Research argues that people aren't taking enough of the supplement to feel its full benefits.
Popularity in creatine is at an all-time high. But what if we told you you've been taking it wrong all this time? Turns out, you'd see far greater improvements in various areas of your life by taking even more than the recommended 5g a day.
I personally took a 25g super dose of creatine for a month and felt some profound effects, and a narrative review published in Advanced Exercise and Health Science has indicated 5g of creatine a day isn't enough if you want real results. Despite making clear that creatine is conditionally essential, whereby it's not required for survival, the review highlights how you might need to start taking more of the supplement if you want to achieve the full benefits of increased longevity, improved brain function, and stronger bone structure, alongside better muscular performance.
Creatine supplementation research from 1992 focused solely on muscle saturation in young men who were well-versed with resistance training, with participants taking a maintenance dose of 5g per day. Since then, that number has stuck. But the study had limitations, with researchers only looking at the effect creatine had on muscular performance, while women, older adults, or vegans – who don't get creatine from their regular diet – weren't accounted for either.
“Five grams per day is a great start, but it’s optimised for skeletal muscle only,” Dr. Darren Candow, who authored the aforementioned narrative review, said on a podcast. “If you want full-body benefits – bone, brain, immune, anti-inflammatory – you’ll need more.” He also highlighted how studies that show creatine's ability to improve brain function, reduce oxidative stress, and even support neuroplasticity used more than 5g.
