Do I need to 'load' creatine?

No. Loading (~20 g/day for 5-7 days) saturates muscle faster, but the ISSN review notes a steady ~3-5 g/day reaches the same saturation in a few weeks. Either works; loading just speeds it up.

Is monohydrate worth choosing over HCl or 'advanced' forms?

For most people, yes. Monohydrate is the form in the bulk of the research and the cheapest per gram. There isn't strong evidence HCl or buffered forms produce better outcomes.

Will creatine harm my kidneys?

Evidence in healthy people doesn't support that — the ISSN position stand reports no credible link at recommended doses. Not medical advice; if you have kidney disease or take nephrotoxic drugs, ask your doctor first.

Creatine monohydrate or a pre-workout — which should I take for strength?

For building strength and lean mass, monohydrate. It's backed by hundreds of trials at 3–5 g daily and works by saturating muscle over time — no stimulants involved. A pre-workout is a different tool: its effect is acute and usually stimulant-driven (often caffeine), and formulas vary widely. They're not interchangeable; many lifters take creatine daily and use a pre-workout only when they want an acute lift.

Does creatine actually work, or is it just gym hype?

This is one of the few supplements with genuinely strong evidence. The ISSN calls creatine monohydrate the most effective ergogenic supplement for high-intensity capacity and lean mass, and a meta-analysis found it added about 1.4 kg of lean tissue versus placebo when paired with resistance training in older adults. Benefits for memory are more tentative. It only works alongside consistent training and daily dosing — not on its own. Not medical advice.

Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Review

What does the research say about the Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine?

Every claim below is tied to a source you can open, quoted verbatim — how we research picks.

“In summary, creatine supplementation increases lean tissue mass and upper and lower body muscular strength during resistance training of older adults”

Creatine + resistance training increased lean tissue mass by ~1.4 kg and improved chest- and leg-press strength vs placebo + training in older adults.
Chilibeck et al., meta-analysis, Open Access J. Sports Medicine · 2017 ↗
“Creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”

Evidence supports creatine monohydrate as the most effective ergogenic for high-intensity capacity and lean mass, with no credible evidence of harm to kidney, liver, or cardiovascular health in healthy people at recommended doses.
Kreider et al., ISSN Position Stand, JISSN · 2017 ↗
“Creatine supplementation enhanced measures of memory performance in healthy individuals, especially in older adults (66–76 years).”

Meta-analysis of RCTs found creatine significantly improved memory in healthy individuals, with the effect most apparent in older adults.
Prokopidis et al., Nutrition Reviews, meta-analysis · 2023 ↗

Educational summary of the research — not medical or veterinary advice. Evidence strength varies and individual results differ; talk to a qualified professional before changing your (or your pet's) health routine.

How does the Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine compare?

	Creatine monohydrate	Creatine HCl	Pre-workout
Depth of evidence	Hundreds of trials; form used in most research	Limited head-to-head data	Varies by formula
Typical daily dose	3-5 g	1-2 g (marketed)	1 scoop pre-session
Best-supported benefit	Strength & lean mass w/ training	Same molecule, far less direct data	Acute energy (usually stimulant-driven)
Stimulants	None	None	Often (caffeine)

Buy it if

Lifters wanting the most-studied, lowest-risk strength and lean-mass aid
Drug-tested athletes who need a banned-substance-tested product
Vegetarians and vegans, who tend to have lower baseline creatine stores
Older adults pairing supplementation with resistance training

Skip it if

Anyone with kidney disease or on nephrotoxic medication without clinician sign-off
People who want a flavored, all-in-one pre-workout with stimulants
Those expecting benefits without consistent training and daily dosing

Is the Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine worth it?

The rational default: pure creatine in the exact form most studies use, at the standard 5 g dose, with Informed Choice testing for drug-tested users. The evidence for strength, lean mass, and (more tentatively) memory is among the strongest for any supplement. No compelling reason to pay more for 'advanced' forms. Not medical advice — check with a clinician if you have kidney concerns.

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Questions, answered

Do I need to 'load' creatine?: No. Loading (~20 g/day for 5-7 days) saturates muscle faster, but the ISSN review notes a steady ~3-5 g/day reaches the same saturation in a few weeks. Either works; loading just speeds it up. Source ISSN Position Stand (Kreider 2017) ↗
Is monohydrate worth choosing over HCl or 'advanced' forms?: For most people, yes. Monohydrate is the form in the bulk of the research and the cheapest per gram. There isn't strong evidence HCl or buffered forms produce better outcomes. Source ISSN Position Stand (Kreider 2017) ↗
Will creatine harm my kidneys?: Evidence in healthy people doesn't support that — the ISSN position stand reports no credible link at recommended doses. Not medical advice; if you have kidney disease or take nephrotoxic drugs, ask your doctor first. Source ISSN Position Stand (Kreider 2017) ↗
Creatine monohydrate or a pre-workout — which should I take for strength?: For building strength and lean mass, monohydrate. It's backed by hundreds of trials at 3–5 g daily and works by saturating muscle over time — no stimulants involved. A pre-workout is a different tool: its effect is acute and usually stimulant-driven (often caffeine), and formulas vary widely. They're not interchangeable; many lifters take creatine daily and use a pre-workout only when they want an acute lift.
Does creatine actually work, or is it just gym hype?: This is one of the few supplements with genuinely strong evidence. The ISSN calls creatine monohydrate the most effective ergogenic supplement for high-intensity capacity and lean mass, and a meta-analysis found it added about 1.4 kg of lean tissue versus placebo when paired with resistance training in older adults. Benefits for memory are more tentative. It only works alongside consistent training and daily dosing — not on its own. Not medical advice. Source Kreider et al., ISSN Position Stand, JISSN ↗Chilibeck et al., meta-analysis, Open Access J. Sports Medicine ↗