While the muscle mass gained during the first week of use is typically not permanent, gains made over a longer period can be maintained even after stopping creatine supplementation.
Creatine simply shifts water inside the muscle cells. The result of this is increased muscle size, strength and body weight. Although this is temporary water retention, the benefits listed can help a weight lifter overcome plateaus, ensuring progression with each workout.
As such, when you stop taking creatine, the muscle you built while supplementing with creatine will remain in place. However, you may notice less muscle fullness (due to reduced water retention) as well as a slight drop off in performance (due to lower stores of creatine in the muscle).
It can take anywhere from two to four weeks for the body to deplete the excess creatine concentrations. During that time, you may feel more tired, but that feeling will go away once your body begins to use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as its main energy source again.
When creatine dosage is stopped, you lose that extra energy, which means you won't be able to exercise like when you took creatine. With reduced energy, your performance will decrease, and you'll work out less, so, obviously, you won't be able to keep up with the speed of muscle gains any longer.
Doses up to 25 grams daily for up to 14 days have been safely used. Lower doses up to 4-5 grams daily for up to 18 months have also been safely used. Creatine is possibly safe when taken long-term. Doses up to 10 grams daily for up to 5 years have been safely used.
You'll lose Body Weight.
Due to their osmotic nature, they cause more water retention in the cells. When you stop, these creatine levels drop along with water weight.
To maximise results with creatine, cycling is recommended. Remember to have a break between cycles and increase daily water intake when using creatine.
How much bigger does creatine make you? It depends on your exercise routine. But some studies show that people who take creatine supplements may gain an extra two to four pounds of muscle mass during four to 12 weeks of regular exercise than people who don't take creatine.
Last Updated: There is no convincing evidence that creatine can increase your testosterone levels. Creatine is known for reliably improving physical performance. Less commonly, it has also been marketed as a testosterone booster.
You can supplement Creatine all year round but taking a break every 12 weeks is recommended. Have a 4 week period off Creatine and cycle it like that on a consistent basis.
The most common Creatine Cycle
A loading phase of 5-7 days of 20-30g per day, split into separate doses. A maintenance phase of 3-5g per day, lasting for 4-6 weeks. This is followed by a time of phase, lasting from 2 – 4 weeks, before considering starting another whole new cycle again.
Many studies have demonstrated that creatine supplementation, in combination with various kinds of training, is effective at augmenting training workouts and increasing muscular strength and lean body mass [14,17].
Taking creatine supplements can help your body build lean muscle mass. Muscle tissue naturally burns more calories than fatty tissue, and taking creatine helps build muscle, so in this round-about way, that's how creatine can help with weight loss.
How long does it take for the benefits of creatine to work? As with working out, results aren't immediate with creatine supplements. Consistency and dedication are key to seeing the benefits of supplemental creatine. It can take anywhere from seven to 28 days to see the effects of creatine on your energy levels.
Five to seven days of supplementation with a daily dose of 20 g·day−1 is sufficient to saturate muscle creatine stores [5], which is approximately 140 to 160 mmol·kg−1 of dry muscle. This has become a commonly employed dose in the literature and termed the “loading phase”.
Creatine metabolism plays an important role in adipose tissue bioenergetics and energy expenditure. Thus, the combination of creatine supplementation and resistance training may decrease fat mass more than resistance training alone.
Creatine doesn't make you fat, but you may experience slight weight gain when you first start taking it—usually between 2 to 4.5 pounds, depending on your initial bodyweight. This weight is thought to be water, mostly, and no fat mass.
For best results, you should mix 3-5 grams of creatine with 8 ounces of water to increase the amount of time it takes your body to absorb it. On top of that, you should drink about a gallon of water or 3-4 liters each day to maintain optimal hydration when supplementing with creatine.
But, recent studies have suggested that creatine supplementation may have a positive impact on sexual performance. One study found that men who took creatine supplements experienced an increase in testosterone levels, which can lead to improved sexual function and libido.