CREATINE EXPLAINED
Creatine Explained: The Simple Guide
Creatine isn’t just for bodybuilders — it’s one of the most well-studied supplements for strength, recovery, and even brain health.
But, there’s so much information out there, it can be hard to know what creatine does, how much you should take or even if you need it at all.
What Actually Is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made from three amino acids — arginine, glycine, and methionine.
Your body makes it in small amounts, and you also get some through food — mainly red meat and fish.
Inside your muscles, creatine is stored as phosphocreatine, which helps your body produce ATP — your main energy currency during short, powerful efforts (think sprints, heavy lifts, or explosive movements).
Basically, creatine acts like an energy reserve tank for your muscles. When your body runs low on quick energy, creatine steps in to top you up.
Why It Matters (and Who It Helps)
Here’s what consistent use can do:
Increase strength and power — more reps, heavier lifts, faster sprints.
Speed up recovery between sets and sessions.
Support muscle growth by improving training output over time.
Boost brain performance and reduce fatigue, especially under stress or lack of sleep.
Help with hydration at the cellular level (it pulls water into your muscles, not under your skin).
Creatine has proven benefits for women, endurance athletes, older adults, and anyone training regularly for performance or health.
Can You Get Creatine From Food?
Yes — but not enough to match what you get from a supplement.
To equal just one small scoop (about 5g) of creatine powder, you’d need to eat roughly:
500g of steak, or
500g of salmon
...every single day. That’s a lot of food.
So unless you’re eating like a competitive strongman, supplementing is a much simpler (and cheaper) way to keep your muscles fully stocked.
Common Myths About Creatine
Let’s clear these up straight away:
“Creatine makes you bloated.”
Not quite. It draws water into your muscles — that’s part of how it works. It’s not “water retention” under the skin.
“You need to load 20g a day for a week.”
Not necessary. A steady daily dose (3–10g depending on your size and training) works just as well in the long run.
“It’s unsafe.”
Creatine monohydrate has been studied for decades and is one of the safest supplements you can take. If you’re healthy and drink enough water, you’re good to go.
So How Much Should You Take?
I think most products recommend 3 - 5gs per day.
This is a great place to start and to see if you feel the difference. You might do. This might be enough.
There is some new research though - from around 2024 - which points at increasing the dose. This research says that if you take 5gs if Creatine, your muscles will hoover that up which doesn’t leave anything for the other benefits of creatine, like brain health etc.
Don’s start dry scooping just yet though as we’re going to take more of a look into dosing in the next blog post.
The science is starting to show that your bodyweight, training load, and goals should influence how much creatine you take.
Simple, Powerful Takeaway
Creatine is one of the most effective, affordable, and proven supplements on the market.
If you train regularly — for strength, performance, or longevity — it’s worth understanding and using properly.
A couple of things to think about.
When you take creatine, make sure it’s monohydrate and nothing else. Don’t go for anything blended or with flavours etc.
You can add it to whatever you like, but try and take it with some carbs (this might help you if it makes you feel ill with it).
Avoid taking it with caffeine. Caffeine can inhibit the absorption of creatine, so stick it in some water, yoghurt or orange juice.
Any questions are welcome, so please feel free to ask.
Lawson