Creatine Dosage Calculator
Enter your body weight to get the creatine monohydrate loading dose (4 × 5 g a day) and its approximate equivalent for your weight (0.3 g/kg), its servings and the maintenance dose that follows (3–5 g a day), as set out in the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) 2017 position stand. You can also choose the no-loading protocol.
- Per serving5.0 g
- Loading period5–7 days
- Total during loading100–140 g
- Approximate equivalent for your weight (≈ 0.3 g/kg)21.0 g/day
- Then maintenance dose3–5 g/day
- Maintenance in larger athletes (some studies)5–10 g/day
How it is calculated
Creatine is a compound found mainly in red meat and seafood, and most of the body’s store sits in skeletal muscle. According to the ISSN’s 2017 position stand, the quickest way to raise muscle creatine is about 0.3 g/kg of creatine monohydrate a day (4 × 5 g) for 5–7 days, followed by 3–5 g a day. Taking 3 g a day for 28 days also raises stores, but more slowly, and its early effect on performance is less well supported. The stand calls creatine monohydrate the most effective nutritional supplement available to athletes for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training, and the most extensively studied form of creatine. For products sold as food supplements, the labelling rules are in the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Food Supplements, which requires their labels to state that the product is not a medicine and is not for preventing or treating disease.
Loading dose (g/day) = 4 × 5 g; approximate equivalent = body weight (kg) × 0.3 g/kgLoading lasts 5–7 days. The maintenance dose is not weight-based: the ISSN says stores are generally kept up with 3–5 g a day, and that some studies suggest larger athletes may need 5–10 g a day. The no-loading protocol is a flat 3 g a day for 28 days.- Enter your body weight in kilograms and choose a protocol.
- With loading, the daily dose is the ISSN’s 4 × 5 g. The ISSN adds “approximately 0.3 g/kg”; the tool multiplies your weight by 0.3 to show that approximate equivalent too, with a note when it is far from the fixed dose.
- Loading lasts 5–7 days; then you switch to a maintenance dose of 3–5 g a day.
- Without loading, you take 3 g a day for 28 days; muscle stores fill more slowly.
Example
For 80 kg with loading: 4 × 5 = 20 g a day, 5 g per serving; over 5–7 days of loading the total is 20 × 5 = 100 to 20 × 7 = 140 g. The approximate weight-based equivalent is 80 × 0.3 = 24 g a day. Then you switch to 3–5 g a day for maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to load?
No. The ISSN lists 3 g a day for 28 days as an alternative, and says that starting on 3–5 g a day raises stores over 3–4 weeks. Loading only fills them faster.
Why doesn’t the maintenance dose depend on weight?
The ISSN gives no weight-based factor for maintenance; it says stores are generally kept up with 3–5 g a day and that some studies suggest larger athletes may need 5–10 g a day. So the calculator shows maintenance as a range.
Is creatine bad for the kidneys?
The ISSN says there is no compelling evidence that creatine harms kidney function in healthy people or in patient groups; the same section notes the suggestion that people with existing kidney disease consult a doctor first as a precaution. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor.
Can I take it while pregnant or under 18?
The Turkish Food Codex requires supplement labels to tell people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, ill or taking medicine to consult a doctor. The ISSN treats creatine in pregnancy only as an area of research and recommends no dose. For under-18s, the ISSN recommends considering creatine only for young athletes in serious supervised training who eat a well-balanced diet, know how to use it and do not exceed recommended doses. In these cases, talk to your doctor.
What happens when I stop?
According to the ISSN, once muscle creatine stores are raised they generally take 4–6 weeks to return to baseline, and there is no evidence that they fall below baseline after stopping.
Does it have side effects?
The ISSN says the only consistently reported side effect in the literature is weight gain. That is a general finding; for your own health, ask your doctor.
Source
- Kreider RB et al. (2017): International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18, PMID 28615996. “Supplementation protocols” section: loading, maintenance, 28-day no-loading protocol, 4–6 weeks back to baseline; “Metabolic role” paragraph 2: 5–10 g/day for larger athletes; “Safety” section: kidneys, weight gain, under-18s; “Pregnancy” section; “Position of the ISSN” items 1, 3, 5 and 7
- Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Food Supplements (No. 2013/49, Official Gazette 16.08.2013/28737): article 4(1)(d) definition of a food supplement; article 13(2)(i) items 6 and 7 (item 7 as amended, Official Gazette 21.11.2015/29539): mandatory label statements