Studies reveal that creatine is one of the most consumed supplements. In fact, it is essential for individuals who want to build muscle mass.
From my time on the field and in the gym, I've noticed a common trend: many athletes don't leverage creatine effectively in their workout programs.
Some take it with the wrong timing, while others simply take too much of it.
So, today we want to guide you through the recommended way to get the most out of your creatine supplementation.
Quick Summary
- Effective creatine supplementation involves cycling, a process of varying daily intake to prevent the body's desensitization and optimize muscle response.
- Creatine cycling typically spans a ten-week period, including a loading phase, a maintenance phase, and an off-cycle phase to maximize the supplement's efficacy.
- A study in the Nutrients journal suggests that women may benefit from a lower dosage of creatine (5g during the loading phase) due to different muscle mass and metabolic responses.
- In my professional experience, creatine cycling can significantly enhance muscle mass and workout performance when correctly timed with exercise routines.
What Is Creatine Cycling?
Creatine cycling is altering your daily creatine intake to prevent your body from becoming accustomed to it and to optimize its effectiveness.
The risk of just taking the same amount every day, or before every workout routine, is that your body could get used to it and not respond as effectively.
It’s not so much a health issue or a problem with side effects; you could just end up spending money on products that won’t get the ideal results [1].
So, let’s take a look at what this cycle actually looks like.
The process of cycling creatine would be the same whether you’re taking creatine monohydrate or creatine phosphate.
How Long Should A Creatine Cycle Last?
A typical creatine cycle should usually last about ten weeks, comprising a Loading Phase of 1-2 weeks, a Maintenance Phase of 5-6 weeks, and an Off-Cycle Phase of 1-2 weeks, but some individuals, particularly women, may benefit from a modified cycle with a reduced dosage over a shorter duration.
And this is how to best break it down.
The Loading Phase (1–2 weeks): During the loading phase, you plan for your most intense workout sessions and take between 10 and 20 grams of creatine supplement daily.
The Maintenance Phase (5–6 weeks): Your workout routine is still intense, but you’re not constantly pushing to the limit. Aim to take 5 grams of creatine per day.
The Off-Cycle Phase (1–2 weeks): This should line up with a slight resting phase where you completely pause using creatine.
Interestingly, research such as a 2021 study in the Nutrients journal indicates that women might see better results with a tailored creatine cycle, using a reduced dosage of 5 grams for 4 weeks, which takes into account their generally lower muscle mass and the unique ways their hormones interact with muscle energy metabolism [2].
What Happens When You Cycle Off Creatine?
When you cycle off creatine, your body gradually eliminates the excess creatine over about ten days, but it continues to produce around 2 grams of creatine daily to maintain some benefits for your muscles.
And this is where you could prepare yourself for the longer-term benefits of these products.
Your body will go back to producing creatine levels of about 2 grams daily so that your muscles still get some of the benefits.
But when you start to take creatine supplements again, the nutrition boost should trigger better responses in your muscles.
Based on results from a study published in the Clinical Science journal, this is the way performance and professional athletes would generally approach creatine supplementation [3].
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Dosage Should Depend on Your Goal
In most sports and fitness situations, there are two focus points when it comes to physical fitness. The main difference should really come down to how much creatine supplement you take.
Here’s what I mean.
1 - For Endurance
Some nutrition experts think that the creatine cycle is not needed for building endurance in sports like long-distance running and cycling.
However, I have worked with competitive athletes who have had quite positive results from loading.
What you should do, though, is reduce the time spent in each phase and half the amount of supplement intake as well.
2 - For Strength
In my competitive kickboxing days, bulking up was crucial. I found that adhering to the recommended creatine cycling phases and dosages provided significant nutritional benefits that helped me gain the muscle mass I needed.
It’s important to note that people should get the timing right and take their creatine supplements within half an hour of training for maximum effects.
Creatine supplementation should be considered complementary to consuming protein, not a replacement for. That's because creatine and protein work in different ways. In short, creatine leads to more strength during your workout, while protein leads to more muscle repair after your workout.
- Brittany Risher, Editor at MensHealth.com
Long-Term Effects of Creatine Cycling
While the short-term benefits of creatine cycling are well documented, the long-term effects remain less clear.
Repeated cycles of creatine supplementation over several years could have different impacts, and more research is needed to understand these fully.
Individuals considering long-term creatine use should monitor their response and consult with a healthcare provider to ensure ongoing benefits without adverse effects.
FAQ
How Quickly Does Creatine Work?
Creatine can take up to three days to work. This is because storage needs to gradually increase in muscles. However, once the concentration has increased enough, each new boost should increase energy supply within about 30 minutes.
Should You Take Creatine Every Day?
No, you shouldn’t take creatine every day for an indefinite period of time. First of all, you might be better off changing the dosage throughout each cycle. And secondly, you would need to pause your intake for a while as people’s bodies could react less to each new dose.
References:
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998865/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12546637/
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