Calculator

Creatine Loading Calculator

Compare loading vs. daily dosing and find your optimal dose by lean body mass.

Men: 15-25%, Women: 20-30% typical

How this works

Skeletal muscle holds a finite creatine pool of approximately 120-160 mmol/kg dry muscle in a saturated state. Typical dietary intake plus endogenous synthesis maintains stores at roughly 60-80% of capacity. Supplementation fills the remaining 20-40%.

Two approaches reach the same endpoint. A loading protocol (0.3 g/kg/day split into 4 doses for 5-7 days) saturates stores in about a week. A daily maintenance dose (0.03-0.05 g/kg/day, typically 3-5g) reaches the same saturation in approximately 28 days. Both protocols are well-supported in the literature and produce equivalent long-term results.

Lean body mass (LBM) is more predictive than total body weight for dosing because creatine is stored almost exclusively in skeletal muscle. This calculator uses your estimated LBM rather than total body weight.

Monohydrate is the standard. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied form with the strongest evidence base. Other forms (HCL, ethyl ester, buffered) have not demonstrated superior bioavailability or efficacy in controlled trials despite marketing claims.

References

Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18.

Hultman E, et al. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol. 1996;81(1):232-237.

Antonio J, Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:36.