Taking 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily for 8 to 12 weeks leads to small increases in muscle size in people who regularly lift weights, mainly because it allows them to train more intensely or for longer, not because it directly stimulates muscle growth at the cellular level.

We analyzed the available evidence and found that taking 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily for 8 to 12 weeks is linked to small increases in muscle size among adults who regularly lift weights [1]. This change doesn’t appear to come from creatine directly triggering muscle growth at the cellular level, but rather because it may help people lift heavier or train longer, which over time can lead to more muscle adaptation [1]. No studies in our review contradicted this pattern. The evidence we’ve reviewed so far leans toward this being a modest, indirect effect tied to improved training performance rather than a direct biological change from creatine itself. We don’t have enough data to say whether this effect is the same for everyone, or how long it lasts after stopping supplementation. What we’ve found so far suggests creatine monohydrate might help resistance-trained individuals get slightly more out of their workouts, which could result in a bit more muscle over time — but it’s not a magic trigger for growth. If you’re already lifting regularly and want to see if you can push a little harder, adding creatine might be worth trying.