You can stop supplementing anytime you want. But your muscles' creatine levels will start to deplete about two weeks after you stop taking it. In 4-6 weeks, the extra creatine will wash out of your muscles altogether, and your body will be back at producing its baseline level of 1-2 grams a day.
The Creatine Cycle
After the loading phase, you should drop to consuming 5 g to 10 g per day. You should continue doing this for another 7 weeks. This means in total you have been supplementing with creatine for a total of 8 weeks. Then it is important to stop taking creatine.
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.
Muscle Loss
While creatine can help to increase muscle mass and strength, the gains may not be permanent. his will depend heavily on your training regimen and nutrition after stopping creatine supplementation. When you stop taking creatine, your muscle mass and strength may gradually decrease.
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.
Effects Of Stopping Creatine. Some people who stop taking creatine may experience effects such as loss of muscle mass, strength, or endurance; on the other hand, some people report no side effects. More research is being done on the subject. Your results will likely be unique to you and your body.
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.
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.
By reducing the accumulation of adenosine and adenosine triphosphate in the brain during wakefulness, creatine supplementation seems to reduce sleep depth, duration, and “rebound sleep” after sleep deprivation. Creatine supplementation also helps preserve cognitive and physical performance after sleep loss.
The supplement works best when it's a regular habit, but there's no advantage to taking it at a precise time each day. "Taking creatine regularly — multiple times per week — is essential to increase creatine stores within the muscle," he adds.
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].
Permanent intake – creatine in low doses
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 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.
Creatine is unlikely to impact testosterone levels. But the supplement can improve exercise performance and fuel muscle growth. Further research may show that creatine can help improve brain, bone, and cardiovascular health.
New research indicates that creatine is also important to brain function, affecting mood and cognition. Early trials suggest creatine supplementation can improve stress resilience, depression, and brain functions such as memory.
There is concern that creatine causes acne. Research has not shown this to be accurate. In fact, topically applied creatine can improve the skin's appearance. Creatine's link with acne is likely due to people exercising more while they take the supplement, which causes more sweating and bacteria buildup on the skin.
The addition of creatine phosphate to the insemination media enhances the fertilizing capacity of sperm (both motility and velocity) during in vitro fertilization [34]. Creatine also enhances sperm capacitation by increasing adenosine triphosphate levels when added to in vitro fertilization medium [35].
Bottom line. Creatine supplementation enhances exercise performance, but most studies show that it has no effect on testosterone levels. If you are concerned about your testosterone, make sure you get enough sleep, exercise, calories, vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc.
Also known as fluid retention, creatine can cause rapid water weight because the supplement draws water into your muscles' cells. This water will cause your muscles to hold onto it, causing bloating or puffiness. Even if you have just started training, your muscles may appear larger [10].