Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched and effective substances in bodybuilding, and despite this, many questions regarding its optimal administration method still need to be clarified. The constant emergence of new forms, the cunning of manufacturers, and the desire of authors to excel in originality give rise to many erroneous theories. More than 50 independent studies and scientific papers had to be reworked in creating this article to clearly define the best way to take creatine.

We will tell not only about taking creatine monohydrate correctly but also refuting false positions in this matter.

Optimal reception scheme

These schemes are most effective for each person; they are suitable for supplements from any manufacturer, regardless of the form (powder, capsules, or solution). Manufacturers often do not care about compiling instructions, indicating completely insane modes. We decided to give a digest of our work at the beginning of the article, and if you are interested in a detailed justification, then you can find it below.

* No Load (Recommended): Take 5-6g daily. On training days, creatine should be taken after training, along with a protein shake, a gainer, amino acids (at least 5 g), or sweet juice. On rest days, in the morning, with a protein shake, a gainer, amino acids, or drinking sweet juice. The course lasts 2 months; you need to take a break for 3-4 weeks.

* Loaded: The first week, take 5g of creatine, 4 times a day in between meals (on training days, one serving should be consumed after training), along with a protein shake or gainer, or amino acids (at least 5g), or washed down with sweet juice. After 5-6 days, reduce the dose to 2 g, and take 1 time per day, after training or in the morning on rest days, along with a protein shake, a gainer, amino acids, or drinking sweet juice. The course lasts 1 month, then you need to take a break for 3-4 weeks.

The volume of liquid in which the additive is stirred or washed down should be at least 1 cup.

When to take creatine?

One study has shown that creatine is best absorbed when consumed before or after exercise, as metabolic changes and increased blood flow contribute the most to this. It should be noted that the pre-workout time is less preferred for several reasons: there may be an imbalance in water balance, and it is more reasonable to take transport systems after training. The exception is the pre-workout complex.

It is also not advisable to take creatine during training. In addition, studies have shown that taking creatine during training makes it difficult to perform exercises. This is associated with dehydration caused by the intake of creatine.

On rest days, Applied Nutrition Creatine is best absorbed in the morning; scientists believe this is due to the high concentration of growth hormone, which improves transport.

How much to take creatine? Scheme

Another very difficult question that still needs to be resolved, despite dozens of experiments with animals and people. In the work of Burke DG, scientists studied the 24-hour excretion of creatine and its breakdown product creatinine from the body and concluded that no more than 50 mg/kg of the supplement is absorbed per day; the rest is excreted in the urine. This means that taking more than 5-7 g of creatine per day makes no sense.

Loading

Here we should recall the very popular creatine loading. This regimen provides 20 g of the supplement per day (in four doses of 5 g each). The optimal duration of this phase, as studies have shown, is 4-6 days, after which the increase in the concentration of creatine in the muscles stops (since the cells are completely saturated with it), and it is enough to take about 2-3 g per day as a maintenance dose. It should be emphasized that muscle creatine levels remained high even after 12 weeks of maintenance doses.

Later, new studies were done, showing that the loading phase is not necessary at all. Conclusion: Loading 20 g per day for 6 days and then maintaining a dose of 2 grams per day after a month of administration leads to the same result as taking a supplement of 3 g every day without loading.

Three years later, another study showed that taking 5 g per day without a loading phase significantly increased strength and muscle mass.

Use download or not?

Based on scientific findings, there is no difference in the final result with any administration option. However, several factors should be mentioned as they can influence the choice of tactics (attached picture)

Cycling

The cyclic scheme has become popular recently thanks to an article by Paul Crib. The author writes: The

traditional loading phase invariably overloads the blood with creatine, bombarding the muscles with its high concentration. In this case, creatine transports impair their ability to penetrate cell membranes! It takes quite a long time for their efficiency to return to normal. In addition, such a return can only occur in the case of a decrease in the concentration of creatine outside the cells.

Then it is suggested to take the supplement for 3 days, followed by a 3-day break. The whole idea is based on three studies, two of which were carried out by himself, and the third by Luc JC van LOON, in the conclusion of which scientists conclude that the constant intake of creatine leads to a decrease in its concentration after 4 weeks, presumably due to the suppression of the transporter gene. This work made a lot of noise and caused a new wave of discussions.

What are the mistake of Paul Krib and the lack of cyclic schemes?

1) Luc JC et al. found a decrease in muscle concentration only after 4 weeks and not after 3 days.

2) Significantly, more studies have shown that the maintenance dose can maintain a high concentration of creatine in the muscles for a long time. Thus, the work referred to by Paul Crib can be considered erroneous.

3) Tarnopolsky M and Parise G conducted a special study that showed that creatine monohydrate does not suppress the synthesis and activity of human transporters even after 4 months of daily use.

The preceding allows us to conclude that cyclic reception schemes are inappropriate.

Related Article: Proteins for athletes: what is it and why do you need it?

Low dosages

A new study published in the journal Nutrition in 2010 set out to test the effects of low-dose creatine. 20 healthy men and women received the supplement in the amount of 0.03 g per 1 kg of body weight, an average of 2 g per day. The researchers found that after 6 weeks, the subjects had no change in lean muscle mass, maximum strength, body fat percentage, and fluid body volume. From this, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion: the doses should be moderate. Otherwise, the effect will be minimal or even absent.

Particular attention should be paid to creatine supplements in capsules, where manufacturers often make the dosage insufficient.

With what to take creatine?

It is known that the most “difficult” pharmacodynamic stage of creatine is its transport from plasma to muscle cells. It is at this stage that most of the creatine is wasted. It has been observed that some substances affect the supplement absorption by the muscles. The most effective transport facilitator is insulin. This hormone has a pronounced anabolic effect and causes the muscles to absorb almost all nutrients, including creatine.

To improve the absorption of the supplement, the secretion of insulin in the body can be stimulated to a sufficient extent by using the following:

• * fast carbohydrates 10-20 g (as sweet juice or added sugar)
• * fast protein 20-30 g (improves digestion as well as carbohydrates)
• * amino acids 5-15 g

The effectiveness of other transport systems (taurine, CLA, arginine, etc.) is in doubt. There are already combined products: creatine with a transport system.

It must be remembered that creatine must be washed down (or stirred) with sufficient liquid to neutralize the dehydration effect and speed up transport.

Also, the absorption of creatine is positively affected by introducing anabolic and other hormones: growth hormone, thyroxine, anabolic steroids, and insulin.