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How does creatine work in the muscle?
Creatine monohydrate is not a stimulant and does not produce any immediate sensation. Its action involves a specific mechanism: energy storage in the form of phosphocreatine.
Muscle contraction consumes ATP, which becomes ADP by losing a phosphate. At maximum intensity, the available ATP stock is depleted in a few seconds. The phosphocreatine stored in the muscle acts as a buffer reserve: it yields its phosphate to ADP to regenerate ATP almost instantly, without going through glycolysis or oxygen.
Supplementation increases this reserve. Concretely: one or two more repetitions on a heavy set, faster recovery between sets. Over several months, these additional repetitions lead to more training volume, and thus more progress. Creatine does not build muscle: it allows you to work a little harder, session after session.
This is the only area where a claim is authorized in the European Union: the increase in physical performance during successive bursts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise, for 3 g per day. The EFSA has also established a cause-and-effect relationship between creatine and improved strength in adults over 55, at a rate of at least 3 g per day combined with resistance training three times a week. Claims regarding memory or cognition are not authorized: we will not include them.
Monohydrate, HCL or Kre-Alkalyn: which form to choose?
The answer is uncomfortable for commerce: monohydrate is the only form whose effectiveness is based on a solid body of research. It is the molecule used in almost all studies published over the past thirty years, and the one on which EFSA based its conclusions.
Alternative forms — hydrochloride (HCL), Kre-Alkalyn (buffered creatine), ethyl esters, liquid creatine, chelated creatine — cost more per gram, with an argument of superior absorption. No convincing evidence has yet established that they produce a greater gain in strength or mass than monohydrate at an equivalent dose.
They have one, and only one, defensible argument: comfort. A minority of users do not tolerate monohydrate well — bloating, digestive discomfort at the start of supplementation, most often due to too large a dose taken at once or a poorly dissolved powder. When fractioning and better dilution are not enough, a more concentrated form solves the problem: creatine HCL is very soluble and requires a significantly smaller volume of powder, practical in capsules or when traveling; Kre-Alkalyn creatine follows the same logic of individual tolerance. Choose them for this reason, not because a label promises revolutionary absorption.
What does the Creapure® label actually guarantee?
Creapure® is not a different form: it is monohydrate, produced by AlzChem at its Trostberg site in Bavaria. The label guarantees three concrete things.
Origin and traceability: German production on a dedicated and closed line, control and certification of each batch by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), verification code on the seal.
Purity: the manufacturer announces a minimum of 99.9%.
Control of synthesis by-products. This is the most serious point. Creatine is obtained by chemical synthesis, and some processes leave undesirable residues: dicyandiamide (DCD) and especially dihydrotriazine (DHT), which is potentially problematic. Creapure® announces undetectable DHT and DCD well below the limits set by EFSA. This is what you pay for — not better absorption, but a clean and documented process. Our Creapure section gathers the relevant references. A monohydrate without this label is not bad either: many manufacturers publish their own batch analyses, the label simply saves you from having to look for them.
Is a loading phase useful?
It consists of taking approximately 20 g per day, in four doses, for five to seven days, before switching to maintenance. It does only one thing: accelerate the saturation of stores. With a loading phase, the muscle is full in one week; without a loading phase, at 3 to 5 g per day, in three to four weeks. The final saturation level is identical, and the medium-term results are also the same. You only gain a few weeks' head start.
In return, this is the period when digestive problems are most likely to appear, and it consumes four times more product. Unless there is an imminent deadline, starting directly at the maintenance dose is simpler and cheaper. The ANSES documented a case of interstitial nephritis in a young man consuming 20 g per day for several weeks: the loading phase is not intended to be prolonged.
What dose, and when?
The maintenance dose is 3 to 5 g per day, or about 0.03 g per kilogram of body weight: approximately 3 g for 65 kg, 5 g for 90 kg. Beyond that, the excess is not stored and is excreted in the urine.
Timing is almost irrelevant. Creatine acts by progressive saturation, not by blood peak: what matters is the store, not the time. Before the session, after, at breakfast or in the evening, the effect is the same.
What matters is regularity, including rest days. The studies cited by EFSA show an effect when creatine is taken daily, and not only on training days: taking it three times a week never completely saturates the muscle.
Two practical details: taking it with a meal or a source of carbohydrates — a little maltodextrin, or a protein shake after the session — often improves digestive tolerance; and drink normally, with electrolytes when it's hot.
Weight gain and kidneys: what should be feared?
Weight gain is real, but it's not fat. Creatine is osmotically active: by being stored in the muscle cell, it attracts water there. This water is intracellular, in the muscle, and not subcutaneous: it does not blur definition, it rather gives a fuller muscle. The variation observed on the scale in the first few weeks corresponds to this phenomenon, and it is reversible — when stopped, stores return to their baseline level in a few weeks and the water leaves with them. There is no reason, therefore, to exclude creatine from a weight loss phase, where it helps maintain performance in a caloric deficit.
Regarding the kidneys, the honest answer is nuanced. EFSA estimated that an intake of up to 3 g per day was not likely to cause problems in healthy adults. ANSES, in its opinion on food supplements for athletes, explicitly advises against these products for people with impaired kidney or liver function, and reiterates a point often ignored: creatine spontaneously converts into creatinine, which raises serum creatinine and can distort the interpretation of a blood test. Report your supplementation to your doctor before a blood test.
We do not promise harmlessness. In case of known kidney or liver disease, long-term treatment, pregnancy or breastfeeding, a doctor's advice is a prerequisite.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is creatine?
A compound naturally present in the body, produced by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from three amino acids—glycine, arginine, methionine—and 95% stored in muscle. It is also found in food, but only in meat and fish: a vegetarian or vegan diet provides almost none, which results in lower initial stores and often greater potential for improvement. Creatine sold as a supplement is obtained by chemical synthesis and contains no animal raw materials: it is suitable for vegan diets, like our plant-based proteins.
How does creatine work?
By storing energy, not by stimulation. Stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, it yields its phosphate to ADP to regenerate ATP in a fraction of a second, without oxygen. This is what allows for one or two more repetitions on a heavy set and faster recovery between sets. No immediate effect is felt upon intake: the benefit is seen in the training log, not in sensations.
What are the dangers of creatine?
At usual doses of 3 to 5 g per day, in healthy adults, no danger has been established: EFSA estimated that an intake of up to 3 g per day did not pose a problem. Reported side effects are digestive and mild, especially at high doses or with poorly dissolved powder. Three real points of vigilance: ANSES advises against these products in cases of impaired kidney or liver function; a loading phase of 20 g per day is not intended to be prolonged; and supplementation raises blood creatinine, which can distort test results if you do not inform your doctor.
Why is creatine said to be banned?
This is a persistent misconception, inherited from 1990s France: creatine was never formally banned there, but an official opinion at the time advised against its use, which fueled the idea of a prohibition. Today it is perfectly legal, freely sold throughout the European Union, and it is not on the list of banned substances in competition. It is not a doping product: it is a compound found in meat and fish, and in your own body.
Which foods contain creatine?
Only meat and fish, at about 3 to 5 g per kilo of raw product—herring, beef, pork, and salmon are the richest. In other words, you would have to eat nearly a kilo of meat per day to reach the dose of a spoonful of powder, and cooking destroys part of it. Plants do not contain any: this is why vegetarians start with lower muscle stores and often respond better to supplementation.
What is the best creatine?
Monohydrate, without hesitation: it is the only form whose effectiveness is based on a solid body of research, and the one on which EFSA based its conclusions. All others—HCL, Kre-Alkalyn, ethyl esters, liquid creatine—cost more per gram without demonstrating superior gain. Between two monohydrates, differentiate by micronization, absence of superfluous additives, and traceability of the synthesis process: a label like Creapure® or, failing that, published batch analyses. A creatine three times more expensive that documents nothing is not a better creatine.
When to take creatine, and how much per day?
3 to 5 g per day, or about 0.03 g per kilogram of body weight; beyond that, the excess is excreted in the urine. The timing is practically irrelevant: creatine acts by progressive muscle saturation, not by blood peak. Before the session, after, at breakfast or in the evening, the effect is identical. What matters is regularity, including rest days. A practical detail: monohydrate dissolves poorly in cold water, and a deposit at the bottom of the glass is simply creatine you haven't drunk—use warm water, stir vigorously, or mix with a whey isolate shaker.
How long does it take for creatine to take effect?
Three to four weeks at the maintenance dose of 3 to 5 g per day: this is the time needed to saturate muscle stores. A loading phase of 20 g per day for five to seven days shortens this period to one week, without changing the final level or medium-term results. Don't expect anything immediate: creatine is not a stimulant and produces no sensation upon intake. What you will notice, if you train regularly, is one or two more repetitions on heavy sets, not a different state.
Creatine and creatinine: what's the difference, and what to do about a high level?
These are two distinct molecules, regularly confused. Creatinine is the spontaneous degradation product of creatine, eliminated by the kidneys; its blood level is used to assess kidney function. Supplementing with creatine mechanically raises serum creatinine, without itself indicating kidney damage: therefore, inform your doctor about your supplementation before a blood test. Regarding the interpretation of a result, we will not go further, and no one should do it for you: a level, a threshold, a course of action are matters for your treating physician. In case of known kidney or liver disease, their advice is a prerequisite for any supplementation.
Is creatine suitable for women?
Yes, without specific product: the dose is adjusted based on body weight, often 3g rather than 5g, and the mechanism is identical. The fear of swelling is unfounded, as the water mobilized is intramuscular and not subcutaneous.
Should it be taken in cycles with breaks?
Nothing requires it. The body does not develop tolerance to creatine, and endogenous production resumes after cessation. Interrupting means allowing stores to empty, then starting over for three or four weeks of resaturation. Continuous intake is more consistent.
Creatine and booster, are they compatible?
Yes, without problematic interaction. Many prefer to separate the two, as creatine should be taken every day at a fixed dose, while a booster is only taken before certain sessions. This is the logic of our creatine-free pre-workouts.
Is creatine a doping product?
No. It is not on the list of banned substances in competition: it is a compound naturally present in the body and in meat. For a tested athlete, the risk does not come from the molecule but from possible contamination of the finished product, hence the value of documented traceability.
What will you find in our selection?
We prioritize simple, micronized monohydrate, without superfluous additives, both in powder and tablet form, notably from IO Genix and Naughty Boy. Creatine then combines with the rest of a plan: proteins for daily intake, beta-alanine for long sets, EAAs around the session, or a complete approach to mass gain.
Where can you ask your questions near Montpellier?
Our store in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, is the quickest place to decide between classic monohydrate, a Creapure® reference, and a tablet format: labels can be compared in hand, and the actual dose per intake can be read in ten seconds. We ship everywhere in France and Europe.
The timing of intake remains the most frequently asked question in store, particularly regarding rest days and the famous loading phase: we answer it in detail in our article on when to take creatine.
Sources: EFSA for scientific opinions and authorized claims, ANSES for the opinion on food supplements for athletes. This information does not replace medical advice.
To go further: what you need to know about creatine and its risks and muscle pump, what it is and how to get it.
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How does creatine work in the muscle?
Creatine monohydrate is not a stimulant and does not produce any immediate sensation. Its action involves a specific mechanism: energy storage in the form of phosphocreatine.
Muscle contraction consumes ATP, which becomes ADP by losing a phosphate. At maximum intensity, the available ATP stock is depleted in a few seconds. The phosphocreatine stored in the muscle acts as a buffer reserve: it yields its phosphate to ADP to regenerate ATP almost instantly, without going through glycolysis or oxygen.
Supplementation increases this reserve. Concretely: one or two more repetitions on a heavy set, faster recovery between sets. Over several months, these additional repetitions lead to more training volume, and thus more progress. Creatine does not build muscle: it allows you to work a little harder, session after session.
This is the only area where a claim is authorized in the European Union: the increase in physical performance during successive bursts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise, for 3 g per day. The EFSA has also established a cause-and-effect relationship between creatine and improved strength in adults over 55, at a rate of at least 3 g per day combined with resistance training three times a week. Claims regarding memory or cognition are not authorized: we will not include them.
Monohydrate, HCL or Kre-Alkalyn: which form to choose?
The answer is uncomfortable for commerce: monohydrate is the only form whose effectiveness is based on a solid body of research. It is the molecule used in almost all studies published over the past thirty years, and the one on which EFSA based its conclusions.
Alternative forms — hydrochloride (HCL), Kre-Alkalyn (buffered creatine), ethyl esters, liquid creatine, chelated creatine — cost more per gram, with an argument of superior absorption. No convincing evidence has yet established that they produce a greater gain in strength or mass than monohydrate at an equivalent dose.
They have one, and only one, defensible argument: comfort. A minority of users do not tolerate monohydrate well — bloating, digestive discomfort at the start of supplementation, most often due to too large a dose taken at once or a poorly dissolved powder. When fractioning and better dilution are not enough, a more concentrated form solves the problem: creatine HCL is very soluble and requires a significantly smaller volume of powder, practical in capsules or when traveling; Kre-Alkalyn creatine follows the same logic of individual tolerance. Choose them for this reason, not because a label promises revolutionary absorption.
What does the Creapure® label actually guarantee?
Creapure® is not a different form: it is monohydrate, produced by AlzChem at its Trostberg site in Bavaria. The label guarantees three concrete things.
Origin and traceability: German production on a dedicated and closed line, control and certification of each batch by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), verification code on the seal.
Purity: the manufacturer announces a minimum of 99.9%.
Control of synthesis by-products. This is the most serious point. Creatine is obtained by chemical synthesis, and some processes leave undesirable residues: dicyandiamide (DCD) and especially dihydrotriazine (DHT), which is potentially problematic. Creapure® announces undetectable DHT and DCD well below the limits set by EFSA. This is what you pay for — not better absorption, but a clean and documented process. Our Creapure section gathers the relevant references. A monohydrate without this label is not bad either: many manufacturers publish their own batch analyses, the label simply saves you from having to look for them.
Is a loading phase useful?
It consists of taking approximately 20 g per day, in four doses, for five to seven days, before switching to maintenance. It does only one thing: accelerate the saturation of stores. With a loading phase, the muscle is full in one week; without a loading phase, at 3 to 5 g per day, in three to four weeks. The final saturation level is identical, and the medium-term results are also the same. You only gain a few weeks' head start.
In return, this is the period when digestive problems are most likely to appear, and it consumes four times more product. Unless there is an imminent deadline, starting directly at the maintenance dose is simpler and cheaper. The ANSES documented a case of interstitial nephritis in a young man consuming 20 g per day for several weeks: the loading phase is not intended to be prolonged.
What dose, and when?
The maintenance dose is 3 to 5 g per day, or about 0.03 g per kilogram of body weight: approximately 3 g for 65 kg, 5 g for 90 kg. Beyond that, the excess is not stored and is excreted in the urine.
Timing is almost irrelevant. Creatine acts by progressive saturation, not by blood peak: what matters is the store, not the time. Before the session, after, at breakfast or in the evening, the effect is the same.
What matters is regularity, including rest days. The studies cited by EFSA show an effect when creatine is taken daily, and not only on training days: taking it three times a week never completely saturates the muscle.
Two practical details: taking it with a meal or a source of carbohydrates — a little maltodextrin, or a protein shake after the session — often improves digestive tolerance; and drink normally, with electrolytes when it's hot.
Weight gain and kidneys: what should be feared?
Weight gain is real, but it's not fat. Creatine is osmotically active: by being stored in the muscle cell, it attracts water there. This water is intracellular, in the muscle, and not subcutaneous: it does not blur definition, it rather gives a fuller muscle. The variation observed on the scale in the first few weeks corresponds to this phenomenon, and it is reversible — when stopped, stores return to their baseline level in a few weeks and the water leaves with them. There is no reason, therefore, to exclude creatine from a weight loss phase, where it helps maintain performance in a caloric deficit.
Regarding the kidneys, the honest answer is nuanced. EFSA estimated that an intake of up to 3 g per day was not likely to cause problems in healthy adults. ANSES, in its opinion on food supplements for athletes, explicitly advises against these products for people with impaired kidney or liver function, and reiterates a point often ignored: creatine spontaneously converts into creatinine, which raises serum creatinine and can distort the interpretation of a blood test. Report your supplementation to your doctor before a blood test.
We do not promise harmlessness. In case of known kidney or liver disease, long-term treatment, pregnancy or breastfeeding, a doctor's advice is a prerequisite.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is creatine?
A compound naturally present in the body, produced by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from three amino acids—glycine, arginine, methionine—and 95% stored in muscle. It is also found in food, but only in meat and fish: a vegetarian or vegan diet provides almost none, which results in lower initial stores and often greater potential for improvement. Creatine sold as a supplement is obtained by chemical synthesis and contains no animal raw materials: it is suitable for vegan diets, like our plant-based proteins.
How does creatine work?
By storing energy, not by stimulation. Stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, it yields its phosphate to ADP to regenerate ATP in a fraction of a second, without oxygen. This is what allows for one or two more repetitions on a heavy set and faster recovery between sets. No immediate effect is felt upon intake: the benefit is seen in the training log, not in sensations.
What are the dangers of creatine?
At usual doses of 3 to 5 g per day, in healthy adults, no danger has been established: EFSA estimated that an intake of up to 3 g per day did not pose a problem. Reported side effects are digestive and mild, especially at high doses or with poorly dissolved powder. Three real points of vigilance: ANSES advises against these products in cases of impaired kidney or liver function; a loading phase of 20 g per day is not intended to be prolonged; and supplementation raises blood creatinine, which can distort test results if you do not inform your doctor.
Why is creatine said to be banned?
This is a persistent misconception, inherited from 1990s France: creatine was never formally banned there, but an official opinion at the time advised against its use, which fueled the idea of a prohibition. Today it is perfectly legal, freely sold throughout the European Union, and it is not on the list of banned substances in competition. It is not a doping product: it is a compound found in meat and fish, and in your own body.
Which foods contain creatine?
Only meat and fish, at about 3 to 5 g per kilo of raw product—herring, beef, pork, and salmon are the richest. In other words, you would have to eat nearly a kilo of meat per day to reach the dose of a spoonful of powder, and cooking destroys part of it. Plants do not contain any: this is why vegetarians start with lower muscle stores and often respond better to supplementation.
What is the best creatine?
Monohydrate, without hesitation: it is the only form whose effectiveness is based on a solid body of research, and the one on which EFSA based its conclusions. All others—HCL, Kre-Alkalyn, ethyl esters, liquid creatine—cost more per gram without demonstrating superior gain. Between two monohydrates, differentiate by micronization, absence of superfluous additives, and traceability of the synthesis process: a label like Creapure® or, failing that, published batch analyses. A creatine three times more expensive that documents nothing is not a better creatine.
When to take creatine, and how much per day?
3 to 5 g per day, or about 0.03 g per kilogram of body weight; beyond that, the excess is excreted in the urine. The timing is practically irrelevant: creatine acts by progressive muscle saturation, not by blood peak. Before the session, after, at breakfast or in the evening, the effect is identical. What matters is regularity, including rest days. A practical detail: monohydrate dissolves poorly in cold water, and a deposit at the bottom of the glass is simply creatine you haven't drunk—use warm water, stir vigorously, or mix with a whey isolate shaker.
How long does it take for creatine to take effect?
Three to four weeks at the maintenance dose of 3 to 5 g per day: this is the time needed to saturate muscle stores. A loading phase of 20 g per day for five to seven days shortens this period to one week, without changing the final level or medium-term results. Don't expect anything immediate: creatine is not a stimulant and produces no sensation upon intake. What you will notice, if you train regularly, is one or two more repetitions on heavy sets, not a different state.
Creatine and creatinine: what's the difference, and what to do about a high level?
These are two distinct molecules, regularly confused. Creatinine is the spontaneous degradation product of creatine, eliminated by the kidneys; its blood level is used to assess kidney function. Supplementing with creatine mechanically raises serum creatinine, without itself indicating kidney damage: therefore, inform your doctor about your supplementation before a blood test. Regarding the interpretation of a result, we will not go further, and no one should do it for you: a level, a threshold, a course of action are matters for your treating physician. In case of known kidney or liver disease, their advice is a prerequisite for any supplementation.
Is creatine suitable for women?
Yes, without specific product: the dose is adjusted based on body weight, often 3g rather than 5g, and the mechanism is identical. The fear of swelling is unfounded, as the water mobilized is intramuscular and not subcutaneous.
Should it be taken in cycles with breaks?
Nothing requires it. The body does not develop tolerance to creatine, and endogenous production resumes after cessation. Interrupting means allowing stores to empty, then starting over for three or four weeks of resaturation. Continuous intake is more consistent.
Creatine and booster, are they compatible?
Yes, without problematic interaction. Many prefer to separate the two, as creatine should be taken every day at a fixed dose, while a booster is only taken before certain sessions. This is the logic of our creatine-free pre-workouts.
Is creatine a doping product?
No. It is not on the list of banned substances in competition: it is a compound naturally present in the body and in meat. For a tested athlete, the risk does not come from the molecule but from possible contamination of the finished product, hence the value of documented traceability.
What will you find in our selection?
We prioritize simple, micronized monohydrate, without superfluous additives, both in powder and tablet form, notably from IO Genix and Naughty Boy. Creatine then combines with the rest of a plan: proteins for daily intake, beta-alanine for long sets, EAAs around the session, or a complete approach to mass gain.
Where can you ask your questions near Montpellier?
Our store in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, is the quickest place to decide between classic monohydrate, a Creapure® reference, and a tablet format: labels can be compared in hand, and the actual dose per intake can be read in ten seconds. We ship everywhere in France and Europe.
The timing of intake remains the most frequently asked question in store, particularly regarding rest days and the famous loading phase: we answer it in detail in our article on when to take creatine.
Sources: EFSA for scientific opinions and authorized claims, ANSES for the opinion on food supplements for athletes. This information does not replace medical advice.
To go further: what you need to know about creatine and its risks and muscle pump, what it is and how to get it.
