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How to properly take creatine
Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer. All articles by the author ➤
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Before reading this article, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the mechanism of action of creatine. This will help you better understand some points. But if you don't find it necessary, let's get started. Dosage Most studies indicate that taking less than 5 grams of creatine per day will either yield no results or very weak ones. On the other hand, these same studies show that taking more than 15 grams per day is pointless, as increasing the dosage beyond this amount does not affect the outcome. The fact is that our muscles' ability to store creatine is limited. In other words, our muscles will absorb as much as they can, rather than as much as we shove into ourselves. Conversely, the optimal amount of creatine is directly related to the athlete's weight. More specifically, it's related to their muscle mass. It seems to me that for athletes of small to medium weight, the optimal dose is 5 to 10 grams per day. For heavyweights (over 90 kg), around 10 to 15 grams per day. Loading Many have heard about the so-called "loading" phase with creatine. The essence of this usually consists of the athlete taking double doses of creatine (approximately 20 grams per day) during the first week. After that, the intake is reduced to the normal dosage. The idea is that this approach contributes to a faster saturation of the muscles with creatine. In principle, this is true. However, the end result from using creatine will be the same. In the case of "loading," saturation will occur a few days earlier. Therefore, (as you can see) there is no great necessity in using this method. Duration of Use Theoretically, creatine can be taken without breaks, as there are no side effects. However, there is a risk that the muscles' sensitivity to this supplement may decrease over time. Therefore, many experts agree that it should be taken for about 1.5 to 2 months before taking a short break. But I reiterate that even if you take creatine for a year without a break, the only thing you may encounter is a decrease in its effectiveness. How to Use Creatine is quite difficult to transport into muscle cells. A significant portion of creatine breaks down during this process. Research has shown (this is no longer a secret) that insulin helps deliver creatine to the muscles intact. The simplest way to increase insulin levels in the blood is to eat or drink something sweet. It may not sound very scientific, but that is the case. Therefore, it's better to mix creatine with juice, a gainer, or another sweet beverage. When to Take Without getting into nuances, the time of day and the time in relation to workouts are not very significant. If we delve into the details, it is better to take it immediately after training on the workout day (as many experts generally advise). The daily dosage can be taken all at once or divided into two doses. At the very least, if you divide it into 2 doses, it definitely won’t be worse. Additionally, it makes sense to divide it if you are taking 10 grams or more per day. Regarding the time of day—many advise taking it in the morning. I generally agree since creatine has a mild stimulating effect. Lastly, a few words about what is better to choose. In principle, the quality of creatine from European and American manufacturers is almost indistinguishable. Therefore, when choosing creatine, you can mainly focus on the cost. The cheapest creatine is powdered creatine. In my opinion, the most optimal options are:
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