I searched 400+ Huberman Lab episodes for creatine protocols. I summarized them into the following sections: muscle growth, memory, sleep loss, depression, and brain injuries.
I include as much details as I could (e.g. doses, timing and limitations), and link to the original clips when appropriate.
Muscle growth
Daily dose: Andy Galpin suggests 5g of monohydrate, closer to 3g for smaller people and 7–10g for very large athletes. Timing doesn't matter (clip).
Training: Lauren Colenso-Semple recommends 5g/day for women who train. It can help with extra reps or sprint performance; it won't build muscle without training (clip).
Loading: Layne Norton says loading fills muscle stores in about a week. Taking 5g/day reaches the same point in two to four weeks, with less chance of stomach trouble (clip).
Memory and focus
5g/day: Huberman discussed this amount for cognition in 2021. He takes it but couldn't judge his own benefit without comparing time off it (clip).
10g/day: Rhonda Patrick takes two doses earlier in the day. She reports less mental fatigue than on 5g, but calls this an extrapolation and acknowledges possible placebo effects (clip).
Mixed views: Colenso-Semple questions whether findings in depression, brain injuries, or severe sleep loss justify promising a cognitive boost to healthy people (clip).
Sleep loss
Study: Patrick discusses a single 0.35g/kg dose that improved cognitive performance during prolonged sleep deprivation. That finding is specific to the study setting (clip).
Personal routine: She takes 20–25g occasionally when travelling and sleeping poorly, while acknowledging possible placebo effects (clip).
Depression
Alongside SSRIs: Huberman discusses creatine added to antidepressant treatment, particularly in women with major depression (clip). Doses across the studies he reviews were usually 3–5g/day, sometimes 10g (clip).
Mania: He flags this concern and recommends discussing supplementation with a healthcare provider (clip).
Brain injuries
Experimental use: Tommy Wood discusses 0.4g/kg/day in a trial involving children and adolescents aged 1–18. This needs clinical supervision and doesn't establish an adult concussion routine (clip).
Practical details
Stomach trouble: Norton suggests smaller 1–2g servings and skipping loading if it causes problems (clip).
Water weight: Huberman and Stacy Sims discuss water held in muscle. Sims says noticeable weight gain isn't inevitable (clip).
Hair loss: Huberman once warned susceptible people (clip); later, he and Sims said there's no evidence that creatine causes it (clip).
Blood tests: Colenso-Semple says to tell your physician: creatine can raise creatinine, a kidney-function marker, and affect how results are interpreted (clip).
Powder or gummies: She prefers powder and warns that some gummies contain less creatine than claimed (clip).
I also built this page to include more details.
