creatine

Reported Uses

• NOTE: see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Possibly Ineffective]
• arsenic poisoning [Insufficient Evidence]
• athletic performance [Possibly Effective]
• cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes [Possibly Effective]
• CHF [Insufficient Evidence]
• CKD [Insufficient Evidence]
• cognitive decline, age-related [Insufficient Evidence]
• cognitive function [Insufficient Evidence]
• COPD [Insufficient Evidence]
• depression [Insufficient Evidence]
• diabetes mellitus, type 2 [Insufficient Evidence]
• fatigue [Insufficient Evidence]
• fatigue, post-stroke [Insufficient Evidence]
• fibromyalgia [Insufficient Evidence]
• gyrate atrophy [Insufficient Evidence]
• hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy [Insufficient Evidence]
• Huntington dz [Possibly Ineffective]
• hyperhomocysteinemia [Insufficient Evidence]
• idiopathic inflammatory myopathies [Insufficient Evidence]
• juvenile idiopathic arthritis [Insufficient Evidence]
• McArdle dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• memory [Insufficient Evidence]
• mitochondrial myopathies [Insufficient Evidence]
• multiple sclerosis [Insufficient Evidence]
• muscle breakdown [Insufficient Evidence]
• muscle cramps [Insufficient Evidence]
• muscle strength [Possibly Effective]
• muscle wasting, HIV/AIDS-related [Insufficient Evidence]
• muscular dystrophy [Insufficient Evidence]
• neonatal apnea [Insufficient Evidence]
• osteoarthritis [Insufficient Evidence]
• osteopenia [Possibly Ineffective]
• Parkinson dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• peripheral arterial dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• postop recovery [Insufficient Evidence]
• Rett syndrome [Insufficient Evidence]
• rheumatoid arthritis [Insufficient Evidence]
• sarcopenia [Possibly Effective]
• schizophrenia [Insufficient Evidence]
• skin aging [Insufficient Evidence]
• spinal cord injury [Insufficient Evidence]
• spinal muscular atrophy [Insufficient Evidence]
• traumatic brain injury [Insufficient Evidence]

Reported Doses

Safety/efficacy may not be established; reported doses may be derived from limited or potentially inadequate studies w/ variable regimens, multi-ingredient products, or where concentration of active ingredients may vary widely

Effectiveness Ratings

[see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table]

arsenic poisoning

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 3 g PO qd

athletic performance

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 2.25-35 g PO qd; Alt: 240-250 mg/kg/dose PO qd; 10 g PO tid; 5 g PO qid x7 days, then 5 g PO qd

cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes, peds pts

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 400-800 mg/kg/dose PO qd; Alt: 4-8 g PO qd

CHF

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 20 g PO qd

CKD

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 20 g PO qd x1wk, then 5 g PO qd x1wk, then cont. alternating every other week

cognitive decline, age-related

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 0.95 g PO qd; Alt: 5 g PO qid

COPD

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5.7 g PO tid x2wk, then 5.7 g PO qd; Alt: 0.3 g/kg/dose PO qd x1wk, then 0.07 g/kg/dose PO qd

depression

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qd

diabetes mellitus, type 2

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 3-10 g PO qd; Alt: 3 g PO bid

fatigue

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 20 g PO qd

fatigue, post-stroke

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 0.1 g/kg/day PO in divided doses; Start: 0.3 g/kg/day PO divided qid x7 days

fibromyalgia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qd; Start: 5 g PO qid x5 days

gyrate atrophy

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 1.5 g PO qd

hyperhomocysteinemia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qd

idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 3 g PO qd; Start: 20 g PO qd x8 days

juvenile idiopathic arthritis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 750 mg PO bid

McArdle dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 60 mg/kg/dose PO qd; Start: 150 mg/kg/dose PO qd x5 days

mitochondrial myopathies

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 2 g PO bid; Start: 5 g PO bid x2wk

muscle breakdown

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qid

muscle cramps

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 12 g PO x1; Start: before each hemodialysis

muscle strength

[Possibly Effective (PO route)]

Dose: 1.25-27 g PO qd; Alt: 0.1-0.3 g/kg/day PO divided qd-bid; Info: may load 20-26 g/day PO divided qd-qid

[Possibly Effective (topical route)]

Dose: apply 3.5 mL cream topically qd; Info: 1% cream

muscular dystrophy

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 3-5 g PO qd; Alt: 0.1 g/kg/dose PO qd; 20 g PO qd x1wk, then 5 g PO qd

osteoarthritis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qd; Start: 20 g PO qd x1wk

Parkinson dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO bid

rheumatoid arthritis

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 g PO qid x5 days, then 3 g PO qd; Alt: 5 g PO qid x5 days, then 0.5 g PO qid

sarcopenia

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 20 g/day PO qd-qid x5-7 days, then 2-10 g PO qd; Alt: 0.1 g/kg/dose PO qd

skin aging

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: apply 0.2% cream topically qd

spinal cord injury

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 20 g PO qd

traumatic brain injury, peds pts

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 0.4 g/kg/dose PO qd