creatine monohydrate

I recommend creatine for almost everyone because of the immense benefits it offers for your brain and body, and its overwhelming safety and few contraindications (aka: very few reasons a person cannot or should not take it). Many studies are emerging with more information about how creatine can help support you after a sleepless night, in concussion recovery, to build muscle and improve performance, and maybe even to prevent or delay dementia. Creatine is used in the body to maintain levels of ATP in your cells, so you can think of it like a battery reserve.

Creatine is safe for children, adults, pregnant women, and elderly people. It is a substance found naturally in foods, mostly animal foods like red meat, poultry, and fish.

Creatine has been, and continues to be, extensively studied. I recommend supplementing creatine monohydrate because it is well absorbed and has been the most well-studied. Some brands advertise different forms of creatine as being superior, but often, this is a gimmick to charge more money for a form of creatine that isn't actually better than plain creatine monohydrate.

When shopping for a supplement, look for third party tested products made in the United States. I like the Thorne brand, though it is more expensive.

how much should I supplement?

always talk to your doctor before starting to supplement. (but also make sure your doctor has done their homework about creatine supplementation, too!)

Children can supplement 5 grams daily.

Adult women can supplement up to 20 grams daily, but should start with 5-10 g daily and see how they go.

Adult men can supplement up to 25 grams daily, with the same advice for starting as above for women.

You need to drink plenty of water when you are supplementing creatine. I personally supplement 15 grams daily and drink at least 2.5 liters of water every day.

why supplement?

increase bone mineral density
increase skeletal muscle mass, which improves your metabolic health and increases the number of calories you burn at rest
creatine MIGHT decrease total fat mass
improved upper/lower body strength
may increase HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels
may decrease total cholesterol and triglycerides
may improve A1c (average blood sugar levels)

to learn more and do a deeper dive, I recommend the following resources.