Creatine Monohydrate
Three grams a day of the most studied supplement in sports science. It fills the energy reserve your muscles use for the first ten seconds of anything hard, and newer trials show it does something similar for your brain.*
Energy for the first ten seconds of everything
Your muscles keep a small reserve of phosphocreatine for the moments when demand spikes: a heavy lift, a sprint, a sudden hill. Creatine monohydrate raises that reserve by roughly 20 to 40 percent. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why hundreds of trials keep finding the same things: more reps at the end of a set, more power, quicker recovery between efforts. The brain runs on the same currency. When you are tired or sleep deprived it burns through its own creatine stores, which is where the newer cognitive research comes in.*
Boring, proven, and still the biggest legal edge in the sport
Every few years a new form of creatine shows up with a higher price and a better story. None of them has beaten plain monohydrate in a head to head trial. The International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed decades of studies and called it the most effective nutritional supplement available for high intensity exercise and lean mass, and found it safe in healthy adults over years of continuous use. You do not need to load unless you are in a hurry. Three to five grams a day, rest days included, fills your stores in about a month and keeps them full. Swimmers, lifters, sprinters and team sport athletes all see the same pattern: the work you can do in a session goes up, and the soreness between sessions goes down.*
Studied, not just marketed
Creatine has more published trials behind it than any other supplement we sell. These six cover the two reasons people buy it: performance, and thinking clearly when they have not slept.
Summaries describe published research on the ingredient, not on this specific product. Individual results vary. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Your brain spends creatine too. Especially at 2 a.m.
Most people still think of creatine as a gym product. The research has moved on. Brain cells use the same phosphocreatine system to buffer energy, and when sleep is short that buffer runs down. In a 2024 study in Scientific Reports, a single dose of creatine taken during a night of sleep deprivation improved cognitive performance and processing speed for several hours, with measurable changes in the brain's energy chemistry. A 2024 meta analysis of 16 randomized trials found creatine supplementation improved memory and attention in adults. If your week includes red eye flights, 6 a.m. calls across time zones and decisions that cannot wait for a good night's sleep, this is the least glamorous and best supported thing on this shelf.*
Why Dr. Elizabeth stocks this
"I recommend creatine to almost everyone who trains, and these days to plenty of patients who do not. The safety record is unusual for a supplement: the sports nutrition societies have reviewed trials lasting up to five years and found no harm to kidney function in healthy adults. I insist on plain monohydrate because it is the form the evidence is built on. The one thing people get wrong is consistency. It only works if the stores stay full, so take it every day, including the days you rest."
What to expect
Take 3-5 g daily (one level scoop), mixed into water, juice or a shake. An optional loading phase, the label's 4 scoops a day for 5 days, saturates muscles faster; a single daily scoop gets there in 3-4 weeks.
Muscle creatine stores are now full. Most people notice an extra rep or two at the end of sets and quicker recovery between sessions.*
Keep taking it daily, rest days included. Benefits for strength, lean mass and cognition depend on stores staying topped up.*
The details
Ingredients, suggested use & label facts
Creatine Monohydrate — one ingredient, nothing else. Creatine is the fuel behind your muscles' fastest energy system, and the most thoroughly researched performance supplement in sports science: more than 500 published studies support its role in strength, power, lean muscle and recovery.* Newer trials show it supports memory and processing speed as well.*
Dr. Elizabeth Isalguez, MD, insists on plain monohydrate: it is the exact form used in the research, and no 'advanced' version has matched its evidence. Unflavored, so it disappears into water, juice or a shake.
- Supports strength, power and high-intensity performance*
- Supports lean muscle and recovery between sessions*
- Supports memory and mental processing speed*
- Vegan-friendly, non-GMO, gluten-free, no fillers or flavourings
Gluten-free · Vegan-friendly · Non-GMO · Lactose-free · Corn-free
Ingredients: Creatine Monohydrate.
Flavor: Unflavored
Amount: 9.9 oz / 281 g
Suggested use: As a dietary supplement, adults take one (1) scoop in eight (8) oz. of water or juice four (4) times daily during the first five (5) days (loading phase). After the loading phase, take one (1) or two (2) times daily or as directed by a health care professional.
Warning: Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place and away from direct light.
Made in: USA
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Quality & testing
Made in the USA in a GMP-compliant, FDA-registered facility. A Certificate of Analysis is available for every product on request, email us and we will send it. Nothing on this shelf is stocked until Dr. Elizabeth has reviewed the formula and its label.
Shipping & returns
Orders ship from the USA within 1-3 business days. Free shipping on orders over $100. If a formula is not working for you, email us within 30 days of delivery for a refund, see our refund policy for details.
Good questions
Do I need to load?
No. Loading (about 20 g a day for 5 days, as the label describes) fills muscle stores in under a week. Taking 3-5 g a day gets to the same place in 3-4 weeks with less stomach fuss. Either way, the maintenance dose is 3-5 g daily.
Will it make me bloated or gain weight?
Creatine draws water into muscle cells, that is part of how it works. Expect 1-2 lb of intramuscular water in the first weeks; it is not fat and it is not bloating under the skin. Stay hydrated.
Is it safe for my kidneys?
In healthy adults, decades of studies, including trials up to five years long, show no harm to kidney function at recommended doses. If you have existing kidney disease, talk to your physician first.
I do not lift weights. Is there any point?
Yes. Creatine supports any effort that relies on short bursts of power, which includes running, cycling, swimming and most team sports. The cognitive research applies whether or not you train at all. People who eat little or no meat have the lowest baseline stores and tend to notice it most.
Is it just for athletes?
No. Research increasingly supports creatine for memory and mental processing, for older adults preserving muscle, and for vegetarians and vegans, who get almost none from food.
Can I take it when I travel?
It is a dry powder and goes through airport security without trouble. Keep taking your daily scoop in any drink. Stores stay full for a couple of weeks if you miss a few days, so one rushed trip will not undo a month of consistency.
When should I take it?
Timing barely matters; daily consistency does. Many people take it post-workout with carbohydrate or protein, which may help uptake slightly.
Pairs well with
