at normal doses. If you have a kidney condition or take medication, check with your doctor first.
Does creatine damage your kidneys?+
For healthy people, no. Years of research show normal creatine doses do not harm kidney function. The worry comes from creatine slightly raising creatinine, a marker used in kidney tests, but that is a harmless side effect, not damage. If you already have kidney disease, check with your doctor first.
Can I mix creatine with protein or coffee?+
Yes to both. Stirring creatine into a protein shake is fine and common. The old idea that caffeine cancels out creatine has not held up, so having it with coffee is fine too. Warm or cold drinks both work; just stir well.
How much creatine should I take for my weight?+
It depends on your lean mass, not just total weight, which is why the calculator asks for body fat. As a rough guide, most people land at 3–5 g a day: lighter or leaner people toward 3 g, heavier or more muscular people toward 5 g or a bit more.
Should I take creatine on rest days?+
Yes. The goal is to keep your muscles saturated, so take your daily dose every day, including rest days. On rest days the timing does not matter at all.