About the Creatine Dosage Calculator
This creatine calculator turns your body weight into a practical creatine monohydrate plan. It shows the daily loading dose used in research (about 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight for 5–7 days), how to split it into smaller servings, the maintenance dose to take afterwards, and how much powder you will use in your first month.
It suits gym-goers, team-sport athletes and anyone starting creatine who wants a number rather than a guess. You can also choose the no-loading route: a steady 3–5 g a day reaches the same muscle saturation, it just takes about four weeks instead of one.
The figures follow the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on creatine and assume creatine monohydrate, the form used in almost all studies. Creatine is a dietary supplement, not a medicine; if you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or take prescription medication, check with your doctor before using it.
With the default inputs, the daily dose to start with is 24.5 g/day. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the creatine dosage calculator
- 1Choose pounds or kilograms and enter your body weight.
- 2Pick whether you want a loading phase or a steady daily dose.
- 3If loading, set the phase length (5–7 days) and how many servings to split it into.
- 4Read your daily dose, maintenance dose and the 30-day chart.
- 5Take creatine with water or a meal at any time of day, every day, including rest days.
Formula and method
The loading dose is 0.3 grams of creatine monohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day, usually split into four equal servings, for five to seven days. That rapidly fills muscle creatine stores. Afterwards a maintenance dose keeps stores topped up; the ISSN describes this as 3–5 g a day, and larger athletes may need more, so the calculator uses 0.03 g per kg with a floor of 3 g (capped at 10 g).
Without loading, taking about 3 g a day raises muscle creatine to the same level in roughly 28 days. The 30-day total adds the loading days and the remaining maintenance days so you can see how much powder to buy. Weight in pounds is converted at 1 lb = 0.4536 kg.
- kg
- Body weight in kilograms
- 0.3 g/kg
- Daily loading dose per kilogram of body weight
- 0.03 g/kg
- Daily maintenance dose per kilogram (minimum 3 g)
Worked examples
180 lb lifter with a 5-day loading phase
180 lb is 81.6 kg, so the loading dose is 0.3 × 81.6 ≈ 24.5 g a day, or about 6.1 g four times a day. Maintenance is 0.03 × 81.6 = 2.4 g, which is below the 3 g floor, so 3 g a day. Five loading days (122.5 g) plus 25 days at 3 g (75 g) uses about 197 g in the first month.
100 kg athlete loading for 7 days
At 100 kg the loading dose is 30 g a day (7.5 g × 4). After seven days (210 g) he switches to 3 g a day for the remaining 23 days (69 g), a 30-day total of 279 g.
130 kg rugby forward, no loading
Skipping the loading phase, the daily dose is 0.03 × 130 = 3.9 g. Muscle stores reach saturation in about four weeks, using 117 g of creatine over 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to load creatine?+
No. Loading (about 20–25 g a day for 5–7 days) saturates muscles within a week, while 3–5 g a day reaches the same level in about 3–4 weeks. Loading only gets you there faster; long-term results are the same.
How much creatine should I take per day?+
After any loading phase, most people take 3–5 g of creatine monohydrate a day. Very large or highly muscular athletes may need up to 5–10 g a day to keep stores full.
When is the best time to take creatine?+
Timing matters far less than taking it every day. Many people take it with a meal or around training for convenience; carbohydrate and protein in the meal may slightly improve uptake.
Does creatine cause weight gain?+
Creatine draws water into muscle cells, so a gain of about 1–2 kg (2–4 lb) in the first week of loading is common. This is water in muscle, not fat, and it is smaller without a loading phase.
Is creatine safe?+
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements. The ISSN reports that doses up to 30 g a day for five years have been well tolerated in healthy people. People with kidney disease should speak to a doctor first.
Should I cycle off creatine?+
There is no evidence that cycling is necessary. If you stop, muscle creatine returns to baseline over about 4–6 weeks.
This tool gives general estimates and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or qualified professional about your health, diet or training.