Pro: It works! Adam Gonzalez, Ph. Following the loading protocol, athletes can generally maintain stores with a daily maintenance dose of grams per day. Jose Antonio, Ph. Con: Possible side effects. Despite what some gym bros might tell you, creatine will work just fine without a loading protocol. And the standard loading protocol can be a bit unpleasant for some people.
If you're someone who has tried monohydrate in the past but didn't like the bloating or stomach distress that came with it, then you should definitely try the daily low-dose approach. The alternate method is to simply take grams of a creatine supplement each day, without loading.
In about three weeks, this approach will get your muscular levels to the same point as a loading protocol. Pro: It's simpler, and it still works. His advice? The most important thing is just to take it daily. Willoughby calls taking grams daily "the most effective, simple way to supplement.
Con: Possible lower levels, and more time. Research has shown that loading could result in higher overall levels, to the tune of percent. After that initial retention period, subsequent gains are due to the increase in the workload you can handle, according to Paul Greenhaff, Ph. Basically, if you continue pushing harder and harder in the gym, creatine will keep fueling you to greater gains. One category to watch out for: "pre-workout" supplements that advertise that they contain creatine.
Surprise: Many of these supplements do not contain the minimum amount of the nutrient proven to be effective. Powder is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester CEE are unstable and break down in your blood system. Chad Kerksick, Ph. Some companies add electrolytes and other ingredients, but tests indicate those do little to improve performance. Fruit juice? Sports beverages work just fine too. You need about 70 grams of simple sugars for every five grams of creatine, Greenhaff says.
He suggests looking for a drink or supplement with 60 grams of carbs per grams of product. You want the powder in your muscles, not in the glass. If this happens, try a different brand. And pills? While they're effective, you often have to take a ton, especially during the creatine loading phase , in order to hit an effective dosage. If you love taking pills, go for it. However, creatine cycling may not be necessary for every individual.
A single round of the creatine cycle should last weeks, with a pause of weeks or longer, if needed where you do not supplement with creatine at all. Because of the benefits for building large muscles, creatine cycling is not typically employed by endurance athletes. Some studies on PubMed have suggested benefits for bicyclists, but not so much for other sports such as long distance running or swimming.
For road cyclists, creatine has shown to be most useful after injury, or just to build overall strength in your legs. If you start creatine cycling however, it is important not to take too much, as it has been associated with weight gain — not ideal for endurance. Here are some tips for a how to use creatine for road cyclists. Though creatine is a natural fit for anyone looking to build muscle, you still need to be sure not to go overboard: 3 to 5 grams daily should be sufficient.
As for cycling, there are mixed results. However, if you decide to cycle, just make sure to load at the beginning, just one to two weeks, before scaling back. You can read more here. Creatine supplements may build muscle and strength, improve high-intensity exercise performance and prevent sports-related injuries 1 , 2. Research suggests that a creatine loading phase can rapidly increase your creatine stores, allowing you to reap the benefits faster. Trainers normally recommend a creatine loading phase to rapidly maximize your muscle stores.
During this phase, you consume a relatively large amount of creatine in a short period to rapidly saturate your muscles. For example, a common approach is to take 20 grams of creatine daily for 5—7 days.
This dose is typically divided into four 5-gram servings throughout the day. After the loading phase, you can maintain your creatine stores by taking a lower dose of creatine, which ranges from 2—10 grams daily 3.
During a typical creatine loading phase, you bulk up on creatine for a week to increase muscle stores rapidly, then decrease your daily intake to maintain high levels. While the loading phase does pump creatine into your body, it may not be necessary in order to boost total creatine levels. In fact, lower doses of creatine taken once daily can be equally effective at maximizing your muscle creatine stores — though it may take a bit longer.
For example, one study determined that muscles became fully saturated after people took 3 grams of creatine daily for 28 days 5. Therefore, it may take around three more weeks to maximize your muscle stores using this method compared to creatine loading. Consequently, you may have to wait to see beneficial effects 2 , 6. Thus, it may also increase the time it takes to reap the benefits of creatine. Research proves that a creatine loading phase can maximize your muscle stores within one week or less 2.
This strategy involves taking 20 grams of creatine daily for 5—7 days to saturate your muscles rapidly, followed by 2—10 grams daily to maintain high levels 2 , 6. Some benefits of maximizing your creatine stores include 2 , 7 , 8 :. A loading phase is the fastest way to benefit from creatine.
You may experience increased muscle gain and strength, improved athletic performance and a reduced risk of sport-related injuries.
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