Creatine
Of 1,961 on-market creatine products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 2,500 mg, and 93.7% list Creatine Monohydrate as the primary form.
Form share
Of 1,919 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Creatine on the market today.
| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creatine Monohydrate | Tier 1 | 1,799 | 93.7% |
| Magnesium Creatine Chelate | Tier 3 | 120 | 6.3% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg), among 1,369 products with a disclosed amount.
- 6.1% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (600 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 27.2% of products don't disclose an amount because Creatine is declared inside a proprietary blend.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Forms explained
By far the most studied form across decades of RCTs; the ISSN position stand calls it "the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available" and the reference standard every other form is benchmarked against.
Source: Kreider RB et al. 2017, J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18, PMID 28615996
Marketed on higher-solubility claims, but the only real head-to-head human RCT (5g/day, 8wk, elite team-sport athletes) found similar effects on strength/jump/body composition to monohydrate -- no demonstrated superiority.
Source: Londono-Velasquez D et al. 2025, J Int Soc Sports Nutr, PMC12291177
A dose-ranging safety/efficacy trial found comparable safety markers and performance outcomes to monohydrate, but the evidence base is much smaller and mostly industry-affiliated.
Source: Galvan E et al. 2016, J Int Soc Sports Nutr 13:12, DOI 10.1186/s12970-016-0124-0
A single small (n=35) 2003 RCT showed greater increase in intracellular water vs plain creatine+MgO, but never independently replicated and no trial has shown superior strength/performance outcomes vs monohydrate.
Source: Brilla LR et al. 2003, Metabolism 52(9):1136-40, PMID 14506619
Reference values
- RDA (adult): not established — Not essential (endogenously synthesized from arginine, glycine, and methionine); not part of the DRI framework.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — No regulatory UL. A CRN-commissioned safety review of ~70 RCTs (Shao A, Hathcock JN, Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2006;45(3):242-51, PMID 16814437) supports a wide margin of safety around 5g/day without identifying a formal UL.
- Studied clinical dose range: 3000–25000 mg
- Kreider RB et al. 2017 (ISSN position stand), J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18, PMID 28615996 -- comprehensive evidence review: loading 20g/day x5-7 days + maintenance 3-5g/day raises muscle creatine stores and improves high-intensity exercise capacity/lean mass. Foundational dose-response: Hultman E et al. 1996, J Appl Physiol 81(1):232-7, PMID 8828669 -- 20g/d x6d raised muscle creatine ~20%, an equivalent rise achieved more slowly with 3g/d x28d and no loading phase.
- Note: studied_dose_high (25g/day) reflects the short loading-phase protocol, not a sustained daily dose (maintenance is 3-5g/day). No independent, non-industry-funded human trial has shown any alternative salt form (HCl, nitrate, buffered/Kre-Alkalyn, magnesium chelate) superior to monohydrate on hard performance/safety outcomes.