Creatine

 

I want to clear up any confusion about supplementing with creatine. This is the DEFINITIVE guide to maximally effective creatine supplementation.

In the past I have experimented with (and encouraged readers to experiment with) 2 different approaches.

The 2 methods were as follows:

(1) The common method of loading for 5 days @20g creatine per day. Then 5g per day thereafter.

(2) 20g creatine per day for 3 days. Followed by no creatine supplementation for 3 days. Then 20g creatine for 3 days, and so on and so on. 3 days on, 3 days off.

If you’re wondering about this 3-day mini cycling of creatine (option 2), it came from Paul Cribb of ast-ss.com and you can read about it here.

Many of you experimented with this newer method, as did I, and found that it was no more effective that the traditional dosing pattern.

For convenience then, it would only make sense to use the traditional approach.

Creatine Loading

Do you need to “load” with creatine? This is oftentimes hotly debated, but the short answer is yes.

Yes, that is, if you want to reach maximum levels of creatine saturation inside the muscle as quickly as possible. Remember, what we want to do is…

Maximize the uptake of creatine by muscle cells to create and maintain the maximum muscle creatine concentrations possible

You would still get there without loading; perhaps after a few weeks. But better results come by reaching saturation as quickly as possible.

How to load? Easy…

• For the first 5 days, take 20g creatine per day (split into 4 x 5g servings)
• After that, even on non-training days, take 5g per day. More on taking creatine on non-training days here.

You could maybe afford to take a 3g-4g serving on non training days, since you don’t require as much muscle creatine without training.

Creatine Cycling

Should you cycle creatine?

Yes, I think it is best practice to cycle creatine.

I stated above, we want to “maintain the maximum muscle creatine concentrations possible”. However, it may not be possible to maintain high muscle creatine concentrations over a longer period of time (6 to 12 weeks).

Also, long-term creatine supplementation may cause creatine saturation outside the cell, which prevents effective muscle uptake for weeks or maybe even months.

So in order to avoid this, we cycle on and off. How to do it effectively? It’s easy.

(1) Week 1 – 8 – Maintain creatine levels with 5g per day taken AFTER your workout in your post-workout protein shake

(2) Weeks 9 + 10 – During your last 2 weeks of training, come off creatine altogether (2 weeks off in total)

(3) Week Off Training – Load creatine at 20g per day for 5 days (split in to 4 x 5g servings)

(4) Week 1 New Cycle  – Repeat step 1 above. Your muscles are now saturated with creatine and you’re ready to train. Maintain at 5g creatine taken post-workout in your shake.

Why load on that week off and not during week 1?

Firstly, loading on your week off means your muscles will reach maximum creatine saturation levels just in time for your first week back to training!

Also, creatine has been shown to preserve muscle mass when not working out. Most people will not lose muscle when taking a 7-day lay-off (some people come back stronger). But just to be on the safe side, loading with creatine at this time will aid in preserving your hard-won gains.

The Best Type of Creatine

So now you know the dosage and cycling pattern. What about the TYPE of creatine.

Forget the hype and marketing. Studies have shown that creatine monohydrate is FAR superior to Kre-alkalyn and creatine ethyl ester. Basically, we want a form of creatine that does not convert to creatinine in stomach acid.

Both kre-alkalyn and creatine ethyl ester convert to creatinine to a much higher degree than creatine monohydrate. For more on studies about the most effective creatine, read this, ‘Creatine Facts: What Is The Best Creatine’.

If you’re in Europe, you can get a fantastic (and cheap) Creatine here. In America, you can get a high-quality, cheap Creatine here.

• • For info on its safety and effectiveness read The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position statement on creatine – it’s all good.
  • For an in-depth look at what creatine actually is and how it works inside the body, read What is Creatine and How does it Work?

Now you know how to take creatine. You know the doses, the cycles, and the best type of creatine to take. You shouldn’t have any further confusion on the matter 

References:

[1] The effects of Creatine Long-Term Supplementation on Muscle Morphology and Swimming Performance in Rats. J Sports Sci Med. 2009 Dec 1;8(4):516-22. Yildiz A, Ozdemir E, Gulturk S, Erdal S.

[2] Creatine supplementation in health and disease. Effects of chronic creatine ingestion in vivo: Down-regulation of the expression of creatine transporter isoforms in skeletal muscle. Guerrero-Ontiveros ML, Wallimann T. Mol Cell Biochem. 1998 Jul;184(1-2):427-37.

[3] Kre-alkalyn® supplementation has no beneficial effect on creatine-to-creatinine conversion rates. Tallon MJ and Child R

[4] Creatine ethyl ester rapidly degrades to creatinine in stomach acid. Child R, Tallon M: Abstract presented at 4th annual conference of the ISSN 2007.