A compound your body already makes and stores in muscle and brain tissue. It helps regenerate ATP, the energy your cells use for short, intense effort. You also get it from red meat and fish, though reaching 5 g through diet alone would take roughly two and a half pounds of beef a day.

Yes. Creatine works by saturating your stores over a few weeks, not by acting on a single workout. Taking it only on training days is the most common reason people conclude it didn't do anything.

Creatine monohydrate is among the most researched supplements in existence, with decades of published work behind it. Follow the label, don't exceed 10 g a day, and drink enough water.

No. Creatine supports the training you're already doing — it fuels harder efforts and supports lean muscle. What your body does with that depends entirely on how you train and eat.

It draws water into muscle cells, which can make muscle look fuller. That's intracellular hydration, not stomach bloat — it happens inside the muscle rather than around your midsection.

Anyone training for strength or power, and increasingly, older adults supporting muscle maintenance and cognitive function. It works the same way for men and women.

Two to four weeks of daily use. That's how long it takes to saturate your stores — which is also why the first week rarely feels like much.