Creatine Loading Phase: Do You Need It and How to Do It

You do not need a creatine loading phase, but it fills your muscles faster. Loading means taking about 20 g of creatine a day, split into smaller doses, for 5 to 7 days, then dropping to 3 to 5 g a day. It raises muscle creatine in about a week. Skipping it and taking 3 to 5 g a day from the start reaches the same level in about 3 to 4 weeks. This guide covers how loading works, how to do it, its side effects and when it is worth it.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Standard loading: about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day, often four 5 g doses, for 5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g a day (Kreider et al., 2017).
• Same end point: 20 g a day for 6 days raised muscle creatine by about 20 percent; 3 g a day reached a similar 20 percent rise over 28 days (Hultman et al., 1996).
• Keeping it up: after loading, 2 to 5 g a day kept muscle creatine raised for 6 weeks (Preen et al., 2003).
• Split the doses: a single 10 g dose caused diarrhea about twice as often as two 5 g doses (Ostojic and Ahmetovic, 2008).

What Is a Creatine Loading Phase?

Creatine works by raising the creatine stored in your muscles, and that takes time. A loading phase uses a higher dose for a few days to fill those stores quickly. The quickest method is about 0.3 g of creatine monohydrate per kg of body weight a day for 5 to 7 days, followed by 3 to 5 g a day to keep the stores full. Taking 3 to 5 g a day without loading fills them over about 3 to 4 weeks (Kreider et al., 2017).

What the Studies Show

• Loading vs a low daily dose: in 31 men, 20 g a day for 6 days raised muscle creatine by about 20 percent, and 2 g a day kept it there for another 30 days. Taking 3 g a day instead produced a similar 20 percent rise, just more gradually, over 28 days (Hultman et al., 1996).
• Keeping stores full afterward: after 5 days of 20 g a day, 2 g or 5 g a day kept muscle creatine at post-loading levels for 6 weeks, while stopping let it fall (Preen et al., 2003).
• Results over 8 weeks: in a resistance training trial, creatine monohydrate with a 5-day loading phase and creatine monohydrate without loading both improved strength and muscle compared with placebo (Eghbali et al., 2024).

In short, loading gets you there sooner, not further. What to expect week by week is covered in creatine before and after. For what trials measured on soreness and recovery after training, see our guide to creatine for recovery.

How to Do a Creatine Loading Phase

• Work out your dose: about 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day. For an 80 kg (176 lb) person that is about 24 g; most protocols round this to 20 g a day (Kreider et al., 2017).
• Split it up: take it as four doses of about 5 g spread through the day rather than all at once.
• Keep it short: 5 to 7 days is enough.
• Take it with food: taking creatine with carbohydrate, or carbohydrate and protein, has been reported to promote greater creatine retention (Kreider et al., 2017). In one study, adding glucose to a 5-day load raised muscle creatine by 25 percent, compared with 16 percent for creatine alone (Preen et al., 2003).
• Then drop to maintenance: 3 to 5 g a day, every day, including rest days. Timing is covered in when to take creatine.

For a dosage chart by body weight, from about 16 g a day at 120 lb to 31 g at 230 lb when loading, see how much creatine per day.

Creatine Loading Side Effects

The higher daily dose during loading is when people are most likely to notice side effects:

• Stomach upset and diarrhea: in 59 soccer players taking creatine for 28 days, a single 10 g dose caused diarrhea in 55.6 percent of players, compared with 28.6 percent for two 5 g doses and 35 percent for placebo. Splitting your daily amount into 5 g doses lowers the risk (Ostojic and Ahmetovic, 2008).
• Water weight: the scale may move in the first week, mostly from water; see creatine side effects.
• Hair worries: the one study that found a rise in the hormone DHT used a loading phase; it did not measure hair. If this concerns you, skip loading; see does creatine cause hair loss?

How much water weight loading adds, and how long it stays, is covered in our guide to creatine water retention.

Do You Need to Load Creatine?

No. In one study, both approaches raised muscle creatine to a similar level (Hultman et al., 1996). Loading may make sense if you want the full effect within a week, for example before a competition. Skipping it may suit you better if you have a sensitive stomach, want a simpler routine, or are not in a hurry. Either way, plain creatine monohydrate is the form with the most research; see creatine HCl vs monohydrate. If you drink coffee during a loading week, see creatine and caffeine for what studies found when the two were taken together.

Loading vs No Loading at a Glance

	Loading	No loading
Daily amount	About 0.3 g per kg of body weight (often 20 g) in four doses of about 5 g, for 5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g	3 to 5 g a day from the start
Time to full stores	About 1 week	About 3 to 4 weeks
End result	About a 20 percent rise in muscle creatine	A similar 20 percent rise, more gradually
Stomach	Higher daily amount; split it into 5 g doses	Lower daily amount, simpler routine
Good fit if	You want the full effect soon, for example before an event	You have a sensitive stomach or are not in a hurry

Sources: Kreider et al., 2017 and Hultman et al., 1996.

Should You Load? A Quick Checklist

Loading is optional, so the choice comes down to timing and comfort.

If this sounds like you	Best fit	Why
You want the full effect within a week, for example before a competition	Load	Loading fills muscle stores in about a week instead of 3 to 4 weeks
You have a sensitive stomach	Skip loading	A single 10 g dose caused diarrhea about twice as often as two 5 g doses
DHT or hair is a worry for you	Skip loading	The one study that found a rise in DHT used a loading phase; it did not measure hair
You want a simpler routine and are not in a hurry	Skip loading	3 to 5 g a day reaches a similar rise in muscle creatine over about 3 to 4 weeks
You are restarting after a month or more off	Either	Stores were back to their starting level about 30 days after stopping in one study

Either way, consistency is what counts. Stores fill within 1 to 4 weeks, but benefits build with daily use, so give it at least 2 to 3 months of 3 to 5 g a day alongside training before you judge it. Our guides to creatine benefits and creatine for men cover what to expect over the longer term.

A Sample 7-Day Loading Schedule

For someone loading at 20 g a day, spread the doses across your meals:

Days	What to take
Days 1 to 5 (up to 7)	5 g with breakfast, 5 g with lunch, 5 g with an afternoon snack and 5 g with dinner
Day 6 or 8 onward	3 to 5 g once a day with a meal, every day, including rest days

Taking each dose with a meal that has carbohydrate, or carbohydrate and protein, has been reported to help muscles hold on to more creatine (Kreider et al., 2017). To work out your own number, use the chart in how much creatine per day.

What Happens After Loading or When You Stop?

If you stop taking creatine after loading, muscle stores drift back down. In one study they were back to their starting level about 30 days after stopping (Hultman et al., 1996); in another, they had not fully returned 6 weeks later (Preen et al., 2003). To keep the benefit, stay on 3 to 5 g a day.

Coming Soon From Synchronicity

Our Creatine Monohydrate powder will have 5 g of creatine monohydrate in every scoop. It is not on sale yet. Join the waitlist on the product page to hear when it launches; no payment is taken.

Powder, capsules and gummies are compared in creatine powder vs pills vs gummies, and more guides are in our Learn hub.

Safety note: people with kidney disease, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone taking prescription medicines should talk with a clinician before taking creatine.

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. PubMed
• Hultman E et al. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol (1985), 1996. PubMed
• Preen D et al. Creatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2003. PubMed
• Ostojic SM, Ahmetovic Z. Gastrointestinal distress after creatine supplementation in athletes: are side effects dose dependent? Res Sports Med, 2008. PubMed
• Eghbali E et al. Supplementing With Which Form of Creatine (Hydrochloride or Monohydrate) Alongside Resistance Training Can Have More Impacts on Anabolic/Catabolic Hormones, Strength and Body Composition? Physiol Res, 2024. PubMed
• Smith-Ryan AE et al. Creatine Supplementation in Women's Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients, 2021. PubMed

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a creatine loading phase?

No. Loading fills your muscles in about a week; 3 to 5 g a day gets you to the same level in about 3 to 4 weeks.

How much creatine should I take during a loading phase?

About 0.3 g per kg of body weight a day, usually around 20 g split into four doses of about 5 g, for 5 to 7 days.

How long should a creatine loading phase last?

5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g a day.

Does creatine loading cause bloating?

Some people notice water weight in the first week. Splitting the day into doses of about 5 g lowers the chance of stomach upset.

Can I take 20 g of creatine at once?

Large single doses are more likely to cause diarrhea. Split the day’s amount into doses of about 5 g.

Is loading better than not loading?

It is faster, not better. In one study, muscle creatine ended up at a similar level either way.

What should I take after loading?

3 to 5 g a day, every day, to keep your stores full.

Does creatine loading cause hair loss?

No study has shown that it does. The study that found a rise in DHT used loading but did not measure hair.

Do I need to load again after a break?

It is up to you. After stopping, muscle stores drifted back to their starting level within about 30 days in one study and were not fully back after 6 weeks in another. You can load again, or restart at 3 to 5 g a day and wait 3 to 4 weeks.

Should I take creatine on rest days?

Yes. Take it every day, during loading and after, including rest days, so your stores stay full.

Can women do a creatine loading phase?

Yes, using the same body weight method of about 0.3 g per kg a day for 5 to 7 days, which is about 18 g a day at 60 kg (132 lb). Creatine supplementation appeared effective for strength and exercise performance in women before menopause in a 2021 review. More in creatine for women.

Can I skip the loading phase and get the same results?

Yes. In one study, 3 g a day reached a similar 20 percent rise in muscle creatine over 28 days as 20 g a day did in 6 days, and in an 8-week training trial, creatine monohydrate with and without loading both improved strength and muscle compared with placebo.

What should I expect during a creatine loading week?

Muscle creatine rises over about a week; in one study it was up about 20 percent after 6 days. The scale may move in the first week, mostly from water, and splitting the day into doses of about 5 g lowers the chance of stomach upset.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.