Creatine FAQ

When is the best time to take creatine?

You’ll find a wide range of answers to this question and the honest answer is that there is no ‘perfect’ time to take it. Once you are informed on how Creatine works in your body, you will be able to determine when the best time is for you.

What you need to know to decide:

Your body only produces and stores a certain amount of creatine in the muscles (studies have shown that human muscle can store up to 5 grams of creatine per kilogram). Once you’ve used up your store of ATP during your work out, your body starts the process of glycolysis, which leads to lactic acid build-up and fatigue. As well, creatine only stays in your blood stream for 1-1.5 hours, after which time the remaining creatine that was not absorbed into the muscles is excreted. The good news is that once absorbed into the muscles, supplemental creatine can last for up to 2 weeks. So the real trick is to find the best way to make sure that your muscles have a constant supply of creatine throughout your workout.

Pre-Workout - Many believe that you should take creatine before you work out, so that as the ATP in your muscles is used up, your body has a ready supply of creatine that will regenerate it, thus giving you continued energy and strength for the rest of your work out. However, if your workout is too short or you wait too long after taking the creatine to begin exercising, then the creatine in your blood stream may be excreted before it can be used.

Post-Workout - There are also many who strongly believe that you should take creatine after your work out. When you exercise, your ATP supply in your muscles is depleted. If you have enough creatine in your muscles to sustain you through your workout, then taking creatine afterwards would simply replenish your muscle’s creatine stores, readying you for your workout the next day. As well, a study* has shown that supplementing creatine after exercise increases creatine uptake.

* Harris, R. C., Soderlund, K, & Hultman, E. (1992). Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clin Sci (Colch), 83(3), 367-374

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What is a Loading Phase and do I need to do one?

Although a loading phase is commonly recommended when you first start supplementing with creatine, it is optional, depending on what your goals are. Remember that there is only so much creatine that your muscles can hold and all excess is excreted. The idea behind doing a loading phase is to saturate (or ‘load’) your muscles so you can experience faster results.

There was a study done where certain participants did the loading phase, while others skipped it and started directly with the maintenance phase (taking the recommended daily amount). After the first two weeks, those who did the loading phase had greater gains than those who did not. However, after four weeks time, both groups had experienced equal gains.

So whether you choose to go through a loading phase is up to you – if you want immediate results, than you might want to try a loading phase. As well, vegetarians might benefit from a loading phase, as they are starting with less natural creatine in their bodies than their meat-eating counterparts, and it could take them longer to see results if they start with the maintenance phase.

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How much creatine should I be taking each day?

While the standard dose of creatine has typically been 5g, this amount can vary according to bodyweight. Use the chart below to find the appropriate dose of creatine according to your bodyweight.

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I’ve heard that I should ‘cycle’ creatine – what does this mean and should I?

Cycling supplements is when you take a certain supplement for a set amount of time, then stop for awhile and then go back to using it. Creatine is a compound that your body is able to manufacture and some people believe that if you continue to supply your body with all the creatine it needs, your body will start to get lazy and stop producing it. This is why many people strongly believe in cycling creatine – to ensure that your body continues to produce it.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an area where much research has been done and there has yet to be a study on the long-term effects of consistently taking creatine, so there is no direct evidence to show that cycling is or is not necessary. If you are going to cycle creatine though, make sure you only cycle off creatine during a rest period or off-season.

There is no ‘right’ way to cycle creatine – you have to find what works best for you. Some people do a load phase for a week, then a maintenance phase for a month and then take a break from creatine for another month. Others just do the maintenance phase for two months, followed by a month off. If you are new to creatine supplementation and are not sure, try one of the above (depending on whether you’re starting with a loading phase or not) and adjust as you feel necessary. Remember – Only your body can tell you what really works for you.

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Is creatine safe? Are there any adverse effects?

Creatine occurs naturally in the body and as long as you don’t abuse it and don’t exceed the recommended dosages, it has been shown to be extremely safe. There have been dozens of studies conducted on creatine supplementation and they have all shown no adverse effects. There have been anecdotal reports of creatine causing minor adverse effects, such as muscle cramping, diarrhea and dehydration, but most of these can be avoided simply by increasing your water and mineral intake while taking creatine. Remember that creatine causes the water in your body to be pulled into the muscles (which gives you muscle volumization), but because of this, it is extremely important to stay well hydrated and take a good mineral supplement while taking creatine.

 A Word of Caution

Processing the creatine in your body (and excreting the excess) is done by your liver and kidneys. If you have a pre-existing kidney disorder, or are predisposed to renal dysfunction (such as diabetics or the elderly), it would be best to stay away from creatine supplementation. If you are one of these people and choose to supplement anyway, you must get checked by your health professional on a regular basis.