Creatine belongs to a very narrow group of dietary supplements that are most often recommended to professional and amateur athletes to increase lean body mass and muscle strength and power. Regular use of creatine helps athletes improve athletic performance and enhance the appearance of the figure as a result of the desired muscle mass gain. Creatine is a substance that requires long-term intake in order to obtain adequate benefits in terms of improving body composition and physical performance. So let's check out how to take creatine properly to maximize muscle mass and strength gains.

• Creatine - properties
• How to take creatine?
• Is it necessary to take creatine with a loading phase?
• How long can you take creatine?

Creatine - properties

Creatine, or β-methylguanidinoacetic acid, was discovered in skeletal muscle back in the 19th century by French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul. It is an organic chemical compound, naturally produced in the human body in the kidneys and liver, from such amino acids as arginine, glycine and methionine. Creatine is also found in foods of animal origin, especially meat (such as beef and pork) and fish (including: herring, salmon, cod, tuna). It is assumed that people who eat meat and fish regularly provide about 2 g of creatine each day, while those on a vegan diet provide less than 1 g per day. Creatine is an important substance that mediates metabolic changes occurring in skeletal muscles, the brain and other tissues of the human body, which have high energy requirements. Today, creatine is one of the most widely taken, best researched and also the most effective dietary supplements for athletes who are primarily concerned with developing strength, power and muscle mass, and speeding up recovery from injury.

How to take creatine?

Creatine should be taken regularly in the correct dosage for a sufficiently long period of time to achieve satisfactory results in terms of increasing muscle strength and power and lean body mass. There are two most commonly used ways of taking creatine, namely supplementation that takes into account the loading phase and constant low-dose supplementation. During the loading phase, which lasts for the first 5 to 7 days after the start of supplementation, it is recommended to take creatine in a daily dose of 20 to 30 g, which should be divided into 4 to 6 equal portions of 5 g each. After 7 days, creatine should be taken for several weeks at a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 g per day. The main advantage of using a loading phase in creatine supplementation is the rapid increase in creatine concentration in skeletal muscle, which can lead to visible increases in strength and muscle mass. Added to this are the psychological benefits, as the desired effects from taking creatine can be seen quickly, further motivating the gym-goer to exercise regularly and stick to his or her diet. Proponents of the creatine loading phase usually take a week or two break from taking creatine after 4-6 weeks of supplementation, and then start again.

Is it necessary to take creatine with a loading phase?

As the results of previous studies show, it is not at all necessary to include a loading phase of creatine in order to get satisfactory results in terms of increasing muscle mass and strength and improving athletic performance. It turns out that identical results to those of the loading phase are also obtained from constant and long-term creatine supplementation in a low daily dose of 3 to 5 g, but only after 4-6 weeks. This means that taking a low dose of creatine for at least 4 weeks allows you to eventually achieve the same level of creatine saturation in muscle cells as when using the loading phase, while it will take a little longer. Differences in effects at the end of creatine supplementation will therefore be minimal. It is worth noting at this point that taking creatine at one time in a very high dose (e.g. ≥ 5 g) causes large losses in the urine. For this reason, it is much better to take creatine several times a day in small doses, e.g. 1 or 2 g with a meal that contains a decent amount of protein and carbohydrates. Consumption of protein and carbohydrates increases the secretion of insulin, which is a hormone that facilitates the transport of creatine into muscle cells, which is why it is so important to take creatine with a meal, rather than on an empty stomach or between meals. In addition, it is very often recommended that one serving of creatine be taken with the first meal after a workout session. It has been suggested that this may benefit muscle mass and strength gains, as skeletal muscle cells that have used up their creatine stores during strength training are more likely to use it in the post-workout period.

How long can you take creatine?

Many gym-goers wonder how long creatine can be taken to avoid any unwanted side effects. Creatine is usually recommended to be taken in cycles, i.e. 4 to 8 weeks of supplementation and 2 to 4 weeks off. However, there are no contraindications to extend the duration of creatine supplementation to several or even several months, especially when creatine is taken in small doses, i.e. 3 to 5 g per day. Current short- and long-term studies show that the use of creatine in high doses (even up to 30 g per day) for 5 years is safe for human health, especially since creatine is well tolerated by healthy people of all ages. It turns out that both short-term and long-term intake of creatine in small doses - 3 to 5 g per day - poses no health risks. In general, virtually no serious side effects are found from taking creatine for several weeks at the most commonly recommended doses in healthy individuals. In light of current scientific evidence, it seems reasonable to take creatine for several months and to take a break in supplementation of up to 2 to 4 weeks once or twice a year, just in case. Undoubtedly, a great time to take a short break in creatine supplementation for the vast majority of professional and amateur athletes is the vacations and Christmas.

Sources:

• Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM: American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med. Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543-568
• Harmon KK, Stout JR, Fukuda DH, et al: The Application of Creatine Supplementation in Medical Rehabilitation. Nutrients. 2021 May 27;13(6):1825.
• Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al: International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18.
• Jagim AR, Kerksick CM: Creatine Supplementation in Children and Adolescents. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 18;13(2):664.
• Forbes SC, Cordingley DM, Cornish SM, et al: Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health. Nutrients. 2022 Feb 22;14(5):921.
• Wu SH, Chen KL, Hsu C, et al: Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 16;14(6):1255.