Creatine monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is a substance the body makes itself and that also occurs in meat and fish; in our food database pork and beef supply roughly 0.4 to 0.5 grams per 100 grams. Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 carries one authorised claim, and it applies expressly at a daily intake of 3 grams of creatine.
What creatine is and where it occurs naturally
Creatine is neither a vitamin nor a mineral, but a substance the body produces itself and which also occurs in animal products. Our food database records it in meat and fish: pork tenderloin, chops and pork fillet sit at 0.5 grams per 100 grams, beef and salmon at 0.45 grams, and chicken, turkey and white fish at 0.4 grams. Anyone eating a daily serving of meat or fish therefore takes some in already — although that amount sits below the 3 grams named in the claim condition. The substance plays a role in supplying energy to muscle tissue during short, very intense effort. In our database the range runs from 0.2 grams in oysters to 0.5 grams in pork.
The only authorised claim, verbatim
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 states: "creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise". That is the complete authorised wording and nothing else is listed. Note what the sentence delimits: successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. That matches the picture of several heavy sets in close succession, and it emphatically does not concern endurance, fat burning, recovery or muscle growth as such. We take this sentence as written and do not reformulate it, because a rewritten claim stands outside its authorisation. We put quotation marks around that sentence precisely so it is visible where the citation stops and our own text begins.
The dose that belongs with that claim
The claim above is tied to a condition: a daily intake of 3 grams of creatine. Claim and condition sit together in the regulation and therefore belong together when quoted. We deliberately place them in a separate paragraph, because a claim printed beside a different dose in effect steps outside its permitted context. Individual coaching schedules contain higher amounts. Those are personal prescriptions inside supervision, not public advice, and we do not publish them here. If you want to depart from the 3 grams in the regulation, that is a conversation with a doctor or dietitian. We also leave the form aside here: the regulation speaks of creatine, not of a specific salt form or a brand.
Timing: less important than consistency
An extensive intake culture surrounds this subject: before training, during training, with fast carbohydrates, in a loading phase. What actually matters is simpler: creatine accumulates slowly in muscle tissue, and that build-up hangs on daily intake across weeks rather than on the hour of the day. Choosing a fixed moment is therefore mainly a habit trick: at the same time each day you forget it less often. In a programme we therefore tie it to something that already happens daily, such as a fixed meal, rather than to the training session itself. A loading phase does not appear in the regulation; what stands there stands there about a daily intake of 3 grams.
What is not proven, and when you do not need this
No authorised claim exists about muscle growth, recovery, fatigue, concentration or weight loss for this substance. What you read on those points comes from parties who sell it; we sell nothing. Our own supplement file is disarmingly honest here: every row carries the status CHECK LABEL, meaning it holds not one verified value. Beyond that, this is a supplement and not a foundation. Anyone not training hard consistently, without a steady eating pattern or chronically short on sleep, moves no problem at all with a jar. With kidney complaints or medication use, this question belongs with your doctor. Our first intervention in a programme is therefore never this powder, but the training frequency and the sleep pattern underneath it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the dose of creatine?
The authorised claim in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 is tied to a daily intake of 3 grams of creatine. Other amounts fall outside that permitted context.
Does creatine occur in food?
Yes. In our database pork tenderloin and chops supply 0.5 grams per 100 grams, beef and salmon 0.45 grams, and chicken, turkey and white fish 0.4 grams.
When should you take creatine?
Build-up in muscle tissue runs across weeks and hangs on daily intake, not on the time of day. Picking a fixed moment mainly helps you not to forget it.
What is not proven about creatine?
No authorised claim exists about muscle growth, recovery, concentration or weight loss. The regulation carries only the performance claim for successive bursts of high intensity exercise.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.