Creatine makes you stronger – truth or myth?

Claudio Viecelli

19/2/2026

Translation: Eva Francis

Strength training is much more than just building muscle. It acts like medicine on the body, as it can help to extend how long you experience a healthy life [1–6]. In this series, we’re taking a critical look at widespread health myths. This time, we’re looking at the effect of creatine and strength training.

Sales of supplements in Switzerland have reached record levels in recent years. On Galaxus, creatine ranks second among the best-selling supplements in the nutritional supplements category.

What is creatine? There are different types of this supplement – but which one’s best? And what are creatine’s effects on the body? Many weight lifters swear that it noticeably increases muscle strength. But does it really deliver what it promises?

What is creatine and how does it work in the body?

Creatine is one of the best known and, with over 500 peer-reviewed studies, probably the most researched dietary supplement worldwide. It’s a naturally occurring nitrogenous organic acid that’s found mainly in red meat [7] and seafood [8,9]. Around 95 per cent of the total creatine in the body is located in the muscles, with the rest distributed among the brain, eyes, kidneys, large and small intestines, and (in men) the testicles [10,11].

Creatine is synthesised in the liver and kidneys before being distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream. Muscles act as the largest creatine stores. These stores can even be expanded through supplementation – from an average of 120 mmol/kg to over 180 mmol/kg of dry muscle mass [12,13].

In the muscles, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine by phosphorylation, in which a phosphate group is bound to creatine. Phosphocreatine is an energy-rich compound that can transfer its phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). This regenerates adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the central energy currency of cells, which is needed for short, intense activity.

Types of creatine

As can be seen in the Galaxus shop, various types of creatine are available. One type is creatine alkaline, a buffered form of creatine that, according to the manufacturer, is said to have higher effectiveness and bioavailability. Other types include creatine that’s combined with other nutrients, such as creatine citrate – creatine ethyl ester and creatine nitrate are available on the internet. Claims that different types of creatine are broken down less quickly in the body or lead to greater absorption than creatine monohydrate have no scientific basis [14,15]. Creatine monohydrate is considered the gold standard.

Under maximum exertion, such as during strength training, the anaerobic metabolism is the most important source of rapid energy supply. The muscles need a lot of ATP to maintain mechanical and metabolic stress. ATP is consumed and ADP is recycled back into ATP by the addition of a phosphate group from phosphocreatine. Taking creatine increases the creatine stores in the muscles and thus also the concentration of high-energy phosphates needed for ATP recycling.

Higher phosphocreatine stores can optimise energy supply and thus prolong the duration of intense exercise, which has a positive effect on training capacity and volume [16–23].

In addition, creatine has osmotic properties that increase water stores in cells and act as an anabolic stimulus for signalling pathways and protein kinases involved in protein synthesis [24]. Creatine also increases IGF-1 production and the expression of myogenic transcription factors, which can promote the activity, differentiation and growth of muscle-specific satellite cells, which in turn can lead to increased muscle protein synthesis [24,25]. In addition, there is evidence that creatine reduces muscle protein breakdown and decreases oxidative stress and inflammation, creating a more favourable environment for muscle growth [26–30]. These synergistic effects with strength training can significantly improve results.

Creatine in research

Creatine was discovered as early as 1832 by French scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul. But it wasn’t until the early 1990s that serious, double-blind, placebo-controlled research into creatine supplementation started happening. Two groundbreaking studies marked a scientific breakthrough: in 1992, Harris et al. [12] demonstrated that oral supplementation with creatine significantly increases creatine concentration in the muscles both at rest and after exercise. In 1993, Greenhaff et al. [31] proved that creatine increases muscle strength during maximum exertion. These findings led to a wave of further studies, particularly in the field of elite sports [32].

Here’s an interesting aspect: Roger Harris published his study in the same year that Linford Christie won Olympic gold in the men’s 100 m sprint and Sally Gunnell in the women’s 400 m hurdles. Both athletes are said to have taken creatine. Coincidence or the beginning of a sporting revolution? That was when research into creatine experienced a huge boom.

Early studies, such as those by Maganaris and Maughan [33] in 1998 and Volek et al. [34] in 1999, confirmed the positive influence of creatine on strength. One study tested the influence of creatine on maximum contraction force during isometric exercises. The results showed an increase in maximum contraction force of approximately 10 per cent after creatine supplementation [33].

Additional studies have shown that creatine supplementation in combination with strength training significantly improves muscle mass as well as strength [35,36].

The increase in intramuscular phosphocreatine levels allows high-intensity exercise to be maintained for longer, leading to an increase in mechanical and metabolic stress, both of which are key factors in increasing muscle cross-sectional area and strength.

Recommended use of creatine

To effectively increase phosphocreatine stores, experts recommend a loading phase, in other words, taking 0.3 g of creatine monohydrate per kilogramme of body weight over five days. After that, a total daily dose of 3–5 g is sufficient to maintain stores [10]. There are no known side effects [35].

References

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Claudio Viecelli

Biologe

claudio.viecelli@keyoniq.com

Molecular and Muscular Biologist. Researcher at ETH Zurich. Strength athlete.

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