Free Calculator
Creatine Intake Calculator
Work out your creatine loading dose and daily maintenance dose by body weight, based on the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) guidelines. Then plan your total intake, find out how long a tub lasts, and convert between creatine forms. Most calculators stop at a single number.
- Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored
- Based on the ISSN position stand
- Last updated: September 2026
Your creatine plan
Loading dose
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Daily maintenance dose
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Your first four weeks
| Days | Per day | How to take it | Running total |
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These amounts follow published guidance for healthy adults. They are not personal medical advice. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, take regular medicine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under 18, speak to a doctor before taking creatine.
Your total creatine intake
Total over your plan
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Tubs needed
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Creatine you actually get
How to Use a Creatine Intake Calculator
Tab 1: Dose by body weight
- Enter your body weight in kg or lb.
- Pick your main goal. This changes the notes, not the dose, because the research-backed dose is similar for most goals.
- Choose whether to load. Loading fills your muscles in about a week. Skipping it takes about four weeks.
- Pick the daily dose you plan to use afterwards: 3, 4 or 5 g.
- Read your plan. You get the loading and maintenance doses, how to split them, when your muscles should be saturated, and a day-by-day table for the first four weeks.
Tab 2: Total intake and tub
Enter your plan, tub size, scoop size and price. You get total grams, tubs needed, scoops per day, how long a tub lasts and the cost per day and month.
Tab 3: Creatine forms
Choose your creatine form to see how much creatine it really contains, or how much of it matches a monohydrate dose.
How Much Creatine Should You Take Per Day?
For most healthy adults, the answer is 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day. That is the maintenance dose in the ISSN position stand, the most-cited guidance on creatine. It works whether or not you start with a loading phase.
A normal diet that includes meat or fish already gives about 1 to 2 g a day. Supplements top up your muscle stores beyond what food can easily provide. The ISSN notes that larger athletes may need more, up to about 10 g a day.
The short version
Take 3 to 5 g a day, every day, including rest days. Consistency matters much more than timing.
Creatine Daily Dose Calculator
Some calculators use a formula of 0.03 g per kg of body weight for the daily dose. For a 75 kg person, that gives 2.25 g. The problem is that this falls below 3 g, the lowest amount studied for filling muscles without loading. That is why this calculator shows the 0.03 g/kg figure only as a reference and suggests 3 to 5 g.
Daily maintenance = 3 to 5 g (0.03 g × body weight in kg, but not less than 3 g)
Creatine Loading Dose Calculator
The standard loading dose is 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day, for 5 to 7 days.
Loading dose (g/day) = 0.3 × body weight (kg)Split into about 4 servings of 5 g or less
For a 75 kg person, that is 22.5 g a day. Taken as five servings of 4.5 g, each stays under 5 g, or as four servings of about 5.6 g. Many people simply use a flat 20 g a day (4 × 5 g). This matches the amount used in many early studies and is easier to measure.
Creatine Loading Phase vs. Daily Maintenance Dose
| Loading, then maintenance | Maintenance only | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily amount | About 20 g for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g | 3–5 g from day one |
| Muscles saturated | About 1 week | About 3–4 weeks |
| End result | The same. Both reach the same muscle creatine level | |
| Stomach upset | More likely with large servings | Less likely |
| Scale weight | Often up about 1–2 kg in the first week, mostly water | Rises more slowly |
| Best for | A competition or test within a few weeks | Long-term use without a deadline |
How to Calculate Creatine Loading Dose by Body Weight
Multiply your weight in kg by 0.3. If you use pounds, divide by 2.2 first.
| Body weight | Loading per day | Per serving (4 a day) | 7-day loading total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 15 g | 3.75 g | 105 g |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 18 g | 4.5 g | 126 g |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 21 g | 5.25 g | 147 g |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 24 g | 6 g | 168 g |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 27 g | 6.75 g | 189 g |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 30 g | 7.5 g | 210 g |
Above about 80 kg, a four-way split gives servings over 5 g. Splitting into five or six smaller servings can be easier on the stomach. The calculator does this automatically.
How Long Does a Creatine Loading Phase Last?
5 to 7 days. By then, muscle creatine stores are usually close to full. Loading for longer does not push them any higher, because muscles can only hold so much. After loading, drop straight to 3 to 5 g a day. There is no need to taper.
Creatine Dose Without a Loading Phase
Take 3 to 5 g a day from the start. Your muscles fill more slowly, over about 3 to 4 weeks, and end up at the same level as with loading. This is the simplest option and is less likely to upset your stomach. The tradeoff is that performance benefits take a few weeks longer to show.
Creatine Intake Based on Body Weight
Body weight matters most for loading, where the dose scales at 0.3 g/kg. For daily maintenance, the effect of weight is small. Most people land in the same 3 to 5 g range.
- Under about 70 kg: 3 g a day is usually enough.
- About 70–100 kg: 3 to 5 g a day. Many people choose 5 g for simplicity.
- Over 100 kg and very active: 5 g or more. The ISSN notes that larger athletes may use up to about 10 g.
Creatine Dosage for Different Training Goals
| Goal | Typical daily dose | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Strength and muscle | 3–5 g | Creatine has the strongest evidence here. It helps with repeated high-effort sets, and over time may support muscle gains alongside training. |
| Team and sprint sports | 3–5 g | It supports repeated short sprints. Loading can help before a competition. |
| Endurance | 3–5 g | Evidence of benefit is weaker. The water weight may not help in weight-bearing endurance sports. |
| Healthy ageing (50+) | 3–5 g | Evidence is strongest when combined with resistance training. Creatine is not a replacement for it. |
| Little or no meat | 3–5 g | People who eat little meat start with lower stores, so they may notice a bigger change. |
Research on creatine for the brain, mood and memory is growing but still early. It is not yet enough to set a different dose for these uses.
How to Calculate Your Total Creatine Intake
Total = (loading g/day × loading days) + (daily dose × remaining days)
Example: a 12-week plan with 20 g for 7 days, then 5 g a day. Loading uses 140 g. The other 77 days use 385 g. The total is 525 g, which is just over one 500 g tub. Without loading, the same 12 weeks at 5 g is 420 g.
Check what your product really contains
Only creatine monohydrate and anhydrous have strong evidence behind them. Other forms contain less creatine per gram because part of their weight is a different molecule. For example, 5 g of creatine HCl holds about 3.9 g of creatine, while 5 g of monohydrate holds about 4.4 g. Tab 3 converts between forms.
Our figures are worked out from molecular weights. Look for third-party testing, such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, especially if you are tested in competition.
Creatine Intake Calculator FAQs
How much creatine should I take a day?
For most adults, 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day. If you load first, take about 0.3 g per kg of body weight (around 20 g) a day for 5 to 7 days, then drop to 3 to 5 g.
Do I need to do a creatine loading phase?
No. Loading fills your muscles in about a week instead of three to four weeks. Both end at the same level. Skip it if you are not in a hurry or if large doses upset your stomach.
Will creatine make me gain weight?
Many people gain about 1 to 2 kg in the first week of loading. This is mostly extra water stored in muscle, not fat. The gain is smaller and slower without loading.
Is creatine bad for your kidneys?
In healthy people, research has not found kidney harm at recommended doses. Creatine can raise creatinine on blood tests, which can look like a kidney problem when it is not. Tell your doctor you take it. If you have kidney disease, do not take creatine without medical advice.
When is the best time to take creatine?
Timing matters far less than taking it every day. Some studies hint at a small advantage around training, but the main thing is consistency. Taking it with a meal may help if it upsets your stomach.
Can I take creatine with shilajit?
No studies have tested the two together, and no interaction is known. They work in different ways. Creatine has strong evidence for strength and power. Evidence for shilajit comes from a few small trials. If you take both, start one at a time so you can tell how each affects you. See our guide on how much shilajit to take per day.
Does this calculator store my information?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent, saved or shared.
Sources and further reading
- Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, 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;14:18. PubMed 28615996
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18:13. PubMed 33557850
- Jäger R, Purpura M, Shao A, Inoue T, Kreider RB. Analysis of the efficacy, safety, and regulatory status of novel forms of creatine. Amino Acids. 2011;40:1369–1383. springer.com
- Keller JL, Housh TJ, Hill EC, et al. The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019;16:3. PubMed 30728074
Reviewed and updated: September 2026.