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Do I need to do a loading phase when I start creatine?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
No. Nikkiey explains on Ep. 408 that the old loading protocol of around 20 grams a day for a week isn't needed and often brings GI discomfort, bloating and water retention. Instead, she recommends a steady three to five grams every day, including rest days, and giving it 14 to 21 days of consistency.
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Nikkiey on why there's no loading phase and the 20-gram protocol isn't needed
Plays from 16:10 · Ep. 408: Should Women Over 40 Take Creatine?
Why bloating from creatine usually comes from high-dose loading, not creatine itself
Plays from 6:16 · Ep. 408: Should Women Over 40 Take Creatine?
The steady 3 to 5 gram daily dose and how Nikkiey takes hers
Plays from 16:37 · Ep. 408: Should Women Over 40 Take Creatine?
The full answer
Loading was meant to get creatine into your muscles faster. Nikkiey's view is that you might feel it a little sooner, but the price is GI discomfort and holding on to water, and she says it's not recommended for women. If you've tried creatine before and your digestion felt off or you felt bloated, she says the likely culprit was the loading phase, such as being told to take 10 grams twice a day at the start. That wasn't you reacting badly to creatine. It was the protocol.
What she recommends instead:
- Three to five grams per day, every day, seven days a week
- Not only on training days, because the daily dose is what maintains muscle saturation
- Something easy to stick with. She takes five grams every morning, stirred into her coffee with her creamer
She calls this the consistent daily maintenance dose that keeps your muscles topped up.
Two things to expect when you skip loading. First, patience: Nikkiey says she wouldn't promise results in the first week, but taking it consistently for 14 to 21 days should bring some improvement. Second, the scale: she notes creatine can cause a small increase of around two to four pounds in the first week or two, and your muscles may look slightly fuller. She explains this is water inside the muscle tissue, not under the skin, and not fat. She calls it a positive adaptation, so don't read that number as failure. If you have a medical condition or take medications, check with your doctor before adding any supplement.
From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
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Can creatine help with brain fog in perimenopause?
Nikkiey says it can. Your brain uses creatine for energy the same way your muscles do, and she points to studies showing better memory, processing speed and executive function. She noticed more clarity and energy herself during a stretch of brain fog and fatigue, and calls it directly relevant to perimenopause brain fog.
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How much creatine should a woman over 40 take?
Nikkiey recommends 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day, roughly half a teaspoon, taken every day rather than only on training days. No loading phase and no cycling. She takes 5 grams each morning stirred into her coffee, and says it mixes easily into water or a smoothie.
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Will creatine make women look bulky?
No. Nikkiey explains that creatine doesn't add bulk or fat. It pulls water into your muscle cells, which can raise the scale 2 to 4 pounds in the first week or two and make muscles look slightly fuller. That's hydration of muscle tissue, and fuller muscles look more defined, not bigger.
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19 minShould Women Over 40 Take Creatine?
Episode 408 · Oct 26, 2026