Yes, you are probably advised to cycle creatine. Front-loading isn't crucial, but desirable to start experiencing the benefits of using creatine, to avoid a tedious ramp-up period before the benefits of creatine supplementation are experienced.
Loading and Cycling Creatine
Loading (an increased dosage when adopting a supplement) and cycling (time high, moderate and abstinent in consumption) aren't even necessary with creatine. Adopting the proper dosage mentioned above, and simply staying on it long-term is completely safe, and actually the proper approach.
The side effects that may be experienced include a change in muscle mass, fatigue, and loss of water weight. While there may even be a temporary reduction in the body's natural creatine production, they typically will return to normal in about 4-6 weeks.
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.
SOLUTION: Although research does show that creatine can increase water retention under the skin, there is no research that supports the notion that creatine will prevent you from dropping bodyfat. In fact, research suggests creatine will not only help you gain lean muscle mass, but also may help you to lose fat.
Yes, it's completely safe to skip a day of creatine supplementation without experiencing any harmful or detrimental effects. If you happen to miss a day of supplementation, it won't have a significant impact on the overall levels of creatine in your body.
When used orally at appropriate doses, creatine is likely safe to take for up to five years. As with any dietary supplement, it's important to choose a product that follows recommended manufacturing practices and subscribes to third-party testing to ensure the product's quality.
We recommend using creatine continuously. The recommended daily dose is between 3 and 5 grams. Continuous creatine intake – on exercise and training days as well as training-free days – promotes increased performance and muscle-building.
The gains from creatine can be both temporary and permanent. 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.
When you stop taking creatine monohydrate, you may experience temporary side effects, including water weight loss, decreased creatine production in the body, fatigue and muscle weakness.
The most common Creatine Cycle
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.
Method 2: Low-Dose Daily Supplementation
The alternate method is to simply take 3-5 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.
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.
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).
Negative changes in mood or anxiety following supplementation with creatine have been documented in two human trials (Roitman et al., 2007; Volek et al., 2000) and one animal experiment (Allen et al., 2010). Specifically, in an open-label clinical trial of creatine, Roitman et al.
Typically the aim is to take 5g of creatine 4 or 5 times per day. You could take all 20g at once or 10g 2 times per day -this will depend on individual tolerance as some people are fine with these doses- but most of the evidence has come from smaller, more frequent serves.
Answer: You should never miss a full day. If you do, then double up the next day. If you miss more than 3 days, reload otherwise taking the daily maintenance dose will require a couple of weeks to get you back where you should have been to maximize benefit.