Do I actually need supplements?
Start with the job you need help with, then consider food, evidence, suitability and cost.
Read the guide →← Supplements & nutrition
SHIFT Knowledge
Creatine monohydrate: purpose, evidence and realistic expectations
Understand its specific place in training and the questions to ask before deciding whether it is useful for you.
By SHIFT Some Timber · Sources checked . General information, not an individual assessment. This guide has not been reviewed by a clinician.
On this page
The short answer
Creatine monohydrate has evidence for some repeated, short, high-intensity exercise, such as aspects of strength training. It is not a weight-loss treatment or a guarantee of muscle gain. Whether it has a useful place depends on your activity, expectations and suitability; a general guide cannot choose a personal dose.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: exercise and athletic performance
Be clear about the purpose
Creatine helps the body’s energy supply during certain demanding efforts. The NIH evidence summary describes benefits for some repeated high-intensity activities, with less value for endurance exercise. That is a specific purpose. It should not be stretched into a promise to fix everyday tiredness, replace training or treat low testosterone.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: exercise and athletic performance
Start with the activity
Ask what you actually want the supplement to help with. If the goal is beginning a manageable exercise routine, access, confidence and a repeatable plan may be more useful first decisions. If you already train, ask how you will judge whether a product adds anything. An impressive before-and-after photograph does not show what caused the change.
Understand the scale conversation
Creatine can increase body weight through water retention. A rise on the scale is not automatically an increase in body fat, nor proof of new muscle. If you are monitoring weight for another reason, discuss the context with the relevant professional. Avoid promising a particular amount of strength, muscle or weight change to every user.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: exercise and athletic performance
Check the actual product
Read whether the product is creatine monohydrate alone or a blend containing caffeine, vitamins or other ingredients. Compare the labelled daily serving, warnings, price and overlap with anything else you use. Evidence about an ingredient does not validate every claim made for a mixed product. You should be able to explain the intended purpose without repeating a marketing slogan.
Check suitability before a decision
Ask a pharmacist or clinician if you take medicines, have a health condition or are unsure whether it is suitable. Tell them what is in the exact product. Do not use it as a way to postpone assessment of unexplained weakness or tiredness. Ask Timber can explain the evidence generally and help compare labels; it cannot choose a treatment or individual supplement regimen.
Sources and scope
Source checking is separate from clinical review. Linked guidance may change. Product instructions and service availability must be checked on the current product or provider page.
One useful next step
Related reading
Before you buy a supplement: labels, overlap and claims
Compare what is in the pack, what a serving means and whether the claims deserve your money.
Read the guide →Protein for men managing their weight
Practical food choices, fullness and muscle.
Read the guide →Last updated .