acalculator

How much creatine should I take?

Enter your body weight. The creatine calculator gives the loading dose per day and per dose, and the maintenance dose, from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand. It is information, not medical advice.

Your numbers

Weight in
Loading dose per day (g)
23.1

Load with about 23.1 g a day (5.8 g four times a day) for 5 to 7 days, then take 3 to 5 g a day.

Each of 4 daily doses (g)
5.8
Loading total over 5 days (g)
115.7
Loading total over 7 days (g)
161.9
Body weight (kg)
77.1
Maintenance dose
3 to 5 g a day
Without loading
3 g a day for 28 days

Loading dose per day (g): 23.1. Load with about 23.1 g a day (5.8 g four times a day) for 5 to 7 days, then take 3 to 5 g a day.

This calculator gives general information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor or other health care provider. Talk with a professional about your results. Terms of use

How to calculate

Works out a creatine monohydrate loading dose from body weight (0.3 g per kg a day in four doses for 5 to 7 days) and the maintenance and no-loading doses from the ISSN position stand.

Example with the default inputs (Weight in lb, Body weight (lb) 170): Load with about 23.1 g a day (5.8 g four times a day) for 5 to 7 days, then take 3 to 5 g a day.

Method: Loading per day = 0.3 g × body weight in kg, in four equal doses, for 5 to 7 days; then 3 to 5 g a day.

  • Doses are for creatine monohydrate in healthy adults, as in the ISSN position stand.
  • Loading is optional: 3 g a day for 28 days fills muscle creatine stores without it.
  • 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Weight in kg, Body weight (kg) 70 gives Loading dose per day (g) 21, Each of 4 daily doses (g) 5.3, Loading total over 5 days (g) 105, Loading total over 7 days (g) 147, Body weight (kg) 70.Source: 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 (loading about 0.3 g/kg a day, 5 g four times daily, for 5–7 days; maintenance 3–5 g/day; or 3 g/day for 28 days), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/
  2. Weight in lb, Body weight (lb) 170 gives Loading dose per day (g) 23.1, Each of 4 daily doses (g) 5.8, Body weight (kg) 77.1.Source: 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 (loading about 0.3 g/kg a day, 5 g four times daily, for 5–7 days; maintenance 3–5 g/day; or 3 g/day for 28 days), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/
  3. Weight in kg, Body weight (kg) 55.5 gives Loading dose per day (g) 16.7, Each of 4 daily doses (g) 4.2, Maintenance dose 3 to 5 g a day.Source: 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 (loading about 0.3 g/kg a day, 5 g four times daily, for 5–7 days; maintenance 3–5 g/day; or 3 g/day for 28 days), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5469049/

How it works

The ISSN describes loading as about 5 g four times a day, or about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day, for 5 to 7 days. The calculator uses the per-kilogram form:

  • Body weight in kg = pounds × 0.45359237, or the kilograms typed
  • Loading dose per day (g) = 0.3 × body weight in kg
  • Each of 4 daily doses = loading dose per day ÷ 4
  • Loading total over 5 days = loading dose per day × 5; over 7 days = × 7
  • Maintenance dose: the text "3 to 5 g a day" (fixed, not by weight)
  • Without loading: the text "3 g a day for 28 days" (fixed)

Body weight is from 1 to 2,200 lb or 1 to 1,000 kg; each unit has its own box. The typed weight is read as an exact decimal and each step is exact. Every number is shown rounded half up to 1 decimal.

Safety

This page is for information. It is not medical advice. The doses are for healthy adults taking creatine monohydrate. People with kidney disease, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people under 18 and people who take medicines should ask a doctor before taking creatine.

Worked examples by hand

70 kg: 0.3 × 70 = 21 g a day, 21 ÷ 4 = 5.25 g four times a day. Over 5 days 105 g, over 7 days 147 g. Then 3 to 5 g a day.

170 lb: 170 × 0.45359237 = 77.1107029 kg. 0.3 × 77.1107029 = 23.13321087, shown as 23.1 g a day; each dose 5.7833, shown as 5.8 g.

55.5 kg: 0.3 × 55.5 = 16.65, shown as 16.7 g a day (half up); each dose 4.1625, shown as 4.2 g.

Other questions people ask

How much creatine should I take a day?

The ISSN position stand gives two ways. Load with about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day (about 5 g four times a day) for 5 to 7 days, then take 3 to 5 g a day. Or skip loading and take 3 g a day; muscle stores fill in about 28 days.

Do I need a loading phase?

No. Loading fills the muscles in about a week. Taking 3 g a day without loading gets to the same place in about four weeks. Choose loading only if you want the effect sooner.

How do I split the loading dose?

Into four equal doses through the day. A 70 kg adult loads with 0.3 × 70 = 21 g a day, about 5.25 g four times a day.

Is creatine safe?

The ISSN position stand concludes that creatine monohydrate is safe for healthy people at these doses, short and long term. People with kidney disease, who are pregnant, or who take medicines should ask a doctor first.

Which kind of creatine do these doses use?

Creatine monohydrate, the form studied in most research and the one the ISSN dose advice is based on. Other forms contain a different share of creatine per gram.