Loading phases and 20g/day protocols aren't necessary for most athletes.
There's been a surge in megadose creatine content on social media lately—especially around the benefits for brain health and the idea that you need 20g per day or more to see results.
The supplement industry, unsurprisingly, is loving this idea.
You burn through four times as much creatine. You feel like you're doing something extra. And it taps perfectly into a belief people already hold: more must be better.
The problem is, the research does not support that conclusion, and presenting it that way gives our industry a bad name.
Creatine Works by Saturation, Not Shock
Creatine is one of the most effective supplements available for improving strength, power output, and recovery. It achieves these benefits by increasing muscle creatine stores, which helps regenerate ATP (your muscles' primary energy source).
The key concept here is saturation. Your muscles can only hold so much creatine. Once they're saturated—typically a 10-40% increase above baseline—you've maximized the benefit. Taking more creatine beyond saturation doesn't make your muscles hold more or work better.
Whether you take a higher dose for less time, or a steady approach over 3-4 weeks, you'll reach the same level of muscle saturation. Loading protocols exist to speed things up, not because lower doses don't work.
What Loading Phases Actually Show
Creatine loading protocols have been used for decades, particularly in strength and power sports. The traditional approach, outlined by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, involves taking roughly 20-25g per day for 5-7 days, followed by 3-5g per day to maintain your levels.
This approach works by saturating muscle creatine stores quickly, allowing athletes to experience performance benefits sooner. The important detail, though, is why it works. High doses accelerate saturation, they don't increase the final amount of creatine the muscle can store.
Studies demonstrate that taking just 3g per day for 28 days produces similar muscle saturation to the rapid loading approach. The timeline is different, but the outcome is the same.
In practice, a loading phase is a tool for speed. It can make sense when an athlete needs benefits within a short window, such as before a competition, but it isn't required for creatine to work. For most athletes training consistently over months and years, the slower approach works just as well without the GI distress that often comes with megadosing.
Where the "Megadose" Narrative Comes From
Some of the recent discussion around very high creatine doses stems from a 2024 study that examined whether a single, large dose of creatine could offset the cognitive and metabolic effects of sleep deprivation.
In that study, participants underwent partial sleep deprivation and consumed a single dose of ~0.35g/kg of creatine (~24.5g for a 70kg person). Compared to placebo, this acute dose improved markers of brain energy metabolism and partially reduced fatigue-related cognitive decline.
The authors concluded: "A high single dose of creatine can partially reverse metabolic alterations and fatigue-related cognitive deterioration."
That finding is valid, but it's often misinterpreted. It's not the same thing as saying creatine only works at high doses, or that you need 20+ grams daily for brain benefits. The study does not show that creatine requires high daily doses to be effective, nor does it establish a need for chronic megadosing.
What this study actually shows is that under acute physiological stress, a temporary spike in creatine availability may increase brain uptake beyond what happens under normal conditions. In other words, stress changes the game.
This is an acute intervention for a specific stressor, not a model for everyday supplementation.
What the Broader Literature Actually Suggests
Under normal conditions, creatine uptake into the brain is gradual and limited. Protective barriers restrict how much creatine crosses from the blood into brain tissue. This is why regular, moderate dosing works: it maintains slightly elevated circulating levels over time, allowing slow accumulation where it occurs.
Creatine is safe and well-tolerated across a wide range of populations. Decades of research consistently show that 3–5g daily supplementation effectively increases muscle creatine stores, improves high-intensity exercise performance, and supports recovery between training sessions.
If you want to go deeper, we’ve covered related creatine topics in more detail elsewhere — including recent research on creatine and cognition, why endurance athletes benefit from creatine supplementation, how creatine may support injury-prone athletes, and the relationship between creatine, sleep, and mental performance. These articles explore where creatine’s benefits are strongest, and where the evidence is still evolving.
The Practical Reality for Athletes
Long-term daily intakes of 20g or more often come with trade-offs: gastrointestinal discomfort is common, costs can add up quickly, and adherence becomes harder. Some athletes also prefer to limit unnecessary water retention, particularly in endurance or weight-class sports.
For most athletes, 3-5g of creatine per day is sufficient. This approach saturates muscle creatine stores over time, maintains those levels with consistent use, and minimizes side effects. Where cognitive benefits exist, this dosing strategy aligns with how creatine accumulates in the body.
A loading phase may make sense in limited situations, like if you need the performance benefits within 1-2 weeks before a competition, or if you're restarting after a break from supplementation. Even then, spreading doses throughout the day can improve tolerance.
Short-term higher doses may have a role during periods of extreme stress, such as severe sleep deprivation, high-altitude training, or unusual cognitive demands. But for everyday athletes? Science doesn't support megadosing as a daily requirement.
Key Takeaways
Creatine works. It's one of the most researched, effective, and safe supplements available.
But, effectiveness isn't about who can take the most. Creatine is effective because it increases and maintains muscle creatine stores. Once those stores are saturated, taking more does not confer additional benefit.
Here's what you really need to know:
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Saturation is saturation: Whether you reach it quickly (loading phase) or slowly (3–5g daily), your muscles hold the same amount of creatine.
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3–5g daily is sufficient for most athletes to saturate muscles within 3-4 weeks and maintain those levels long-term.
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Loading phases are optional: They speed up saturation but aren't required for creatine to work—use them strategically before competitions or when restarting.
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Megadoses aren't necessary: The science shows benefits at moderate doses; taking 20g+ daily only increases your cost, GI issues, and water retention without improving performance outcomes.
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Cognitive benefits are context-dependent: Most reliable in vegetarians/vegans, older adults, and during acute stress—not a universal effect requiring high doses.
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Consistency beats intensity: Daily supplementation with a moderate dose is more effective long-term than sporadic megadosing.
That’s all for this week! If you learned something new and are curious to know more, head over to the Blonyx Blog or our growing list of weekly research summaries where we help you further improve your athletic performance by keeping you up to date on the latest findings from the world of sports science.
– Train hard!
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