Do You Need to Load Creatine? Loading vs Daily Dose

Maybe you've just bought your first tub of creatine and the label, the internet and your mate at training all say different things. Maybe you've been taking it for a while and wonder whether you skipped a step by not loading. Or maybe you don't train much at all and are interested in creatine for everyday strength or as a plant-based eater. No silly questions here. This guide is for all of you.

We'll compare the two routines side by side, help you pick one, and cover what happens with water weight, a sensitive stomach and missed days.

Loading vs daily dose at a glance

Creatine works by topping up the creatine stored in your muscles. Supplementing raises those stores by about 20 to 40%, and that extra creatine supports strength, power and training capacity during hard, short efforts. [2] Both routines get you there; the only difference is speed. In the classic study, 20 g a day for 6 days and 3 g a day both ended with about 20% more muscle creatine, the steady group just took 28 days instead of 6. [1]

Faster, not better

Creatine stores, loading vs steady

Rise in muscle creatine

Full: about +20% [1]Loading: full in about a weekSteady: full by week 4

Day 0714212835 days

Loading

• About 20 g a day (0.3 g per kg) as four 5 g doses for 5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g a day [1] [3] [5]
• Four doses a day during loading, then one
• About 170 to 265 g used in month one
• Up to 1 to 2 kg early weight change, mostly water in muscle
• Needs splitting to sit well on the stomach [3] [5]

Steady

• 3 to 5 g a day from day one; full in about 3 to 4 weeks (28 days in the classic study) [1] [3]
• One dose a day
• About 90 to 150 g used in month one
• Gradual weight change
• Easy on the stomach for most people [2] [3]

Which one should you pick?

The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts it simply: you don't have to load. Lower daily doses of 3 to 5 g support muscle creatine stores, muscle gains, performance and recovery. [3] The right choice depends on your timeline.

Go steady if you're not in a hurry

That's most people. If you plan to take creatine for longer than a month, a steady dose is a perfectly good option. It's also the one researchers suggest if you'd rather avoid the quick weight jump that can come with loading. [3]

• First-timers. One dose a day is easy to remember and easy on your stomach.
• People who don't train much. You're building a habit, not racing a deadline.
• Anyone watching the scales. You avoid a sudden 1 to 2 kg bump that can be confusing in the first week.

Load if you want it working sooner

If you want creatine supporting your performance within a week or so, loading makes sense. [3] For example:

• A season, event or block of hard training starts in the next few weeks.
• You've had a long break and want your stores back up quickly.

A note for weight-class sports

The extra 1 to 2 kg from loading can be a problem if you need to make weight. [5] If you compete in a weight-category sport, a steady dose, started well before weigh-ins, is usually the easier option. Talk it over with your coach.

How to load if you choose to

1. Take 5 g, four times a day, for 5 to 7 days. That's about 0.3 g per kg of body weight, so roughly 21 g a day for a 70 kg person. [3] [5]
2. Spread the doses across the day with meals or snacks.
3. On day 6, 7 or 8, drop to 3 to 5 g a day and stay there. [2]

Why split the loading dose?

Because one big serve is harder on your stomach. In a study of 59 footballers, 10 g taken in one go caused diarrhoea in 55.6% of players, compared with 28.6% when the same 10 g was split into two 5 g doses. The split group were no worse off than placebo. [4] Researchers recommend keeping each serve to 10 g or less. [3] Four 5 g doses keeps you comfortable.

Take it with food

Creatine uptake into muscle is helped by insulin, so taking it with a meal that contains carbs and protein supports better uptake. [5] Studies taking creatine with carbohydrate, or carbohydrate and protein, have seen more consistent creatine retention. [2] Your morning shake, breakfast or post-training meal all work.

What about water weight?

Loading often comes with a quick gain of up to 1 or 2 kg. [5] Early studies found short-term fluid retention of about 0.5 to 1 litre, which matched the weight gain. [2] Most of that extra water is held inside your muscle cells, where it travels in with the creatine. [3]

Longer studies of 5 to 10 weeks mostly show no change in total body water relative to muscle. [3] In plain terms: you may see a small jump on the scales in week one, and it's a sign your stores are filling. If you take a steady dose, it creeps up so gradually you may not notice.

What if you miss a day, or stop?

Just carry on the next day. Your stores build and drop over weeks, not overnight. When people stopped taking creatine in the classic study, it took about 30 days for their muscle levels to drift back to where they started. [1] Other research puts it at 4 to 6 weeks. [2]

• Missed one day or a few days? Keep going with your usual dose. No need to double up, and no need to load again.
• Stopped for a month or more? Your stores are likely back to baseline. Restart with a steady dose, or load for 5 to 7 days if you want them back up quickly.
• Coming off creatine? Your body's own creatine production doesn't shut down. Levels don't fall below where you started. [2]

Tying your dose to something you already do every day, like breakfast or your morning coffee, makes it easier to remember.

Who it suits

• First-timers

  Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements available, with a consistent safety record in healthy people. [2]

• People who train

  Creatine supports strength, power and lean muscle gains alongside resistance training. [2]

• Plant-based eaters

  About half of your daily creatine normally comes from food, mainly meat and fish. [2] Vegetarians start with lower muscle creatine stores (117 vs 130 mmol/kg in one study), and in an 8-week training trial, vegetarians taking creatine saw a bigger rise in muscle creatine, lean tissue and work output than meat-eaters taking it. [6]

• People who don't train much

  Creatine is also being studied for brain health. See creatine and your brain.

Check first

Creatine isn't recommended for anyone under 18, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have kidney disease, take medication or manage a health condition, talk to your GP before starting. Creatine can raise blood creatinine, a common kidney test marker. In one study, it rose in every creatine group but not in placebo [7], so tell your doctor you take creatine before any blood test.

Can I load with my pre-workout?

No. Doubling or tripling a pre-workout to reach a creatine target multiplies the caffeine and everything else in it too. If your pre-workout lists creatine, count that towards your daily total and top up with plain creatine. More in taking creatine and pre-workout together.

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