Creatine Monohydrate

What it does: Creatine is a compound your body already makes and stores in muscle and brain tissue, where it recycles ATP — the fuel cells burn during short, intense effort and heavy thinking. Supplementing 3–5 g a day tops up those stores. It is one of the most researched supplements in the world: for muscle, it reliably improves strength, power and lean-mass gains when paired with resistance training, and speeds recovery between sets. For the brain, a growing body of studies shows benefits for short-term memory and mental performance, especially under sleep deprivation, in older adults, and in people who eat little or no meat.

Who it's for: Anyone who lifts, plays sports or wants to hold on to muscle as they age — and anyone interested in an inexpensive, well-studied way to support brain energy. Vegetarians and vegans tend to see the biggest effect because they get almost none from food.

Why I use it: It's the rare supplement with decades of solid evidence, a low price and almost no downside. I take 5–25 g of plain monohydrate every day mixed into water or coffee — no loading phase, no cycling. It helps me train harder and recover faster, and I like that it supports the brain as well as the body. I buy NOW Sports Creatine Monohydrate: one ingredient, lab-tested, inexpensive, and from the same company I get most of my supplements from, which keeps things simple.

Tradeoffs: Expect 1–2 lb of water weight in the first few weeks as muscles store more water. A few people get mild stomach upset at higher doses. It works slowly — benefits build over 3–4 weeks of daily use. Brain research is promising but younger than the muscle research. This isn't medical advice: if you have kidney disease or take medication, check with your doctor first.

Alternatives: Klean Athlete Creatine, Momentous Creatine, or any creatine monohydrate made with Creapure®. Skip pricier "advanced" forms (HCl, buffered, ethyl ester) — none have beaten plain monohydrate in research.