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.
Stopping creatine supplementation is safe and can be done at any time. You may experience a slight decrease in strength, performance, and body weight, but the impact should not be significant. There is no set timeline for how long you can or should take creatine supplements.
The Bad: Loss of Muscle Mass
One of the main benefits of taking creatine is that it helps build muscle mass. So, if you stop taking it, you may start to see a loss in muscle mass. This is especially true if you don't change your workout routine or diet when you stop taking creatine.
Any side effects you experience when you stop taking creatine can be a symptom of creatine withdrawal. These withdrawal symptoms include a perceived reduction in muscle mass, less natural creatine production, loss of water weight from the muscle cells, and fatigue.
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).
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.
No, going off of creatine will not make you look more cut. Creatine increases muscle mass but does not increase body fat. The weight gained from taking creatine is from water retention in the muscle cells. But this only causes the muscles to potentially look bigger and does not appear as added weight to the body.
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.
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.
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.
One common question among athletes: Should I take creatine on off days? The short answer is yes, but you can also skip some days. "Research suggests that creatine stores can be maintained at high levels even if creatine is not taken every single day," says Paul Falcone, senior scientist for LADDER.
Key Takeaways
Many people feel creatine monohydrate supplementation alters their sleep. Creatine ingestion shortens total and deep sleep in rats, probably by affecting sleep homeostasis. Despite shortening sleep, creatine often produces numerous beneficial health effects.
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.
Creatine loading is the phase during the first 5-7 days of supplementing where a higher amount of creatine (typically 20 grams) is consumed to super-saturate the muscles. Most creatine servings sizes are 5 grams so this means during the first week you will take 4 servings spread throughout the day.
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.
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.
While widely accepted as a safe supplement, one of the big things that makes people reluctant to hop on the creatine train is what we call creatine bloating. It's a common side effect of creatine supplementation that happens due to water retention.
You'll very likely weigh significantly less - anywhere from 3 -8 lbs, give or take. Don't worry - this is water weight, not muscle. Creatine supplementation causes a cell volumization effect, and once you stop taking it, the effect is reversed.
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.
Nothing. If you're in the beginning phase, you're merely pushing off saturation by a dose. When you've met saturation levels, (approximately a month after taking 5 grams a day), you can actually miss a dose a week with NO issues.
It depends. Studies show that regularly taking creatine, weightlifting and exercising can help increase muscle growth in people 18 to 30 years old. However, there isn't enough research to say that creatine helps develop muscle growth in people older than 65 or people with diseases that affect their muscles.
Conclusion: Once a divisive topic, creatine is now one of the most effective and safe dietary supplements that gives proven results. When taken in approved dosages, creatine has been shown to increase muscle mass, strength, brain function, and potentially heart function as well.
Unfortunately, creatine also comes with some negative side effects for certain people. Studies have documented creatine causing issues related to mood and anxiety – such as panic attacks or sudden mood swings – among some users.