Verdict
Strong consensus for
20 g of creatine a day is safe in the short term.
6 sources: 5 positive, 1 partly
By Arun AgrahriLast reviewed
Short answer
Short-term, no. 20g/day is the classic 5-7 day loading dose, and it is optional. A steady 5g/day reaches full saturation in about 4 weeks without the stomach upset higher doses can cause. 10-20g/day comes up during acute high-stress periods. For long-term daily use, 3-5g/day is the standard.
Creatine is worth taking.
The verdict on Creatine overall. 11 sources: 8 positive, 2 partly, 1 neutral
positive partly neutral negative Each researcher and each study counts once per claim, however often they come up.
20 g of creatine a day is safe in the short term.
6 sources: 5 positive, 1 partly.
Researchers say
1 partly
Jeff Cavaliere, on The Diary Of A CEO, at 1:59:42
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 1:59:42 →“Some people are going to find that that's a little bit of an overload for them on their on their gut”
Studies show
5 positive
5 papers we read
Controlled trial, J Strength Cond Res, 2016, PMID 26439785
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Four subjects reported mild gastrointestinal discomfort with CRE + CAF, with no side effects reported in other groups.
Controlled trial, Ann Oncol, 2017, PMID 28475678
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Rates and severity of adverse events were comparable between groups.
Pooled analysis, Nutrients, 2020, PMID 32549301
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Final meta-analysis, stratified by dosing regimens, confirmed no significant differences in adverse events across groups, (RR 1.24 (95% CI 0.51, 2.98); Figure 4 ).
Other primary study, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025, PMID 40198156
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Results demonstrate that Cr supplementation does not increase the prevalence or frequency of side effects when compared to participants ingesting PLA.
Pooled analysis, BMC Nephrol, 2025, PMID 41199218
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Creatine supplementation is associated with a modest, transient increase in serum creatinine levels, likely due to metabolic turnover rather than renal impairment.
Controlled trial, J Strength Cond Res, 2016, PMID 26439785 Study · positive
Four subjects reported mild gastrointestinal discomfort with CRE + CAF, with no side effects reported in other groups.
Controlled trial, Ann Oncol, 2017, PMID 28475678 Study · positive
Rates and severity of adverse events were comparable between groups.
Pooled analysis, Nutrients, 2020, PMID 32549301 Study · positive
Final meta-analysis, stratified by dosing regimens, confirmed no significant differences in adverse events across groups, (RR 1.24 (95% CI 0.51, 2.98); Figure 4 ).
Other primary study, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025, PMID 40198156 Study · positive
Results demonstrate that Cr supplementation does not increase the prevalence or frequency of side effects when compared to participants ingesting PLA.
Pooled analysis, BMC Nephrol, 2025, PMID 41199218 Study · positive
Creatine supplementation is associated with a modest, transient increase in serum creatinine levels, likely due to metabolic turnover rather than renal impairment.
Jeff Cavaliere, on The Diary Of A CEO, at 1:59:42 Video · partly · Opinion
“Some people are going to find that that's a little bit of an overload for them on their on their gut”
20 g of creatine a day is safe in the short term.
Controlled trial, J Strength Cond Res, 2016, PMID 26439785
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Four subjects reported mild gastrointestinal discomfort with CRE + CAF, with no side effects reported in other groups.
Controlled trial, Ann Oncol, 2017, PMID 28475678
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Rates and severity of adverse events were comparable between groups.
Pooled analysis, Nutrients, 2020, PMID 32549301
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Final meta-analysis, stratified by dosing regimens, confirmed no significant differences in adverse events across groups, (RR 1.24 (95% CI 0.51, 2.98); Figure 4 ).
Other primary study, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025, PMID 40198156
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Results demonstrate that Cr supplementation does not increase the prevalence or frequency of side effects when compared to participants ingesting PLA.
Pooled analysis, BMC Nephrol, 2025, PMID 41199218
Positive Study
Read the paper on PubMed →Creatine supplementation is associated with a modest, transient increase in serum creatinine levels, likely due to metabolic turnover rather than renal impairment.
Jeff Cavaliere, on The Diary Of A CEO, at 1:59:42
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 1:59:42 →“Some people are going to find that that's a little bit of an overload for them on their on their gut”
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20g of creatine a day is safe in the short term. It is the classic loading phase: roughly 20g/day split into 4 doses for 5-7 days, to saturate muscle creatine fast. Loading is optional.
Layne Norton, a guest on Peter Attia's show, makes the core point. 5g/day reaches full muscle saturation in about four weeks on its own, so loading buys you speed and nothing else. It also brings the stomach irritation that higher single doses can cause: bloating, cramping, sometimes diarrhea.
Stacy Sims, a guest on The Diary of a CEO, says that for women 3 to 5 grams fully saturates the body over about three weeks. Creatine researcher Darren Candow, a guest on Rhonda Patrick's show, knocks down the usual myths about kidney damage, dehydration and hair loss, and 5g keeps stomach upset down.
10-20g/day comes up during acute high-stress periods, such as sleep deprivation or heavy mental demand, and the target there is the brain. An even higher weight-based dose of 0.4g/kg has been studied for reducing headache, dizziness and fatigue after traumatic brain injury. Those are use cases, not a default.
20g/day for 5-7 days is fine for healthy people. Sustained 20g/day adds stomach risk and buys nothing. The standard maintenance dose is 3-5g/day of monohydrate, with no cycling.
If your bloodwork shows high creatinine, that is a normal byproduct of taking creatine. Louisa Nicola, a guest on The Diary of a CEO, says to ask your doctor for a cystatin C test, a better kidney marker, before you assume kidney damage.
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