A creatine loading phase means taking about 20 g of creatine a day (four 5 g doses) for 5–7 days, then dropping to 3–5 g a day. It fills your muscles with creatine in about a week instead of about a month. You don’t need to load: a daily 3–5 g dose gets you to the same place, just more slowly.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends loading as the quickest way to raise muscle creatine, and calls 3–5 g a day the standard maintenance dose (Kreider et al., 2017). Whether you should load depends on how soon you want results and how your stomach handles larger doses.
What does a creatine loading phase do?
Your muscles store creatine as phosphocreatine, which helps regenerate energy during short, hard efforts like heavy sets and sprints. Supplementing raises muscle creatine and phosphocreatine by about 20–40%, according to the ISSN position stand. Loading simply gets you to that higher level faster.
Loading vs no loading
| Loading phase | No loading | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily dose | About 20 g (0.3 g/kg) for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g | 3–5 g from day one |
| Time to full muscle stores | About 1 week | About 3–4 weeks |
| Early water weight | More noticeable | Smaller and gradual |
| Stomach upset risk | Higher if doses aren’t split | Low |
| Best for | Starting before a competition or new training block | Most lifters with no deadline |
The ISSN notes that 3 g a day for 28 days produces only a gradual rise in muscle creatine. In practice, after about a month the result is similar to loading.
Creatine loading dose by body weight
The ISSN loading dose is about 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day, split into four doses.
| Body weight | Loading dose per day (5–7 days) | Per dose (×4) | Maintenance after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 15 g | about 4 g | 3 g/day |
| 60 kg | 18 g | about 4.5 g | 3–5 g/day |
| 70 kg | 21 g | about 5 g | 3–5 g/day |
| 80 kg | 24 g | about 6 g | 5 g/day |
| 90 kg | 27 g | about 7 g | 5 g/day |
| 100 kg+ | 30 g | about 7.5 g | 5–10 g/day |
Larger, very muscular athletes may need 5–10 g a day for maintenance, according to the ISSN. Most people do well with 20 g a day while loading and 5 g a day after.
A simple 7-day loading schedule
| Time | Dose |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 5 g |
| Lunch | 5 g |
| Before or after training (or an evening snack on rest days) | 5 g |
| Dinner | 5 g |
From day 8, take 3–5 g once a day, at any time. Taking it with a meal is easiest to remember. Keep taking it on rest days.
Side effects of loading and how to avoid them
Water weight
Weight gain is the most consistently reported side effect of creatine. During loading, the ISSN notes short-term fluid retention of about 0.5–1.0 litre, mostly inside the muscle. This is why the scale may go up by 1 kg or so in the first week. It is not fat.
Stomach upset and diarrhea
Dose size matters. In a study of 59 footballers, diarrhea affected 55.6% of players who took 10 g in one go, compared with 28.6% who took 5 g twice a day and 35% on placebo (Ostojic & Ahmetovic, 2008). Keep each serving to about 5 g, mix it in enough water, and take it with food.
Bloating
Most “creatine bloat” is the water shift above. Splitting doses and skipping the loading phase both reduce it.
Kidneys
The ISSN found no compelling evidence that creatine harms kidney function in healthy people. If you have kidney disease, or take medicine that affects the kidneys, talk to your doctor before using creatine. Also note that creatine can raise creatinine on a blood test, which can look like a kidney problem when it isn’t. Tell your doctor you take it.
Hair loss
The worry comes from one small 2009 study that saw a rise in DHT during loading. A 2025 trial found no effect on hair. We cover the evidence in detail in does creatine cause hair loss?.
Who should load and who should skip it
Consider loading if:
- You want the benefit within a week, for example before a competition or a new strength block
- You handle four servings a day without stomach trouble
Skip loading if:
- You have no deadline. A steady 3–5 g a day is simpler.
- You have a sensitive stomach
- You are worried about the brief DHT rise reported in the 2009 study
- You compete in a weight class and are close to a weigh-in, because of the water gain
How long does creatine take to work?
- With loading: muscle stores are close to full in about 5–7 days. Many lifters notice an extra rep or two at the same weight within the first couple of weeks.
- Without loading: about 3–4 weeks to reach full stores.
Creatine helps you do slightly more work in training. The muscle and strength gains come from that extra training over weeks and months.
Common questions about loading
What if I miss a day?
Just take your next dose as normal. Muscle creatine falls slowly, so one missed day won’t undo anything. Don’t double up.
Do vegetarians need to load?
Vegetarians and vegans usually start with lower muscle creatine because they eat no meat or fish, so they often see a bigger response. Either approach works. A daily 3–5 g dose is enough.
Can I load with creatine HCl or gummies?
Creatine monohydrate is the form with by far the most research. The loading protocols above are based on monohydrate. Gummies make it hard to get 20 g a day without a lot of sugar and pieces.
Do I need to cycle creatine?
No. The ISSN describes long-term daily use at 3–5 g as safe in healthy people.
Should I take creatine on rest days?
Yes. Taking it every day keeps your muscle stores topped up.
For more on recovery between hard sessions, see our guide to recovery tools, and our explainer what is fitness and nutrition.
Sources
- Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- Ostojic SM, Ahmetovic Z. Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation in athletes: are side effects dose dependent? Res Sports Med. 2008;16(1):15–22. doi:10.1080/15438620701693280
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before using supplements if you have a medical condition. See our medical disclaimer.
