Authors
Adam Tzur (Sci-Fit on FB)
Brandon Roberts (FB, Researchgate, The Strength Guys)
Studies: 234
Published: 27.05.2018 (updated: 27.05.2018)
Plain Language Summary
About Creatine
Creatine is one of the most well-researched and cheapest performance-boosting supplements in existence. Creatine research covers topics such as endurance training, high intensity training, muscle strength, hypertrophy, health, brain performance, diseases, and more.
Creatine, Body Composition and Performance
Creatine improves:
- Athletic performance
- Muscle strength
- Fatigability
Creatine increases:
- Total body water
- Lean body mass
- Potentially, long-term hypertrophy via increased satellite cell and myonuclei concentration
Health, Neurology, and Cognition
- Creatine might have beneficial neurological and cognitive effects
- Creatine might have a positive effect in treating neurodegenerative diseases and depression
Dosing, timing, loading, and safety
- Taking carbs with creatine could help muscle creatine accumulation
- Multiple studies suggest that creatine seems safe for long-term use
- 5 g per day should be enough to increase and then maintain creatine stores
- Creatine loading is not necessary, but may saturate creatine stores faster
Other
- Creatine may increase muscle glycogen storage
- People with low creatine levels, such as vegetarians, may benefit more from supplementation than meat-eaters. This is because meat contains creatine and vegetarians have low creatine levels.
- There are non-responders to creatine (they minimally increase their creatine stores during supplementation)
- Creatine does not degrade rapidly in water with normal pH levels. You don’t have to drink it right after mixing it in water. Refrigerating the water will further slow down the degradation.
Figure by Jäger et al., 2011. Edited for clarity.
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General Reviews
1999-2018
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Creatine: a miserable life without it | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Beyond muscles: The untapped potential of creatine | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: an update. | Link | 2012 | Review |
| International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise | Link | 2007 | Review |
| Scientific basis and practical aspects of creatine supplementation for athletes | Link | 2004 | Review |
| Oral creatine supplementation and skeletal muscle metabolism in physical exercise | Link | 2002 | Review |
| Creatine and creatinine metabolism. | Link | 2000 | Review |
| American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation | Link | 2000 | Review |
| Creatine: a dietary supplement and ergogenic aid. | Link | 1999 | Review |
| Creatine: a review of efficacy and safety. | Link | 1999 | Review |
Athletic Performance and Strength
2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effects of Protein, Essential Amino Acids, B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate, Creatine, Dehydroepiandrosterone and Fatty Acid Supplementation on Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Older People Aged 60 Years and Over. A Systematic Review on the Literature. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Creatine-electrolyte supplementation improves repeated sprint cycling performance: A double blind randomized control study. | Link | 2018 | RCT |
| IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Evidence-Based Supplements for the Enhancement of Athletic Performance. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Creatine Use in Sports. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Effects of Creatine and Carbohydrate Loading on Cycling Time Trial Performance | Link | 2018 | RCT |
| Creatine monohydrate supplementation during eight weeks of progressive resistance training increases strength in as little as two weeks without reducing markers of muscle damage | Link | 2018 | RCT |
| A whey protein-based multi-ingredient nutritional supplement stimulates gains in lean body mass and strength in healthy older men: A randomized controlled trial. | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Creatine Loading Does Not Preserve Muscle Mass or Strength During Leg Immobilization in Healthy, Young Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis | Link | 2017 | Meta-analysis |
| Hematological and Hemodynamic Responses to Acute and Short-Term Creatine Nitrate Supplementation. | Link | 2017 | Crossover |
| Effects of two pre-workout supplements on concentric and eccentric force production during lower body resistance exercise in males and females: a counterbalanced, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| The effect of combined supplementation of carbohydrates and creatine on anaerobic performance | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Are Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals Effective for Musculoskeletal Health and Cognitive Function? A Scoping Review | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Effect of creatine supplementation and drop-set resistance training in untrained aging adults. | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| Effects of Five Weeks of Resistance Training and Relatively-Dosed Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Body Composition and Muscle Strength, and Whole-Body Creatine Metabolism in Resistance-Trained Males | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| The use of creatine supplements in the military. | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Acute and chronic safety and efficacy of dose dependent creatine nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. | Link | 2016 | Crossover |
| Creatine Supplementation and Upper Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | SpringerLink | Link | 2016 | Review |
| The Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Explosive Performance and Optimal Individual Postactivation Potentiation Time | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults | Link | 2015 | Parallel |
| Short-term creatine supplementation has no impact on upper-body anaerobic power in trained wrestlers. | Link | 2015 | Parallel |
| Creatine Supplementation and Lower Limb Strength Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses | SpringerLink | Link | 2015 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation and swimming performance; a systematic review and meta-analysis | Link | 2015 | Review |
| The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on anaerobic performance measures and body composition. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation post-exercise does not enhance training-induced adaptations in middle to older aged males. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults-a meta-analysis | Link | 2014 | Meta-analysis |
| Effect of creatine supplementation on physical performance are related to the AMPD1 and PPARG genes polymorphisms in football players. | Link | 2014 | NRCT |
| Dietary supplements for aquatic sports. | Link | 2014 | Review |
| Creatine monohydrate supplementation on lower-limb muscle power in Brazilian elite soccer players. | Link | 2014 | Parallel |
| Creatine but not betaine supplementation increases muscle phosphorylcreatine content and strength performance | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| The effect of creatine supplementation on muscle fatigue and physiological indices following intermittent swimming bouts | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine monohydrate loading on anaerobic performance and one-repetition maximum strength. | Link | 2012 | RCT |
| Oral Creatine Supplementation Decreases Blood Lactate during Exhaustive, Incremental Cycling | Link | 2012 | Single-arm |
| Effect of creatine plus caffeine supplements on time to exhaustion during an incremental maximum exercise | Link | 2012 | RCT |
| Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain. | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Jumping Performance in Elite Volleyball Players | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine supplementation on performance and hormonal response in amateur swimmers. | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| Ergolytic/ergogenic effects of creatine on aerobic power | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older men. | Link | 2010 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine loading and gender on anaerobic running capacity. | Link | 2010 | Crossover |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on neuromuscular function. | Link | 2009 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels | Link | 2009 | RCT |
| The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial | Link | 2009 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output | Link | 2009 | Parallel |
| Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold in cycle ergometry in college-age men. | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Comparison of creatine monohydrate and carbohydrate supplementation on repeated jump height performance. | Link | 2008 | Crossover |
| The effects of creatine pyruvate and creatine citrate on performance during high intensity exercise | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Effects of whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy | Link | 2007 | Parallel |
| The effect and safety of short-term creatine supplementation on performance of push-ups. | Link | 2007 | Parallel |
| Effects of creatine supplementation and three days of resistance training on muscle strength, power output, and neuromuscular function. | Link | 2007 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine loading on electromyographic fatigue threshold during cycle ergometry in college-aged women. | Link | 2007 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained women | Link | 2006 | RCT |
| Influence of creatine supplementation on 800 m wheelchair performance: a pilot study. | Link | 2006 | Other |
| Creatine supplementation and multiple sprint running performance. | Link | 2006 | NRCT |
| Creatine supplementation does not enhance submaximal aerobic training adaptations in healthy young men and women. | Link | 2006 | NRCT |
| Effect of low-dose, short-duration creatine supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance. | Link | 2005 | RCT |
| The effects of acute creatine supplementation on multiple sprint cycling and running performance in rugby players. | Link | 2005 | Crossover |
| Effect of a 10-week strength training program and recovery drink on body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and anaerobic power and capacity. | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on the performance and body composition of competitive swimmers. | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation in young soccer players. | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| Low dose creatine supplementation enhances sprint phase of 400 meters swimming performance. | Link | 2004 | NRCT |
| Creatine supplementation and performance in 6 consecutive 60 meter sprints. | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Creatine serum is not as effective as creatine powder for improving cycle sprint performance in competitive male team-sport athletes | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| Acute creatine monohydrate supplementation: a descriptive physiological profile of responders vs. nonresponders | Link | 2004 | Single-arm |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. | Link | 2003 | Review |
| Effects of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine supplementation on muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition. | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis | Link | 2003 | Meta-analysis |
| Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humans | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians | Link | 2003 | Parallel |
| Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. | Link | 2003 | Review |
| Effects of high dose oral creatine supplementation on anaerobic capacity of elite wrestlers. | Link | 2003 | Single-arm |
| Effects of creatine loading on muscular strength and endurance of female softball players | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Pre-exercise oral creatine ingestion does not improve prolonged intermittent sprint exercise in humans. | Link | 2002 | Crossover |
| Does oral creatine supplementation improve strength? A meta-analysis. | Link | 2002 | Meta-analysis |
| Effects of 4 weeks of creatine supplementation in junior swimmers on freestyle sprint and swim bench performance | Link | 2002 | RCT |
| Creatine-dextrose and protein-dextrose induce similar strength gains during training. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength | Link | 2001 | Parallel |
| Effect of creatine supplementation on metabolism and performance in humans during intermittent sprint cycling. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition | Link | 2000 | RCT |
| Acute creatine supplementation in older men | Link | 2000 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effects of in-season (5 weeks) creatine and pyruvate supplementation on anaerobic performance and body composition in American football players. | Link | 1999 | NRCT |
| Effects of training and creatine supplement on muscle strength and body mass. | Link | 1999 | NRCT |
| Effects of 30 days of creatine ingestion in older men | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation--part I: performance, clinical chemistry, and muscle volume. | Link | 1999 | Crossover |
| Creatine supplementation. Its role in human performance. | Link | 1999 | Review |
| Scientific facts behind creatine monohydrate as sport nutrition supplement. | Link | 1999 | Review |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on exercise performance. | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| The effect of longer-term creatine supplementation on elite swimming performance after an acute creatine loading | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. | Link | 1998 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine supplementation on high-intensity exercise performance in elite performers. | Link | 1998 | Crossover |
| Oral Creatine Supplementation and Athletic Performance: A Critical Review | Link | 1998 | Review |
| Effect of oral creatine supplementation on near-maximal strength and repeated sets of high-intensity bench press exercise. | Link | 1998 | RCT |
| Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training | Link | 1997 | RCT |
| Creatine Supplementation as an Ergogenic Aid for Sports Performance in Highly Trained Athletes: A Critical Review | Link | 1997 | Review |
| Creatine and Phosphocreatine: A Review of Their Use in Exercise and Sport | Link | 1997 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation enhances muscular performance during high-intensity resistance exercise | Link | 1997 | RCT |
| Effect of oral creatine supplementation on single-effort sprint performance in elite swimmers | Link | 1996 | Crossover |
| Effect of creatine on aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in skeletal muscle in swimmers | Link | 1996 | RCT |
| Creatine ingestion favorably affects performance and muscle metabolism during maximal exercise in humans | Link | 1996 | Single-arm |
| Recovery of power output and muscle metabolites following 30 s of maximal sprint cycling in man. | Link | 1995 | Single-arm |
| Skeletal muscle metabolism during short duration high-intensity exercise: influence of creatine supplementation. | Link | 1995 | Single-arm |
| Effect of creatine supplementation on intramuscular TCr, metabolism and performance during intermittent, supramaximal exercise in humans | Link | 1995 | Crossover |
| Skeletal muscle energy metabolism and fatigue during intense exercise in man | Link | 1991 | NRCT |
Body Composition & Hypertrophy
2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effects of Protein, Essential Amino Acids, B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate, Creatine, Dehydroepiandrosterone and Fatty Acid Supplementation on Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Older People Aged 60 Years and Over. A Systematic Review on the Literature. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| A whey protein-based multi-ingredient nutritional supplement stimulates gains in lean body mass and strength in healthy older men: A randomized controlled trial. | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Creatine Loading Does Not Preserve Muscle Mass or Strength During Leg Immobilization in Healthy, Young Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis | Link | 2017 | Meta-analysis |
| Creatine Supplementation and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism for Building Muscle Mass- Review of the Potential Mechanisms of Action. | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation elicits greater muscle hypertrophy in upper than lower limbs and trunk in resistance-trained men | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation and drop-set resistance training in untrained aging adults. | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| Effects of Five Weeks of Resistance Training and Relatively-Dosed Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Body Composition and Muscle Strength, and Whole-Body Creatine Metabolism in Resistance-Trained Males | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| Creatine Supplementation Increases Total Body Water in Soccer Players: a Deuterium Oxide Dilution Study | Link | 2016 | RCT |
| Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults | Link | 2015 | Parallel |
| The effects of polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on anaerobic performance measures and body composition. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation post-exercise does not enhance training-induced adaptations in middle to older aged males. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation during resistance training in older adults-a meta-analysis | Link | 2014 | Meta-analysis |
| Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain. | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| The effects of supplementation with creatine and protein on muscle strength following a traditional resistance training program in middle-aged and older men. | Link | 2010 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| The effects of creatine and whey protein supplementation on body composition in men aged 48 to 72 years during resistance training. | Link | 2008 | Parallel |
| Effects of whey isolate, creatine, and resistance training on muscle hypertrophy | Link | 2007 | Parallel |
| Effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation on body composition and strength indices in experienced resistance trained women | Link | 2006 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation augments the increase in satellite cell and myonuclei number in human skeletal muscle induced by strength training. | Link | 2006 | RCT |
| Effect of a 10-week strength training program and recovery drink on body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and anaerobic power and capacity. | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on the performance and body composition of competitive swimmers. | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| The effects of creatine supplementation on muscular performance and body composition responses to short-term resistance training overreaching | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations. | Link | 2003 | Review |
| Effects of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine supplementation on muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition. | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis | Link | 2003 | Meta-analysis |
| Effects of creatine on body composition and strength gains after 4 weeks of resistance training in previously nonresistance-trained humans | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians | Link | 2003 | Parallel |
| Effects of creatine loading and prolonged creatine supplementation on body composition, fuel selection, sprint and endurance performance in humans | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Creatine Supplementation Increases Total Body Water Without Altering Fluid Distribution | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Changes in human muscle transverse relaxation following short-term creatine supplementation. | Link | 2002 | NRCT |
| Creatine-dextrose and protein-dextrose induce similar strength gains during training. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| The effect of whey protein supplementation with and without creatine monohydrate combined with resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscle strength | Link | 2001 | Parallel |
| Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition | Link | 2000 | RCT |
| Acute creatine supplementation in older men | Link | 2000 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effects of in-season (5 weeks) creatine and pyruvate supplementation on anaerobic performance and body composition in American football players. | Link | 1999 | NRCT |
| Effects of training and creatine supplement on muscle strength and body mass. | Link | 1999 | NRCT |
| Effects of 30 days of creatine ingestion in older men | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training | Link | 1999 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation--part I: performance, clinical chemistry, and muscle volume. | Link | 1999 | Crossover |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. | Link | 1998 | RCT |
| Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training | Link | 1997 | RCT |
Neurology and Cognition
2010-2019
2000-2009
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation enhances corticomotor excitability and cognitive performance during oxygen deprivation. | Link | 2015 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation associated or not with strength training upon emotional and cognitive measures in older women: a randomized double-blind study | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores. | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| Skill execution and sleep deprivation: effects of acute caffeine or creatine supplementation - a randomized placebo-controlled trial. | Link | 2011 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Creatine supplementation does not improve cognitive function in young adults | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| The neuroprotective role of creatine | Link | 2007 | Review |
| Cerebral energetic effects of creatine supplementation in humans. | Link | 2007 | Other |
| Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals. | Link | 2007 | RCT |
| Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol | Link | 2006 | RCT |
| Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial | Link | 2003 | Crossover |
| Effects of creatine on mental fatigue and cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation. | Link | 2002 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine on mental fatigue and cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation | Link | 2002 | RCT |
Health & Safety
2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Creatine Use in Sports. | Link | 2018 | Review |
| Hematological and Hemodynamic Responses to Acute and Short-Term Creatine Nitrate Supplementation. | Link | 2017 | Crossover |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on cardiac autonomic functions in bodybuilders. | Link | 2017 | NRCT |
| Acute and chronic safety and efficacy of dose dependent creatine nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. | Link | 2016 | Crossover |
| Creatine for women: a review of the relationship between creatine and the reproductive cycle and female-specific benefits of creatine therapy. | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation and glycemic control: a systematic review. | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation alters homocysteine level in resistance trained men. | Link | 2015 | RCT |
| 28 days of creatine nitrate supplementation is apparently safe in healthy individuals. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| A review of creatine supplementation in age-related diseases: more than a supplement for athletes | Link | 2014 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation. | Link | 2013 | Review |
| Does long-term creatine supplementation impair kidney function in resistance-trained individuals consuming a high-protein diet? | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation. | Link | 2011 | Review |
| Exploring the therapeutic role of creatine supplementation. | Link | 2010 | Review |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Does creatine supplementation hinder exercise heat tolerance or hydration status? A systematic review with meta-analyses. | Link | 2009 | Meta-analysis |
| Creatine supplementation does not affect clinical health markers in football players. | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation in athletes: are side effects dose dependent? | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Creatine: endogenous metabolite, dietary, and therapeutic supplement. | Link | 2007 | Review |
| Side effects of creatine supplementation in athletes. | Link | 2006 | Review |
| Risk assessment for creatine monohydrate. | Link | 2006 | Review |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function. | Link | 2004 | Review |
| Creatine: are the benefits worth the risk? | Link | 2004 | Review |
| Elevation of creatine in red blood cells in vegetarians and nonvegetarians after creatine supplementation. | Link | 2004 | NRCT |
| Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes | Link | 2003 | |
| Creatine supplementation during college football training does not increase the incidence of cramping or injury. | Link | 2003 | Single-arm |
| Effects of creatine use on the athlete's kidney. | Link | 2002 | Review |
| Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football players. | Link | 2002 | Parallel |
| Potential cytotoxic effect of chronic administration of creatine, a nutrition supplement to augment athletic performance. | Link | 2000 | Review |
| Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? | Link | 2000 | Review |
| Dietary creatine supplementation does not affect some haematological indices, or indices of muscle damage and hepatic and renal function. | Link | 2000 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Scientific facts behind creatine monohydrate as sport nutrition supplement. | Link | 1999 | Review |
| Creatine: a review of efficacy and safety. | Link | 1999 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation in health and disease. Effects of chronic creatine ingestion in vivo: down-regulation of the expression of creatine transporter isoforms in skeletal muscle. | Link | 1998 | Review |
| Potential Side Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation: A Critical Review | Link | 1998 | Review |
| High-performance capillary electrophoresis-pure creatine monohydrate reduces blood lipids in men and women. | Link | 1996 | RCT |
Timing, Dosing, & Forms
2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Plasma Creatine Kinetics After Ingestion of Microencapsulated Creatine Monohydrate with Enhanced Stability in Aqueous Solutions. | Link | 2017 | RCT |
| Creatine and creatine forms intended for sports nutrition. | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Timing, Optimal Dose and Intake Duration of Dietary Supplements with Evidence-Based Use in Sports Nutrition. | Link | 2016 | Review |
| Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults | Link | 2015 | Parallel |
| Comparison of creatine supplementation before versus after supervised resistance training in healthy older adults. | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation. | Link | 2013 | Review |
| The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. | Link | 2012 | RCT |
| Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. | Link | 2011 | Review |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels | Link | 2009 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output | Link | 2009 | Parallel |
| Creatine supplementation does not affect clinical health markers in football players. | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| The effects of creatine pyruvate and creatine citrate on performance during high intensity exercise | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Comparison of new forms of creatine in raising plasma creatine levels | Link | 2007 | Crossover |
| Creatine serum is not as effective as creatine powder for improving cycle sprint performance in competitive male team-sport athletes | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of oral creatine | Link | 2003 | Other |
| Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle | Link | 2003 | Parallel |
Other Studies
2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Practical Issues in Evidence-Based Use of Performance Supplements: Supplement Interactions, Repeated Use and Individual Responses. | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Manipulation of Muscle Creatine and Glycogen Changes Dual X-ray Absorptiometry Estimates of Body Composition | Link | 2017 | Parallel |
| Creatine Fuels the Thermic Effect of Feeding: Cell Metabolism | Link | 2017 | Review |
| Caffeine Potentiates the Ergogenic Effects of Creatine | Link | 2017 | Parallel |
| Whole body creatine and protein kinetics in healthy men and women: effects of creatine and amino acid supplementation. | Link | 2016 | Single-arm |
| Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Augmentation on Brain Metabolic and Network Outcome Measures in Women With Major Depressive Disorder | Link | 2016 | |
| Role of creatine supplementation in exercise-induced muscle damage: A mini review. | Link | 2015 | Review |
| Effects of short term creatine supplementation and resistance exercises on resting hormonal and cardiovascular responses | Link | 2015 | RCT |
| Creatine and Caffeine: Considerations for Concurrent Supplementation | Link | 2015 | Review |
| Short-term Creatine Supplementation Suppresses the Cortisol Response to a High-Intensity Swim-Sprint Workout | Link | 2014 | RCT |
| Contribution of creatine to protein homeostasis in athletes after endurance and sprint running | Link | 2013 | Crossover |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers after repeated-sprint exercise in humans | Link | 2013 | RCT |
| Effects of creatine supplementation in taekwondo practitioners | Link | 2013 | Crossover |
| A pilot dose-finding clinical trial of creatine monohydrate augmentation to SSRIs/SNRIs/NASA antidepressant treatment in major depression | Link | 2013 | Parallel |
| Phosphocreatine interacts with phospholipids, affects membrane properties and exerts membrane-protective effects.. | Link | 2012 | Other |
| A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral creatine monohydrate augmentation for enhanced response to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in women with major depressive disorder | Link | 2012 | |
| Elevated plasma creatinine due to creatine ethyl ester use. | Link | 2011 | Review |
| Effect of caffeine ingestion after creatine supplementation on intermittent high-intensity sprint performance | Link | 2011 | Crossover |
| The effect of short-term creatine loading on active range of movement. | Link | 2010 | RCT |
| Effects of oral creatine and resistance training on serum myostatin and GASP-1 | Link | 2010 | RCT |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Effect of creatine supplementation and resistance-exercise training on muscle insulin-like growth factor in young adults. | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Global and targeted gene expression and protein content in skeletal muscle of young men following short-term creatine monohydrate supplementation | Link | 2008 | Crossover |
| Effects of creatine supplementation on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in sedentary healthy males undergoing aerobic training | Link | 2008 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation does not affect human skeletal muscle glycogen content in the absence of prior exercise | Link | 2008 | Crossover |
| Creatine supplementation, sleep deprivation, cortisol, melatonin and behavior | Link | 2007 | RCT |
| Creatine monohydrate in resistant depression: a preliminary study | Link | 2007 | |
| Acute creatine monohydrate supplementation: a descriptive physiological profile of responders vs. nonresponders | Link | 2004 | Single-arm |
| The effects of creatine supplementation on cardiovascular, metabolic, and thermoregulatory responses during exercise in the heat in endurance-trained humans | Link | 2004 | Crossover |
| Creatine supplementation increases glycogen storage but not GLUT-4 expression in human skeletal muscle | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Elevation of creatine in red blood cells in vegetarians and nonvegetarians after creatine supplementation | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| The effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race | Link | 2004 | RCT |
| Pharmacokinetics of the dietary supplement creatine. | Link | 2003 | Review |
| Creatine supplementation affects glucose homeostasis but not insulin secretion in humans | Link | 2003 | RCT |
| Muscle creatine uptake and creatine transporter expression in response to creatine supplementation and depletion | Link | 2003 | Single-arm |
| Differential response of muscle phosphocreatine to creatine supplementation in young and old subjects | Link | 2002 | Single-arm |
| Opposite actions of caffeine and creatine on muscle relaxation time in humans | Link | 2002 | Crossover |
| Caffeine is ergogenic after supplementation of oral creatine monohydrate | Link | 2002 | Crossover |
| The effect of 7 days of creatine supplementation on 24-hour urinary creatine excretion. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Short-term creatine supplementation does not alter the hormonal response to resistance training. | Link | 2001 | Crossover |
| Physiological responses to short-term exercise in the heat after creatine loading. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Effects of acute creatine monohydrate supplementation on leucine kinetics and mixed-muscle protein synthesis. | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Muscle glycogen supercompensation is enhanced by prior creatine supplementation | Link | 2001 | Single-arm |
| Effect of oral creatine supplementation on human muscle GLUT4 protein content after immobilization | Link | 2001 | RCT |
| Creatine supplementation patterns and perceived effects in select division I collegiate athletes. | Link | 2000 | Other |
| Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans | Link | 2000 | Other |
| Study | Link | Year | Type |
| Role of submaximal exercise in promoting creatine and glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle | Link | 1999 | |
| Stimulatory effect of insulin on creatine accumulation in human skeletal muscle | Link | 1998 | Single-arm |
| Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine feeding in humans | Link | 1996 | Parallel |
| Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans | Link | 1996 | RCT |
| Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading | Link | 1996 | RCT |
| Effect of oral creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle phosphocreatine resynthesis | Link | 1994 | Single-arm |
Exclusions
We have excluded the following types of studies:
- Animal
- In vitro
- Disease (except for reviews, which we have included)
Licenses and Attributions
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