One of the most common questions that I am asked by weight trainers, especially guys relatively new to training, is what the best supplement is for building muscle mass and strength and that won't leave them with an empty wallet. Hands down the answer is creatine monohydrate. No other supplement has been research proven to be more effective in terms of increasing performance in the gym and lean body mass during training. What’s more, creatine monohydrate is proven safe and it is cheap! According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), strength trainers will benefit from creatine loading about 0.3 grams/kg/day of creatine monohydrate for at least 3 days followed by 3–5 g/d thereafter to maintain elevated stores. For a 190 lb or 86 kg male that’s about 25 grams daily initially. Meanwhile, starting off with smaller amounts of creatine monohydrate (e.g., 2–3 g/d) will also increase muscle creatine stores however it will take about a month or more to see results. Also, to optimize muscle uptake and storage be sure to creatine monhydrate with carbohydrate. If you take it after training be sure to also include protein to support muscle recovery and development.