Creatine and taurine together in one small trial of 12 students

Written by Free Muscle · Published by a seller of these compounds · Last updated

Whether creatine and taurine work together is not settled: in the sources reviewed, the only human trial of the two together (12 students, Yu et al., 2025) reported a longer time to exhaustion than placebo, with no comparison against creatine alone. Creatine monohydrate and taurine are found together in some sports supplements (Der Merwe et al., 2025). This evidence review looks at creatine and taurine as a pair. It sets out what the one small human trial of creatine and taurine together in the sources reviewed measured, what position stands, meta-analyses and regulators have reported about each ingredient, what the research does not yet show, and which health claim is authorised in Great Britain for creatine.

Key takeaways

  • Creatine monohydrate has a large research base: one expert group counted over 500 peer-reviewed publications (Antonio et al., 2021).
  • In a meta-analysis of 23 studies in adults under 50, creatine plus resistance training raised upper-body strength by 4.43 kg and lower-body strength by 11.35 kg compared with placebo (Wang et al., 2024). Female data were sparse.
  • Pooled kidney research reports a small rise in serum creatinine, which the authors judged likely to reflect metabolic turnover rather than impaired kidney function, without a significant change in glomerular filtration rate. In follow-up subgroups, the rise was significant again in studies longer than 12 weeks (Naeini et al., 2025).
  • Taurine research is described as limited and varied (Kurtz et al., 2021), and a 2025 meta-analysis rated the certainty of its acute performance findings as low to very low (Deng et al., 2025).
  • In the sources reviewed, the only human study that gave creatine and taurine together was in 12 students (Yu et al., 2025). It found a longer time to exhaustion with the combination than with placebo (not reported against creatine alone) but no difference in repeated sprints, and countermovement jump height fell after exhaustive exercise in the creatine and combined conditions.
  • In Great Britain, creatine has an authorised claim about short, high-intensity exercise with a stated condition of use. Taurine has none on the same list.
  • The abstract of the 2025 expert review lists whether the timing of creatine matters as a question and does not give an answer (Antonio et al., 2025).

What are creatine monohydrate and taurine?

Creatine supplementation is reported to raise intramuscular creatine concentrations (Kreider et al., 2017). Creatine monohydrate is the form named in several of the trials cited here, and a 2024 review of cognitive trials noted it was the form used in all included studies (Xu et al., 2024).

Taurine is described as central to many physiological processes (Waldron et al., 2018). Reviews of taurine in exercise have included studies in which it was taken before a session or over several days to weeks (Kurtz et al., 2021).

Creatine monohydrate and taurine are not the same thing as creatine taurinate, a different creatine form (Andres et al., 2017). That 2017 review noted that limited safety data are available for creatine forms other than monohydrate (Andres et al., 2017). This article concerns the two separate ingredients mixed together, and the evidence for each.

What the evidence base looks like

The evidence for the two ingredients differs in type and in certainty. The sources used here fall into four broad types. The one-line descriptions are general, not taken from any single paper.

  • Position stand: a consensus document from a society. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) issued one on creatine in 2017 (Kreider et al., 2017).
  • Narrative reviews: expert summaries that do not pool data. The question-and-answer papers of 2021 and 2025 are examples (Antonio et al., 2021; Antonio et al., 2025).
  • Meta-analyses: studies that pool results from several trials.
  • Randomised controlled trials (RCTs): studies that compare an ingredient with a comparison condition in a defined group.

Creatine monohydrate has been studied at every level above. For taurine, one 2025 meta-analysis rated the certainty of its acute performance findings as low to very low (Deng et al., 2025), and a 2021 review concluded that limited and varied findings prevent definitive conclusions (Kurtz et al., 2021). The combination has one small trial in the sources reviewed.

It is also worth noticing who wrote the papers. The 2021 and 2025 question-and-answer papers are by the same author group (the 2025 abstract refers to “our group”), so they are not independent of each other, and readers may wish to weigh them alongside separate meta-analyses and regulator opinions. In the strength meta-analysis, most participants were men, so results may not transfer to other groups.

Key studies at a glance

Study Type Population Headline finding
Kreider et al., 2017 Position stand Healthy people and patient groups Short and long-term supplementation reported as well tolerated in healthy people and several patient groups
Wang et al., 2024 Meta-analysis, 23 studies Adults under 50, mostly men Upper-body strength +4.43 kg, lower-body +11.35 kg with resistance training; no significant gain in the female groups
Pashayee-Khamene et al., 2024 Meta-analysis, 143 RCTs Not stated in abstract Small increases in body mass and fat-free mass
Naeini et al., 2025 Meta-analysis, 12 studies pooled Not stated in abstract Small creatinine rise, which the authors judge likely reflects metabolic turnover; no significant GFR change
Lugaresi et al., 2013 RCT, 12 weeks Resistance-trained, high-protein diet No significant difference in measured kidney filtration
Lak et al., 2025 RCT, 12 weeks 38 completers, resistance-trained men No group differences in DHT or hair measures
Xu et al., 2024 Meta-analysis, 16 RCTs 492 adults Memory effect of moderate certainty; most other cognitive outcomes low certainty
Waldron et al., 2018 Taurine meta-analysis, 10 studies Varied Endurance performance g = 0.40
Deng et al., 2025 Taurine meta-analysis, 23 trials 308 participants Small-to-moderate acute effect; certainty low to very low
Yu et al., 2025 Crossover RCT, single-blind 12 sports students, hot and humid lab Longer time to exhaustion with both together than with placebo (not reported against creatine alone); no repeated-sprint difference; jump height fell after exhaustion with creatine and with the combination

The evidence, study by study

ISSN position stand on creatine (Kreider et al., 2017)

The ISSN position stand reviewed creatine in exercise, sport and medicine. It reports that supplementation consistently raises the creatine stored in muscle, which may help explain gains in high-intensity exercise performance. It states that short and long-term supplementation, up to 30 g/day for 5 years, was well tolerated in healthy individuals and several patient groups. The abstract also states that habitual low dietary creatine ingestion (for example 3 g/day) may provide health benefits across the lifespan. This is the authors’ statement and is not an authorised claim in Great Britain.

Limitations. A position stand is a consensus summary, not a new trial. It also covers a wide range of clinical applications, summarised in the abstract only in general terms. PubMed: PMID 28615996.

Creatine and strength with resistance training (Wang et al., 2024)

This meta-analysis pooled 23 studies of adults under 50. Twenty studies were in men (447 participants), two in women (40 participants) and one in both sexes. Compared with placebo, creatine with resistance training increased upper-body strength by 4.43 kg and lower-body strength by 11.35 kg (both p < 0.001). Men gained in both; the female subgroup did not show significant gains (Wang et al., 2024).

Limitations. Three studies included women (49 female participants in total, from the 40 and 9 given in the abstract), so the female result rests on limited data. The authors reported a trend, not a firm difference, for sex, and concluded that greater benefits were likely in males.

Creatine and body composition (Pashayee-Khamene et al., 2024)

Across 143 randomised trials, creatine was associated with body mass higher by 0.86 kg (95% CI 0.76 to 0.96) and fat-free mass higher by 0.82 kg (95% CI 0.57 to 1.06). The authors describe the overall effect as small, and larger when paired with resistance training or a maintenance dose (Pashayee-Khamene et al., 2024).

Limitations. These are pooled average differences, not predictions for any individual, and the abstract describes the overall effect as small. The abstract does not describe the participants, so the pooled figures cannot be attributed to any specific group.

Creatine and cognition (Xu et al., 2024)

Sixteen RCTs with 492 participants aged 20.8 to 76.4 years, all using creatine monohydrate, were pooled. Memory improved (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.44), as did attention time and processing speed time. Overall cognitive function and executive function did not improve significantly. The certainty of the evidence was moderate for memory and low for the other outcomes (Xu et al., 2024).

Limitations. The participants included healthy people and people with specific diseases. The UKNHCC opinion considered a narrower question (3 g/day or less in healthy adults) and found a cause-and-effect relationship had not been established; the Xu abstract does not report doses (see the section on UK rules below). No cognitive claim is made here.

Creatine in older adults and clinical populations (Candow et al., 2025)

This narrative review examined creatine monohydrate in older adults and clinical populations. In the authors’ words, the research they reviewed, mainly where creatine was combined with exercise training, shows beneficial effects on lean body mass, muscle size, muscle strength, bone area and thickness, functional ability, glucose kinetics, cognition and memory (Candow et al., 2025).

Limitations. The abstract gives no figures and does not state how many studies or participants were reviewed. For cognition, the Xu et al., 2024 meta-analysis above found no significant improvement in overall cognitive function, and the UKNHCC opinion found cause and effect not established for healthy adults; this is the authors’ summary, not an authorised claim. The authorised claims are in the UK rules section.

Kidney function: pooled evidence (Naeini et al., 2025; de Souza e Silva et al., 2019)

Naeini and colleagues reviewed 21 studies and pooled 12 for serum creatinine. They found a small, statistically significant increase (mean difference 0.07 µmol/L; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.12; p = 0.03) and no statistically significant difference in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The authors describe the creatinine rise as modest and transient and judge that it probably reflects metabolic turnover rather than impaired kidney function. In subgroups by follow-up, the rise was significant at one week or less (mean difference 0.12; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.21), not significant at 1 to 12 weeks (0.04; 95% CI -0.09 to 0.17), and significant again beyond 12 weeks (Naeini et al., 2025).

An earlier meta-analysis, which included 15 studies qualitatively and 6 quantitatively, concluded that creatine did not induce renal damage at the amounts and durations studied (de Souza e Silva et al., 2019). Its abstract is internally inconsistent: it reports pooled standardised mean differences of 0.48 for creatinine and 1.10 for urea, with P values of .001 and .004, while describing the results as not significant. This paper should therefore be read with caution.

Limitations. Naeini and colleagues judge that the creatinine rise likely reflects metabolic turnover rather than renal impairment; serum creatinine and GFR were the two primary outcomes. The abstracts do not describe the health of the participants, so these results cannot be assumed to apply to people with kidney conditions (see the Safety section).

A 12-week kidney trial (Lugaresi et al., 2013)

This double-blind RCT gave resistance-trained people a creatine protocol (20 g/day for 5 days, then 5 g/day) or placebo for 12 weeks, alongside a high-protein diet. GFR measured by 51Cr-EDTA clearance did not differ between groups (creatine 101.42 to 108.78; placebo 103.29 to 106.68 mL/min/1.73 m2; group-by-time p = 0.64). Urea, electrolytes, proteinuria and albuminuria stayed virtually unchanged (Lugaresi et al., 2013).

Limitations. The abstract does not give the number of participants; it covers healthy, resistance-trained people over 12 weeks.

Hair and hormones (Lak et al., 2025)

Forty-five resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 were randomised to 5 g/day of creatine monohydrate or 5 g of maltodextrin for 12 weeks; 38 finished. There were no group-by-time differences in testosterone, DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio or hair measures such as density and thickness (Lak et al., 2025).

Limitations. The trial was short and included only young men, so it cannot settle questions about longer use or other groups.

Biochemical markers in two further studies

In a double-blind trial, 18 males taking 0.3 g/kg/day for 7 days were compared with matched controls. Body weight rose as expected, with no adverse events, and 41 blood and urine parameters checked 30 days later showed no change in blood counts, lipids, urine markers or liver and kidney function (Almeida et al., 2020). A single-arm study followed 71 female football players taking 20 g/day for 7 days and then 5 g/day for the remainder of the season (end-season sampling at week 32). Eight of 18 markers moved by statistically significant but clinically minor amounts, and all except creatine phosphokinase (CPK) remained within reference ranges; the authors judged the CPK variation likely to reflect training load (Garcia et al., 2025).

Limitations. The abstract of the first study reports 18 supplemented males and does not state the size of the matched control group; the supplementation lasted 7 days and follow-up sampling was 30 days later. The second had no placebo group, so it cannot show cause and effect.

Taurine and endurance (Waldron et al., 2018)

A meta-analysis of 10 studies of taurine at 1 to 6 g/day, given as single doses or for up to 2 weeks, found improved overall endurance performance (Hedges’ g = 0.40, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.67). The effect did not differ between acute and chronic use, and the dose did not change it (Waldron et al., 2018).

Limitations. The analysis covered only studies of isolated taurine, lasting up to 2 weeks, at doses of 1 to 6 g/day. The abstract does not report how certain the evidence was.

Taurine as a single dose (Deng et al., 2025)

This 2025 meta-analysis pooled 23 randomised trials (69 effects, 308 participants). A single dose was associated with a small-to-moderate improvement (g = 0.25, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.39). The authors rated certainty as low to very low, noted that prediction intervals often included zero, and found several subgroup effects shrank once influential studies were removed (Deng et al., 2025).

Limitations. The authors themselves describe uncertainty about whether the results would repeat in new studies.

Taurine in sport more broadly (Kurtz et al., 2021)

A review of 19 studies concluded that limited and varied findings prevent definitive conclusions about taurine and aerobic and anaerobic performance, with mixed findings for recovery and muscle damage (Kurtz et al., 2021).

Limitations. The review included only studies of taurine as a single ingredient, excluded participants older than 50 and people with health issues, and reports mixed findings for recovery and muscle damage. Timing and type of exercise may influence results, and the authors state that more investigation is needed. The 1 to 3 g/day figure in its abstract is the review authors’ summary of included studies, not an intake recommendation.

Creatine and taurine together (Yu et al., 2025)

In the sources reviewed, this is the only human trial that gives the two together. Twelve sports students were assigned to placebo, taurine, creatine and combined conditions in a single-blind crossover design, in a laboratory held at 35 °C and 65% relative humidity. The authors hypothesised that the combination would have a greater effect than either ingredient alone or placebo. Time to exhaustion was longer with the combination than with placebo (P = 0.04). Peak power, mean power and power decrement during repeated sprints did not differ between conditions (P > 0.05). Countermovement jump height fell after exhaustive exercise in the creatine and combined conditions (P = 0.04 for each), and peak blood lactate and tympanic temperature were higher in the taurine-only condition than placebo (P = 0.04; P < 0.01). The authors’ clinical relevance note says the supplements did not significantly improve repeated-sprint performance (Yu et al., 2025).

Limitations. Very small, single-blind, hot and humid conditions, and a single exercise setting. The abstract reports the time-to-exhaustion difference only against placebo, not against creatine alone. No long-term trial of the pair is among the sources reviewed.

Label accuracy in sports supplements (Der Merwe et al., 2025)

Researchers developed a qNMR laboratory method for creatine and taurine and applied it to commercial sports supplements. Measured content deviated from label claims by up to 65.97% above the label claim for creatine and 141.52% above for taurine, while batch-to-batch variability was no higher than 8.49% (Der Merwe et al., 2025). The abstract does not name products and does not say how many products were tested. It reports a laboratory method and its findings on commercial sports supplements in general; it says nothing about any product discussed here.

Safety and who should be cautious

What authorities and reviews state. The ISSN position stand reports that supplementation, up to 30 g/day for 5 years, was well tolerated in healthy individuals (Kreider et al., 2017). A 2017 review reported that several competent authorities had concluded that 3 g of creatine per person per day was unlikely to pose safety concerns, focusing on healthy adults and excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women. It lists occasional gastrointestinal complaints, muscle cramps and weight gain as reported effects (Andres et al., 2017). A 2025 short review found no support for a link between creatine and cancer and no adverse kidney effects in healthy people. It also said gastrointestinal distress occurs in some people and is dose-dependent (Longobardi et al., 2025).

Taurine. A 2008 risk assessment found no systematic pattern of adverse effects in human trials, so it could not set the usual upper limit and used an alternative method based on the highest intakes observed in trials. The authors described the evidence for absence of adverse effects as strong at supplemental intakes up to 3 g/day in normal healthy adults, and said data above that were insufficient for a confident conclusion about long-term safety (Shao and Hathcock, 2008). This is a published risk assessment, not a regulator’s intake advice.

Narrative reviews on common worries. Two narrative reviews, each by an international team of research experts and published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, address frequent questions about water retention, kidneys, hair, cramping, loading phases and sex differences (first paper) and about timing, caffeine, cancer, pregnancy and male fertility (second paper). The 2021 paper states that creatine is relatively well tolerated, especially at what the authors call recommended dosages (3 to 5 g/day, or 0.1 g/kg of body mass per day) (Antonio et al., 2021). The 2025 abstract describes creatine monohydrate as an effective intervention for certain aspects of sport, exercise performance and health; this is the authors’ characterisation, not an authorised claim in Great Britain (Antonio et al., 2025). The abstracts list the questions; the answers sit in the full texts, so this article does not summarise them further.

Who should speak to a professional first. The 2025 short review advises caution for people with existing kidney conditions and for pregnant women because evidence is lacking (Longobardi et al., 2025). The 2021 expert review lists whether creatine is harmful for children and adolescents among its questions (Antonio et al., 2021). Government guidance on food supplements advises checking with a GP before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take regular prescribed medication, and not exceeding the recommended dose (gov.uk food supplements guidance).

Intake figures, as stated by others. Every amount quoted in this article is a study protocol or a statement by the cited authors or authorities, not an instruction. Examples are 3 g/day of creatine in the authority review, 3 to 5 g/day (or 0.1 g/kg/day) in the 2021 narrative review by an international team of research experts, up to 30 g/day for 5 years and 3 g/day in the ISSN position stand, 20 g/day loading protocols in two studies, 1 to 6 g of taurine in the taurine meta-analysis, 1 to 3 g/day in the taurine review, and 3 g/day of taurine in the risk assessment. Always check the product label, and speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines.

Athletes. UK Anti-Doping states that no supplement can be guaranteed free from prohibited substances, that athletes are strictly liable for what they take, and that batch-tested products and batch numbers should be checked (UKAD, Managing supplement risks). An independent laboratory assay is not the same thing as a batch-testing certification scheme for athletes.

What kind of evidence sits behind NitraGlyc’s ingredients

Free Muscle sells two food supplements. CREATREN is the creatine and taurine product discussed here. NitraGlyc is the other, and our separate article on nitrosigine and glycerol, reviews its two named ingredients in the same way. The NitraGlyc column below summarises that article and cites no new studies; the table compares the kind of evidence behind each, not the products. This is not a ranking of the products.

Creatine monohydrate Nitrosigine and glycerol (as summarised in the linked article)
What it is A form of creatine, studied in many of the trials cited in this article. According to our linked article: nitrosigine is a branded form of arginine silicate described as stabilised with inositol. Glycerol has been studied as a way to hold extra body water before exercise.
Kind of evidence A position stand, narrative reviews, meta-analyses and randomised trials, as set out above. According to our linked article: human studies of nitrosigine described there, and a separate literature for glycerol, mostly given as a drink with a large volume of fluid rather than as a capsule.
Study of the combination One small crossover trial of creatine and taurine together (Yu et al., 2025). No human trial of the NitraGlyc capsule or of nitrosigine plus glycerol in the material reviewed for that article.
Authorised GB claim Two entries in the annex, each with its own conditions of use: one on successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise in adults, one on resistance training in adults over 55 (see the UK rules section). According to our linked article: none found for arginine, silicon, inositol or glycerol in the register search described in that article.

Each set of ingredients has its own evidence and its own regulatory position; the details for NitraGlyc are in the linked article. No study of either product as sold is cited here. For the label of either supplement, check the product label, and speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines. You can also browse the performance nutrition collection.

Does the timing of creatine matter? What the sources say

The 2025 expert review lists “Does the timing of CrM really matter?” as one of its questions, but its abstract does not give the answer (Antonio et al., 2025). No source reviewed here gives a clock time for creatine, so this article does not offer one. Amounts that authorities and expert groups have named are set out, with their sources, in the “Intake figures, as stated by others” paragraph of the safety section; they are not instructions. The conditions attached to the authorised claims are in the UK rules section.

For CREATREN, the product page does not state how much creatine sits in a serving (300 g across about 60 servings), so none of those figures can be mapped onto a serving. Check the product label, and speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines.

UK rules and authorised claims

The Great Britain retained version of Regulation (EC) 432/2012 lists authorised health claims. For creatine, the authorised wording is that creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The conditions of use are that the food provides a daily intake of 3 g of creatine, that consumers are told the beneficial effect is obtained with 3 g daily, and that the food targets adults performing high-intensity exercise (legislation.gov.uk, Regulation 432/2012 annex).

A second creatine entry in the same annex concerns adults over 55 doing regular resistance training and has its own conditions. It is a separate claim for a different group.

What is not authorised. The word taurine does not appear anywhere in that annex, so general statements about taurine, such as about hydration, are not authorised claims on that list. This check covered the 432/2012 annex only, not every register entry. In addition, the UK Nutrition and Health Claims Committee published an opinion on 14 August 2024 concluding that a cause-and-effect relationship had not been established between consumption of 3 g or less of creatine per day and improved cognitive function in healthy adults. The opinion states it is not an authorisation or a positive safety assessment (UKNHCC opinion on creatine and cognitive function). This article therefore makes no cognitive claim for creatine.

Government guidance lists sports and fitness products such as protein powders and creatine as a common type of food supplement, says supplements should not be sold with claims about preventing or treating medical conditions, and tells consumers to check claims against the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register. Note that the NHS website has no creatine page at the time of writing, so this article does not cite it.

About CREATREN creatine monohydrate and taurine powder

Free Muscle sells research compounds and gym apparel online. CREATREN is one of two food supplements it sells; the other is NitraGlyc. The research compounds Free Muscle sells are for laboratory research use only, are not food supplements and are not for human consumption, but CREATREN is a food supplement.

According to its page, CREATREN creatine monohydrate and taurine powder in a 300 g tub contains micronised creatine monohydrate with taurine, in about 60 servings of 5 g, with two ingredients. The page does not state how many grams of creatine and of taurine each serving contains. That matters: the taurine amounts in the taurine meta-analyses above were mostly 1 to 6 g, so the studies cannot be assumed to apply to the amount in a serving. Nothing in this article is a claim that the product produces any of the effects studied.

Each batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, an independent laboratory. The Certificate of Analysis is sent on request: email the batch number printed on the label with the product name. Details are on the lab tests page. Delivery information is on the shipping page: UK delivery is free and tracked, in plain packaging, standard delivery takes 2 to 5 working days, and orders placed before 2pm UK time Monday to Friday are processed the same working day. Unopened items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days under the returns guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

What is creatine monohydrate, and is it found with taurine?

Creatine monohydrate is the form named in several of the studies cited in this article. Creatine and taurine are found together in some sports supplements (Der Merwe et al., 2025), and taurine has also been studied separately in exercise. In the sources reviewed for this article, the only trial of the two together was one small crossover trial (Yu et al., 2025).

Does creatine and taurine together work better than creatine alone?

The one trial that tested both hypothesised that the combination would have a greater effect on physiological indicators and repeated-sprint recovery after exhaustive exercise in hot, humid conditions than either ingredient alone or placebo. Its abstract reports a longer time to exhaustion for the combination only against placebo (P = 0.04), and no difference between conditions in repeated sprints. It does not report a significant advantage over creatine alone (Yu et al., 2025).

What do UK authorities say about checking a food supplement?

Government guidance on food supplements tells consumers to check claims against the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register, says supplements should not be sold with claims about preventing or treating medical conditions, and advises checking with a GP before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take regular prescribed medication (gov.uk food supplements guidance). UK Anti-Doping states that athletes are strictly liable for what they take and that batch-tested products and batch numbers should be checked (UKAD, Managing supplement risks). Always check the product label.

What do studies say about creatine monohydrate and the kidneys?

A 2025 meta-analysis found a small rise in serum creatinine that the authors judged likely to reflect metabolic turnover, with no significant GFR change; the rise was significant again in studies longer than 12 weeks (Naeini et al., 2025). A 12-week RCT found no difference in measured GFR (Lugaresi et al., 2013). People with existing kidney conditions should speak to a doctor first.

Is there a loading phase in the research?

Some trials began with a short higher-intake phase and others used a daily amount alone; the 2021 narrative review posed the question of whether loading is required (Antonio et al., 2021). Follow the product label rather than a study protocol.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

In a 12-week RCT of resistance-trained men taking 5 g/day, no group differences in DHT or hair measures were found (Lak et al., 2025). One short trial in young men does not cover every group or timescale.

Is creatine only for men?

Most studies in the strength meta-analysis were in men. In that meta-analysis, only 2 studies were in women and 1 in both sexes, and the female groups did not show significant gains (Wang et al., 2024). That reflects limited data. A season-long single-arm study of 71 female footballers reported statistically significant but clinically minor changes in 8 of 18 markers and no clinically meaningful derangements; CPK went outside its reference range, which the authors judged likely to reflect training load (Garcia et al., 2025).

What health claim can be made for creatine in Great Britain?

One authorised claim concerns performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, and requires a daily intake of 3 g of creatine, with consumers told this, for adults performing high-intensity exercise. A second entry concerns adults over 55 doing regular resistance training, with its own conditions, including a 3 g daily intake. The wording and conditions are on the legislation.gov.uk annex. GOV.UK guidance lists creatine among common types of food supplement and tells consumers to check claims against the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register (gov.uk food supplements guidance). Check the product label, and speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines.

What are the side effects of creatine?

A 2017 review reported occasional gastrointestinal complaints, muscle cramps and weight gain (Andres et al., 2017). A 2025 short review said gastrointestinal distress occurs in some people, is dose-dependent, and advised caution for people with pre-existing kidney conditions and for pregnant women (Longobardi et al., 2025). The safety section sets out the other studies and authority statements. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition or take medicines.

What do creatine studies report on strength and body composition?

It depends on the population and the design. The pooled analyses are described in the study-by-study section: one on strength with resistance training in adults under 50 (Wang et al., 2024) and one on body mass and fat-free mass across 143 randomised trials (Pashayee-Khamene et al., 2024). These are group averages, not predictions for any individual.

When should you take creatine, before or after a workout?

No source reviewed here gives a clock time for creatine; see Does the timing of creatine matter? What the sources say. Check the product label, and speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines.

How does the evidence on creatine differ from the evidence on nitrosigine and glycerol?

The two sets of ingredients in Free Muscle’s two food supplements have different bodies of research and different regulatory positions. According to our article on nitrosigine and glycerol, no human trial of the NitraGlyc capsule was found, and no authorised GB claim was found for arginine, silicon, inositol or glycerol in the register search described there. The creatine evidence and its authorised claims are set out in this article; see the comparison table. Check the product label.

This article is published by Free Muscle, which sells the food supplement discussed. It is educational and based on published literature; it is not medical advice. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines, and always check the product label.

Sources

  1. 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. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID 28615996
  2. 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(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w. PMID 33557850
  3. Antonio J, Brown AF, Candow DG, et al. Part II. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(1):2441760. doi:10.1080/15502783.2024.2441760. PMID 39720835
  4. Wang Z, Qiu B, Li R, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength gains in adults <50 years of age: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2024;16(21). doi:10.3390/nu16213665. PMID 39519498
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