Creatine by Ortho Molecular Products

Vegetarians and vegans, adults lifting weights, and anyone over 50 working to keep muscle do well with creatine monohydrate 5 g daily. Plant-based eaters start lower in muscle creatine, so gains are often larger. If your training includes short, intense efforts (sprints, heavy sets), this is the sweet spot. There’s also emerging benefit for cognitive tasks under sleep debt, but the effect is smaller than the strength and power bump.

Creatine is stored as phosphocreatine, which quickly donates phosphate to regenerate ATP (the immediate energy currency) during hard efforts lasting seconds. Topping up creatine raises this rapid-energy pool in muscle and brain, improving repeated sprint ability and heavy lifting. It also pulls water into muscle cells, a hydration signal tied to protein building. Expect visible effects once muscles are saturated, typically within 2 to 4 weeks.

Mix one 5 g scoop in water or any beverage daily; timing is flexible, so take it when you’ll remember. A loading phase (about 20 g/day split into 4 doses for 5–7 days) fills stores faster, then continue with 3–5 g/day. Taking it with a meal or carb-containing drink can slightly improve uptake. Hydrate well. This is a maintenance dose; larger athletes may sit closer to 5 g ongoing.

Creatine can nudge Serum Creatinine (the kidney filtration byproduct) upward without harming kidneys, which can make eGFR (estimated kidney function) look lower on paper. That’s expected in healthy users. Skip creatine if you have known kidney disease, one kidney, or take nephrotoxic drugs like cyclosporine or high-dose NSAIDs without clinician OK. High caffeine can worsen stomach upset and may blunt benefits in some people.

Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding unless your clinician advises it, because safety data are limited. If you’re prone to kidney stones, discuss first. Creatine can add 1–2 kg of intracellular water early; if you’re making weight for sport, plan ahead. For bone health alone, use it alongside resistance training, since benefits on bone markers appear tied to lifting, not creatine by itself.