Creatine: uses, doses and side effects

Andy Galpin's standard is 5g of creatine monohydrate a day for strength, power and muscle growth.

Galpin discusses closer to 3g for smaller people and 7–10g for very large athletes. Huberman has also described using 10–15g himself. These are the amounts discussed, not a single agreed formula by body weight.

Lauren Colenso-Semple recommends 5g/day for women who exercise. The benefit is an extra rep or two or slightly better sprint performance; taking it without a training stimulus won't simply build muscle.

Mary Claire Haver recommends creatine for muscle and includes 5g/day alongside resistance training and adequate protein in her menopause discussion.

Bone claims need a separate caveat: a two-year trial in 237 postmenopausal women found no added bone-mineral-density benefit, although some measures of bone geometry improved. (study)

In 2021, Huberman discussed cognitive research at 5g/day, especially in people eating little or no meat. He took that amount himself but said he couldn't tell how much it helped him. His proposed threshold isn't an established dose for everyone.

Rhonda Patrick takes 10g/day in two doses, earlier in the day. She reports less mental fatigue than on 5g, but explicitly calls this an extrapolation and acknowledges possible placebo effects.

Gabrielle Lyon contrasts 5g for muscle with 12g for brain health. Colenso-Semple questions extending results from depression, brain injury and severe sleep loss to healthy people. These clips do not establish a universal 10–12g brain dose.

Patrick discusses a high single dose during prolonged wakefulness. This is a specific experimental setting, not a daily dose or a replacement for sleep.

The 15-person crossover study tested one 0.35g/kg dose during 21 hours of wakefulness and found less deterioration on cognitive tests. (study)

She describes taking 20–25g when travelling and sleeping poorly. This is occasional personal use; she acknowledges that the perceived benefit could be placebo.

Huberman discusses adding creatine to SSRI treatment, particularly in women with major depression. Across the studies he reviews, doses were usually 3–5g/day, sometimes up to 10g. The patients were also receiving treatment.

He flags concern about mania and recommends discussing supplementation with a healthcare provider. Depression-related use needs the treating clinician's input.

Tommy Wood discusses a brain-injury trial in children and adolescents aged 1–18. Huberman's headache episode describes 0.4g/kg/day for six months. This experimental clinical use doesn't establish a routine for adult concussion or everyday headaches.

Sean Mackey mentions small pilot studies, without giving a dose or duration in this clip.

A randomized trial improved muscle function, but found no general improvement in pain, sleep or quality of life. It should not be presented as a proven pain remedy. (study)

Kyle Gillett discusses creatine for people with low DHT or less-sensitive androgen receptors. This is his clinical suggestion, not an established hormone-treatment protocol.

A later 12-week trial of 5g/day in healthy men found no difference in DHT or testosterone changes versus placebo. It did not specifically study people with low DHT. (study)

Chris Palmer discusses research in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, while describing the studies as small and limited in quality. He gives no dosing routine here and emphasizes lifestyle first.

Huberman discusses 5–10g/day in connection with brain function at high altitude and after brain injury. He presents it as something to explore; this does not establish a treatment for altitude illness.

Layne Norton recommends creatine monohydrate and says pricier hydrochloride, ethyl ester and buffered forms don't have better evidence.

Norton says loading fills muscle stores in about a week. Taking 5g/day reaches the same endpoint in roughly two to four weeks, with less chance of stomach trouble.

Galpin says morning, night, before or after training is fine. Huberman mixes it in water and says it can be taken with or without food.

Asked whether creatine needs scheduled breaks, Gillett says there is no reason to cycle it.

Gillett suggests increasing to 10g for some nonresponders. This is a guest's suggestion, not evidence that everyone who notices little should keep raising the dose.

Colenso-Semple prefers powder and warns that some tested gummies contained far less creatine than claimed. Her warning concerns product quality, not every gummy on the market.

Norton suggests smaller 1–2g servings and avoiding loading if it irritates your gut. Patrick also mentions diarrhea at higher doses.

Huberman and Stacy Sims discuss water held inside muscle. Sims says noticeable weight gain isn't inevitable; some women taking 3g don't experience it.

In 2021, Huberman warned about hair loss in susceptible people. Later, he and Sims said there was no evidence that creatine causes it; Gillett also argued against avoiding it for this reason.

A 12-week trial found no difference in measured hair outcomes with 5g/day versus placebo. It had 38 completers, so it cannot settle every dose or long-term question. (study)

Colenso-Semple says creatine can raise creatinine, a marker used to assess kidney function. Tell your physician so they can interpret the result; don't dismiss an abnormal result yourself.

Huberman describes creatine as a possible exception to his general caution about supplements for younger people, with parental involvement. This clip gives no pediatric dosing protocol.