Brand & Research
HALF/LIFE is a creatine brand with one product and one claim: 5g of monohydrate, every day, is the cheapest honest thing you can do about the decay of muscle, focus, and VO2max. Everything below is the receipt for that claim — peer-reviewed studies, independent reviews, and the scientists + operators we trust to scrutinize the evidence.
If you find a study that contradicts this, email hello@halflife.co. We will add it.
What you are looking at
- Peer-reviewed studies — strength, mass, recovery
- Peer-reviewed studies — cognition
- Peer-reviewed studies — aging & sarcopenia
- Peer-reviewed studies — safety
- Independent review — Dr. Layne Norton
- Independent review — Dr. Andrew Huberman
- Independent review — Dr. Peter Attia
- Independent review — Dr. Rhonda Patrick
- What you will notice reading these
Peer-reviewed studies — strength, mass, recovery
Kreider et al. 2017 — ISSN Position Stand on Creatine (International Society of Sports Nutrition, Journal of the ISSN).
30 years of creatine research synthesized in the official society position paper. Conclusion: 5 g/day of creatine monohydrate is the evidence-backed dose for strength, power, lean mass, and recovery. No dangerous side effects at this dose in healthy adults.
Kreider et al. 2025 — Comprehensive safety meta-analysis.
Review of 250+ creatine studies, 26,000+ participants, some running over 10 years. Examined ~50 potential side effects. Zero evidence of harm.
Rawson & Venezia 2011 — Use of creatine in the elderly.
Meta-analysis of 22 studies on creatine + resistance training. Mean improvement: +8% strength, +14% endurance, +1–2 kg lean mass over 4–12 weeks vs placebo.
Peer-reviewed studies — cognition
Rae et al. 2003 — Oral creatine supplementation improves brain performance (Proceedings of the Royal Society B).
Double-blind trial. 5 g/day creatine for 6 weeks improved working memory and intelligence test scores in healthy young adults.
Avgerinos et al. 2018 — Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals (Experimental Gerontology).
Systematic review. Significant improvement in short-term memory and reasoning, especially under acute stress or sleep deprivation.
Peer-reviewed studies — aging & sarcopenia
Candow et al. 2019 — Variables that influence the effectiveness of creatine in older adults.
Systematic review in adults 50+. Creatine + resistance training produces greater lean tissue and upper-body strength gains than training alone. Same 5 g dose.
Candow et al. 2014 — Effect of different frequencies of creatine supplementation on muscle size and strength in young adults.
Creatine attenuates muscle loss in older adults during periods of disuse (injury, immobilization). The decay argument, in one trial.
Forbes et al. 2022 — Creatine supplementation and resistance training in women (Nutrients).
Meta-analysis in postmenopausal women. Creatine alongside resistance training produces larger lean mass gains than training alone. Slowing age-related decay, directly.
Peer-reviewed studies — safety
Kim et al. 2011 — Studies on the safety of creatine supplementation (Amino Acids).
Long-term (up to 5 years) creatine in healthy adults. No adverse effects on renal function, liver markers, or muscle damage indicators.
Ostojic et al. 2021 — Safety of creatine in athletes, elderly, and youth.
Review of creatine safety across populations. Safe for daily use at doses up to 10 g/day.
Independent reviews — the people we read
We do not pay for placement. These scientists have no relationship to HALF/LIFE. Their independent scrutiny of the creatine literature is more credible than anything a supplement brand can say about itself.
Dr. Layne Norton, PhD — biochemistry & nutrition science
- Study Deep Dive: Creatine is SAFE — biolayne Podcast Ep. 13 — breakdown of the Kreider 2025 meta-analysis (250+ studies, 26k+ participants, zero harm).
- Let's Talk Creatine! Bro... — YouTube. Layne's primer on why creatine is Tier-1.
- Layne Norton's Essential Supplements (and why everyone should take creatine) — YouTube.
- Don't Fall for This Creatine Trick — YouTube. On HCl and fancier variants.
- New Study Shows Creatine Doesn't Work? — YouTube. Dissecting a contrarian study.
- Supplement Series: Tier 1 — biolayne Ep. 22.
Dr. Andrew Huberman — Stanford neuroscience, Huberman Lab
- Creatine: Dose, Benefits & Safety — with Dr. Rhonda Patrick. YouTube.
- The Most Tested, Safe, & Effective Sports Supplement — with Dr. Layne Norton (July 2025). YouTube.
- How Creatine Can Help with Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury — YouTube.
- How Much Creatine Should You Take? — YouTube clip.
- Effects Of Taking Creatine — muscle, hormones, hair loss — YouTube.
- Nutrients For Brain Health & Performance — Huberman Lab full episode.
Dr. Peter Attia — longevity medicine, The Drive
- #369 — Rethinking protein, creatine, and sauna with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (Feb 2026).
- AMA #69 — Scrutinizing supplements: creatine, fish oil, vitamin D.
- #235 — Training for mass and strength, creatine supplementation with Layne Norton.
- Deep dive into creatine: benefits, risks, dose, mechanism with Layne Norton — YouTube.
- An emerging role for creatine in the treatment of depression.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PhD — biomedical science, FoundMyFitness
- The Optimal Creatine Protocol for Strength, Brain, and Longevity with Dr. Darren Candow.
- Why You Should Supplement With Creatine with Dr. Stuart Phillips.
- The Two Supplements Nearly Everyone Should Be Taking.
- Creatine for Boosting Your Cognitive Performance — YouTube clip.
- FoundMyFitness — all creatine coverage (topic page).
What you will notice reading these
Every credible scientist who reviews the creatine literature independently arrives at the same conclusion: 5 g/day of creatine monohydrate is safe, effective, and cost-negligible. The only live debate is about slightly higher doses in specific contexts (10 g+ for acute cognitive load under sleep deprivation; short loading phases in week one).
We ship the dose the research uses. Nothing else.
Last updated 2026-04-17. Found a contradictory study? Email hello@halflife.co and we will add it.