Creatine monohydrate and performance
What 5 graded rows on creatine monohydrate agree on for performance, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Creatine monohydrate page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Creatine monohydrate page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Creatine monohydrate and performance
5 rows · 3,718 peopleThey agree: all 5 rows found an improvement.
- AGrade A× 3
- DGrade D× 2
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 5
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 3,718
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade A, is a meta-analysis of 1,937 people (2025) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 40 to 1,937 people, published from 2022 to 2026: 3 pooled reviews and 2 single studies.
The rows
5 improved- AGrade AMuscular power and strength across lifts · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 1,937 · 2025 · 69 RCTs in adults, with various exercise programs or none
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
With resistance training: bench/chest press +1.43 kg, squat +5.64 kg, vertical jump +1.48 cm, Wingate peak power +47.8 W vs placebo. No significant effect on handgrip or leg press. Benefits were clearer in younger adults and men.
Row on the Creatine monohydrate page · PubMed 40944139 (opens PubMed)
- AGrade ALean body mass · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 1,192 · 2022 · 35 RCTs in adults without specific diseases, with or without exercise programs
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
Overall +0.68 kg lean mass vs placebo; +1.10 kg when combined with resistance training (any age). No significant effect without exercise (+0.03 kg) or with mixed exercise. Men +1.46 kg; women +0.29 kg (not significant).
Row on the Creatine monohydrate page · PubMed 35986981 (opens PubMed)
- AGrade AMuscle strength with resistance training · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 509 · 2024 · Adults under 50 doing resistance training; 23 RCTs, mostly men (447 men, 40 women, 22 mixed)
Varied across trials; a non-significant trend toward larger lower-body gains at higher doses · Varied across trials
Versus placebo, upper-body strength +4.43 kg and lower-body strength +11.35 kg. Gains were significant in men; women showed no significant gains, but only 2 trials (40 women) were female-only.
Row on the Creatine monohydrate page · PubMed 39519498 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DSprint and jump performance with creatine HCl · Improved
RCT · n 40 · 2026 · Male collegiate soccer players doing 4 weeks of repeated-sprint training; 4 groups of 10
Not stated in abstract · 4 weeks
All creatine groups improved physical performance, peak power and fatigue index more than placebo. HCl and ethyl ester groups gained more than monohydrate on jump, 20-m sprint, L-run agility and peak power; no differences in mean power or VO2max.
Row on the Creatine monohydrate page · PubMed 42720250 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DStrength and muscle size with creatine HCl · Improved
RCT · n 40 · 2024 · Adults aged 18–25 doing 8 weeks of resistance training; 4 groups of 10
HCl 0.03 g/kg/day; monohydrate 0.03 g/kg/day with or without a 5-day 0.3 g/kg/day loading phase · 8 weeks
Both HCl and monohydrate increased strength, muscle cross-sectional area and skeletal muscle mass more than placebo. Creatine HCl showed no benefit over monohydrate.
Row on the Creatine monohydrate page · PubMed 39545789 (opens PubMed)