Answer 5 questions to find out if creatine will actually benefit you.
This quiz evaluates whether creatine supplementation aligns with your training type, dietary habits, and goals. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition — but its benefits vary significantly by training type, diet, and individual response. This quiz identifies where you fall on that spectrum.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound synthesised in the liver from amino acids. It's stored primarily in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine, which serves as a rapid energy source during high-intensity, short-duration efforts — sprinting, heavy lifting, or any activity lasting under 30 seconds.
Supplementing with creatine monohydrate increases phosphocreatine stores by approximately 20–40%. This allows faster ATP regeneration during high-intensity effort, which translates to more repetitions at a given load, heavier lifts, faster sprint times, and improved recovery between sets.
Creatine monohydrate is the most studied sports supplement in existence, with over 700 published studies. A 2017 position statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement available for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.
Meta-analyses consistently show increases of 5–15% in strength performance and 1–2 kg of additional lean mass gained from training programmes with creatine versus without — over comparable time periods.
Creatine is found naturally in meat and fish. People who don't eat these foods have significantly lower baseline muscle creatine stores (approximately 20–30% lower than omnivores). This means they respond more strongly to supplementation — both in terms of performance improvements and cognitive benefits, since the brain also uses phosphocreatine.
Anyone engaged in resistance training, sprinting, team sports, or combat sports is likely to see meaningful performance benefits. The more high-intensity work you do, the more relevant creatine becomes.
Creatine helps counteract age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) when combined with resistance training. Growing evidence also supports cognitive benefits in older adults — particularly for tasks requiring short-term memory and executive function.
Do I need to cycle creatine (take breaks)?
No. There's no evidence that cycling creatine on and off is necessary or beneficial. Continuous daily supplementation is the standard recommendation and produces stable elevated muscle creatine stores.
Is creatine safe for kidneys?
Yes, in healthy adults. The concern about kidney damage is based on a misinterpretation of creatinine (a creatine metabolite) as a kidney damage marker. Research consistently shows no kidney harm from creatine supplementation in people without pre-existing kidney disease. If you have kidney conditions, consult your doctor.
Does creatine cause hair loss?
One study found that creatine supplementation increased DHT (a hormone linked to androgenic hair loss) in rugby players. This study has not been replicated, and no direct link between creatine and hair loss has been established in subsequent research. The evidence is inconclusive.
What if I don't respond to creatine?
Approximately 25–30% of people are "non-responders" — they have naturally high baseline creatine stores (typically from high meat consumption) and see little benefit from supplementation. If you've taken 3–5g daily for 4+ weeks and notice no difference in training performance, you may be a non-responder.