Free tool · GLP-1 strength
How much creatine, and what it can do on a GLP-1
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements for building muscle and strength alongside resistance training. Work out a daily dose for your weight, see how the forms on the shelf compare, and read what the research says about the common worries.
Your dose
Your daily dose
Daily dose
3 to 5 g
Weight-based low end
2.5 g
Loading
Optional
Stores full in
3 to 4 weeks
The daily dose for most adults is 3 to 5 g, with no loading needed. The NIH fact sheet also gives a weight-based range that starts at 0.03 g per kg, which is about 2.5 g for you. Taken every day, either one fills your muscle stores in about 3 to 4 weeks, the same level loading reaches.
Creatine monohydrate is what these doses were worked out with. Take it at whatever time of day you will remember. Some studies suggest very large athletes may need 5 to 10 g a day to keep stores full. For most people, 3 to 5 g is enough.
This is education, not medical advice
Creatine is a dietary supplement, so it does not need FDA review or approval before it is sold. The research below is mostly in healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, take prescription medicines, are pregnant or are under 18, check with your care team before you start, and tell them you take it before any kidney blood test.
Which form to buy
Newer forms of creatine usually cost more and come with claims of better absorption or fewer side effects. Pick one to see what the studies found.
Monohydrate
Creatine bound to one molecule of water. It is about 88% creatine by weight, the highest share of any form apart from anhydrous creatine, and the powder stays stable for years.
What the evidence shows. This is the form nearly all the research used, including the safety studies, the dosing studies and the trials in older adults. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements calls it the most widely used and studied form, and the ISSN calls it the most extensively studied and clinically effective one.
Creatine HCl
Creatine bound to hydrochloric acid. It dissolves in water more easily, and it is often sold at smaller doses with the claim that less is needed.
What the evidence shows. A 2022 review found no evidence that it is absorbed better than monohydrate in people, that it raises muscle creatine more at the same dose, or that smaller doses work as well. In a 2025 trial, 31 athletes took 5 g a day of HCl, monohydrate or a placebo for 8 weeks, and the two creatine groups did not differ on any strength or body composition measure.
Buffered
Monohydrate with an alkaline powder added, sold on the claim that it breaks down less in the stomach and works at lower doses with fewer side effects.
What the evidence shows. In a 28-day trial of 36 resistance-trained adults with muscle biopsies, the buffered form did not raise muscle creatine or improve strength, body composition or side effects more than monohydrate. At the label dose of 1.5 g a day, muscle creatine tended to rise less than with standard monohydrate.
Ethyl ester
Creatine with an ester group attached, marketed as better absorbed.
What the evidence shows. In lab testing it converted to creatinine, the waste product, with no measurable creatine produced. In a trial against monohydrate, muscle creatine rose more with monohydrate, and the ethyl ester group saw blood creatinine more than double.
Nitrate
Creatine bound to nitrate, sold for the extra effects nitrate is claimed to have on blood flow.
What the evidence shows. Neither the ISSN position stand nor the 2021 and 2022 reviews found any study showing it raises muscle creatine more than the same amount of monohydrate. Other forms carry less creatine per gram, so a gram of them delivers less.
Gummies
A chewable format. The creatine inside is usually monohydrate, so the questions are how much is in each gummy and whether the label is accurate.
What the evidence shows. Creatine breaks down into creatinine in liquid, which is why it is mostly sold as a powder. One 10-week trial gave 32 female volleyball athletes 5 g a day in gummy form, and jump height and change of direction improved against a control group, with no difference in lean mass. The gummies were donated by the company that makes them. Count how many gummies add up to a full dose.
Look for a third-party seal
The FDA says products sold for bodybuilding are among the supplements most often found with hidden or mislabeled ingredients, and the 2021 creatine review describes poorly made creatine that contained manufacturing byproducts and heavy metals. Independent certification programs, such as NSF Certified for Sport, Informed-Choice and the Banned Substances Control Group, test products for what the label says is inside and for banned substances. Certified products carry the program’s logo and are listed on its website, so you can check there before you buy.
What you may have heard, and what the evidence says
You may have heard
Creatine damages your kidneys
In healthy people, controlled research at recommended doses has not found kidney damage. Studies have run up to 5 years, and a 12-week trial in people with type 2 diabetes found no effect on kidney function. The case reports that started the worry involved existing kidney disease, other medications or very large doses. One thing worth knowing: creatine can raise creatinine on a blood test, and creatinine is what labs use to estimate kidney function. Tell whoever orders your labs that you take it.
You may have heard
Creatine makes your hair fall out
This traces back to a single 2009 study of college rugby players, in which a hormone called DHT rose during creatine loading. The study measured hormones and did not look at hair, and the DHT rise has not been replicated. In 2025, a 12-week randomized trial in 38 men taking 5 g a day measured both DHT and hair directly, and found no difference from placebo in either.
You may have heard
The weight you gain is fat
Creatine pulls water into muscle. A loading phase typically adds 1 to 3 kg (about 2 to 7 lb), mostly water, and some studies saw 1 to 2 kg over a month of strength training. Trials from one week to two years long have not found that creatine increases fat mass. If you are watching the scale on a GLP-1, a small bump in the first weeks of creatine is expected, and a body composition scan tells you more than the scale does.
You may have heard
It dehydrates you and causes cramps
Controlled studies do not support this. In one season-long study of college football players, the creatine users actually had fewer cramps and fewer heat and dehydration problems than non-users. Drinking enough is still sensible, and the water calculator can help with that.
You may have heard
Taking it alone builds muscle
Creatine works best paired with resistance training. Without training, the gains in strength and function in older adults are small. With training, the gains are larger and consistent, likely because creatine lets you do a bit more work in each session.
You may have heard
You have to load it, then cycle off
Loading is optional. A daily 3 to 5 g reaches the same muscle stores in about 3 to 4 weeks. Timing during the day matters less than taking it consistently. If you stop, stores drift back to where they started over 4 to 6 weeks, and they do not drop below your starting point.
For fluids, see the water calculator.
Talk to your care team first if this is you
Kidney disease or reduced kidney function
The ISSN notes that some experts advise people with existing kidney disease to check with their doctor first. Because creatine can raise blood creatinine, your care team also needs to know you take it when they read your kidney labs.
Prescription medicines
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements advises that supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and that people should talk with their health care providers before using them.
Pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant
Animal studies look reassuring, but there are no well-designed human trials on the safety of creatine during pregnancy yet.
Under 18
The ISSN considers creatine acceptable for younger athletes only with supervised training, a balanced diet and recommended doses. Start with a pediatrician.
Creatine and a GLP-1
Some of the weight lost is lean mass
In the STEP 1 trial of semaglutide 2.4 mg, people in the body scan group lost an average of 17.3 kg, and 6.9 kg of that was lean mass, about 40% of the total. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of tirzepatide, the scan group lost 10.9% of their lean mass. Lean mass includes water, organs and other tissue as well as muscle, and muscle is usually about half of it, so these numbers do not tell us exactly how much muscle went.
Where the creatine evidence comes from
The best evidence for creatine and muscle comes from older adults doing resistance training. A meta-analysis of 22 trials with 721 people, average ages 57 to 70, found that adding creatine to training two or three days a week gave about 1.4 kg more lean mass than training with a placebo, along with more strength in the chest press and leg press. Those people were not losing weight on a GLP-1.
No finished trial on a GLP-1 yet
A paper published in September 2026 states that no randomized trial has tested creatine during GLP-1 weight loss, and presents the idea as a hypothesis to test. One trial is now under way: a University of Saskatchewan pilot study (NCT07625202) began recruiting in May 2026. It plans to enroll 40 adults on a GLP-1 medication, all doing a 12-week resistance training program with either creatine or a placebo, and it is expected to finish collecting its main results in May 2027. Until results like that exist, creatine on a GLP-1 is a reasonable add-on to strength training and protein, and an unproven one.
Training and protein come first
Creatine helps you get a little more out of each strength session, so it only has something to work with if you are training. Enough protein matters too, and the protein calculator can give you a daily target.
Who wrote the research
Many of the creatine researchers cited on this page disclose ties to companies that make or sell creatine, and each paper lists them. The NIH fact sheet, written by a federal office, reaches the same conclusions on dose and safety.
Sources
14 references
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. Source of the loading protocol (5 g four times a day, or about 0.3 g/kg a day, for 5 to 7 days), the 3 to 5 g maintenance dose and the 5 to 10 g note for larger athletes, the 4 to 6 weeks for stores to return to baseline, the kidney safety findings including the 12-week type 2 diabetes trial, the advice that people with kidney disease consult their doctor, the football study with fewer cramps, the under-18 conditions, and monohydrate as the most studied form.
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w. Source of the 1 to 3 kg gain with loading, the finding that creatine does not increase fat mass, the kidney and creatinine lab points, the hair loss review and the note that the DHT result has not been replicated, cramping and dehydration, the 3 to 4 week daily dosing route and the 10 g per serving caution, the older adult and resistance training findings, the 87.9% creatine content of monohydrate, contamination in poorly made creatine, creatine breaking down in liquid, and no form shown superior to monohydrate.
- Antonio J, Brown AF, Candow DG, et al. Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025;22(1):2441760. doi:10.1080/15502783.2024.2441760. Source for timing mattering less than consistency, the limited benefit without exercise, and the absence of human pregnancy trials.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 1, 2024. ods.od.nih.gov. Source of the 20 g loading dose in four 5 g portions, the weight-based 0.3 g/kg loading dose, the 3 to 6 g (0.03 to 0.1 g/kg) daily route over 3 to 4 weeks, the 1 to 2 kg gain over a month, monohydrate at 88% creatine and as the most studied form, the FDA note on adulterated bodybuilding products, the named third-party certification programs, and the advice to talk with a provider about medicine interactions, and the note that supplements do not need FDA approval before sale.
- Kreider RB, Jäger R, Purpura M. Bioavailability, efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of creatine and related compounds: a critical review. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):1035. doi:10.3390/nu14051035. Source for creatine HCl showing no better absorption, retention or low-dose effect, and for creatine ethyl ester converting to creatinine and raising blood creatinine more than twofold.
- Londoño-Velásquez D, Zuluaga-Narváez Y, Rojas-Posada L, et al. Creatine monohydrate versus creatine hydrochloride on strength and body composition in elite team-sport athletes: a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial comparing low dosages. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025;22(sup1):2533658. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2533658. Source of the 31-athlete, 8-week HCl comparison.
- Jagim AR, Oliver JM, Sanchez A, et al. A buffered form of creatine does not promote greater changes in muscle creatine content, body composition, or training adaptations than creatine monohydrate. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2012;9(1):43. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-9-43. Source of the 36-person, 28-day buffered creatine trial.
- Pereira F, Forbes SC, Romano V, Christopher P, Santana JC, Antonio J. Effects of creatine monohydrate gummies on performance and body composition in female beach volleyball athletes. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2026;11(1):105. doi:10.3390/jfmk11010105. Source of the 10-week gummy trial and its donated product.
- van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2009;19(5):399–404. doi:10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f. The single DHT study behind the hair loss claim. It measured hormones only.
- Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229. Source of the 38-man trial that found no difference in DHT or hair measures.
- Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;8:213–226. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S123529. Source of the 22 trials, 721 participants, ages 57 to 70, and the 1.37 kg lean mass difference.
- Mechanick JI, Butsch WS, Christensen SM, Hamdy O, Li Z, Prado CM, Heymsfield SB. Strategies for minimizing muscle loss during use of incretin-mimetic drugs for treatment of obesity. Obesity Reviews. 2025;26(1):e13841. doi:10.1111/obr.13841. Source of the STEP 1 body scan figures (17.32 kg lost, 6.92 kg of it lean mass, 40%), the SURMOUNT-1 10.9% lean mass figure, and the note that muscle is usually about half of lean mass.
- Ostojic SM, Galyean S. Creatine for glucagon-like peptide-1-associated muscle loss. Clinical Nutrition. 2026;66:106805. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106805. Source for the statement that no randomized trial has yet tested creatine during GLP-1 weight loss.
- University of Saskatchewan. A pilot study on creatine supplementation during resistance-training for prevention of lean tissue mass loss during GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07625202, checked October 4, 2026. Source of the recruiting status, the May 2026 start, the planned 40 participants, the 12-week design and the May 2027 estimated primary completion.
Coaching
Want help building the strength side?
A supplement is the small part. Coaching helps you fit strength work and protein into the week you actually have, with the appetite you have now.
Work with me →