What is the Creatine Dosage Calculator?
Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched sports supplements, shown to improve strength, power, and lean mass. The right daily amount depends on your body weight. This calculator estimates two common dosing strategies: a short, higher-dose loading phase and a steady maintenance phase.
How to use it
Enter your body weight and pick your unit (kilograms or pounds). The calculator converts pounds to kilograms automatically, then returns your total loading dose, the size of each of the four loading doses, and your daily maintenance dose. The loading phase usually lasts 5–7 days; afterwards you switch to maintenance indefinitely.
The formula explained
The widely cited loading protocol is 0.3 g per kg of body weight per day, divided into about four equal servings to improve tolerance and absorption. The maintenance protocol is 0.03 g per kg per day, which lands most people in the familiar 3–5 g range. You can skip loading entirely and just take the maintenance dose; muscle creatine stores still saturate, it simply takes about 3–4 weeks instead of one.
$$\text{Loading} = 0.3 \times W \qquad \text{Maintenance} = 0.03 \times W$$$$\text{where}\quad W = \text{Body Weight (kg)}$$
Worked example
For an 80 kg lifter: loading = \(0.3 \times 80 = \) 24 g/day, split into 4 doses of 6 g each. Maintenance = \(0.03 \times 80 = \) 2.4 g/day, which most people round up to 3–5 g for simplicity.
FAQ
Do I need a loading phase? No. Loading just saturates your muscles faster. A flat 3–5 g daily works equally well over a few weeks.
When should I take creatine? Timing matters little. Take it daily and consistently; many people pair it with a meal or post-workout.
Is more better? No. Once muscles are saturated, extra creatine is simply excreted. Stick to your maintenance dose and stay hydrated.
