Creatine powders
Creatine works through daily use over weeks, so what matters is how much you take in a day. For each product we take the label's own directions (how much per serving, how many servings a day) and compare the daily amount with what studies use: 3–5 g/day. Products that reach that range when taken as directed come first, then by the least their directions give a day (counted only up to the top of the range); commission never changes the order.
| Product | Per serving | Servings a day | Per day, as directed | Verdict | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BulkSupplements Creatine Monohydrate · label 24 May 2023 | 5 g | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | NSF Certified for Sport, listed lots |
| GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate · label 25 Jun 2025 | 5 g | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | Label claim only |
| Klean Athlete Klean Creatine · label 22 Nov 2022 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | NSF Certified for Sport, listed lots |
| Momentous Creatine · label 25 Mar 2025 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | NSF Certified for Sport |
| Naked Nutrition Naked Creatine (Creatine Monohydrate) · label 11 Oct 2026 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | Label claim only |
| Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate Powder · label 21 Dec 2024 | 5 g in 1 scoop (7 g) | Directions unclear | — | Effective dose | Label claim only |
| Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder · label 24 Jul 2025 | 5 g | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | Label claim only |
| Orgain Creatine Monohydrate · label 22 Aug 2025 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 4 servings | 20 g | Effective dose | Label claim only |
| Sports Research Creatine Monohydrate · label 11 Oct 2026 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | NSF Certified for Sport, listed lots |
| Thorne Creatine · label 25 Sep 2025 | 5 g in 1 scoop (5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | NSF Certified for Sport, listed lots |
| Transparent Labs Creatine HMB · label 22 Nov 2024 | 5 g in 1 scoop (9.5 g) | 1 serving | 5 g | Effective dose | Lab tested (Labdoor 2026), found 109–110% of the label |
11 products. Where the directions give a range, the verdict judges the most they give in a day. Read the creatine monohydrate guide for the studies behind the dose. "Proof" is a published independent lab test, a certifier listing we read on the certifier's own site (usually for listed lots only), or "Label claim only" when we found neither.
Creatine and the brain: what about 20 g a day?
The 3–5 g a day every creatine product here is judged against is the dose for muscle and exercise. Studies on the brain have used more: 20 g a day, for 5–7 days or, in a small Alzheimer's pilot with no placebo group, for 8 weeks (Smith et al., 2025), or a single dose of 0.35 g per kg, about 26 g at 75 kg, during a night without sleep (Gordji-Nejad et al., 2024). The ISSN's creatine position stand notes that higher amounts over longer periods may be needed to raise creatine in the brain (Kreider et al., 2017).
The results are early and mixed. A 2023 meta-analysis found better memory mainly in older adults, not in younger ones (Prokopidis et al., 2023); a 2023 trial found no effect on cognition in young adults at moderate or high doses (Moriarty et al., 2023). In 2024 the EU's food safety authority, EFSA, saw an effect on working memory only at 20 g a day for 5–7 days, and concluded that a link between creatine and better cognition has not been established (EFSA, 2024). So we don't judge products against a brain dose.
Taking more? Split it
Studies that give 20 g a day split it: the usual loading plan is four doses of 5 g (Kreider et al., 2017), and the Alzheimer's pilot gave two doses of 10 g, with 13 mild side effects reported among its 20 patients, including diarrhoea, nausea and cramping (Smith et al., 2025). Large single doses are where stomach trouble shows up: in a trial with soccer players, diarrhoea was reported by 56% of those taking 10 g at once, against 29% of those taking the same 10 g as two doses of 5 g (Ostojic and Ahmetovic, 2008). Taken in normal amounts, creatine caused no more side effects than a placebo across 685 trials (Kreider et al., 2025).
Research context, not advice. If you have kidney disease or take medication, ask a doctor before taking high doses.