creatine dosage

Nutrition Discussions
1

I know this issue has been tackled time and time again but I am curious
when starting on creatine should a sprinter use the load up period? Is it really necessary to do the loading cycle. Also, would going on one week and going off the next continously be a smart thing to do?
I have read some of the old threads but I don’t think I’ve really seen this question addressed directly.
Also anyone with experience in this area can answer my question but how long does it take before you feel the creatine working when lifting weights?

Thanks, I am just starting on it and I don’t want to jack myself up taking this stuff.
PEace

2

I will speak from experience. I have viewed opposing debates on whether the loading phase is necessary or not. I have always employed a loading phase and whenever I am taking creatine I will take it for about 8 week cycles, 8 on 8 off. If you are on it you want to stay on it otherwise the levels in your system will not be maintained and your wasting your money.

Also, depending on your bodymass will determine how much you should take each day. At 240-245lbs I will take double the recommended maintenance dosage.

3

For myself, I don’t load. I’ll ramp up then ramp down, Ian King style. As with Jman 8 weeks on. Presently I’ll only do 1 or 2 cycles of it per year.

4

3g per day for the rest of your life.

5

Is that what you do?

6

so just a serving a day huh…interesting.
have yall heard anything about taking creatine with juice causing it
to break into creatinine? what do you guys mix your creatine with?
right now Im just using grape juice!

7

Same as me, Herb.

8

Creatine does break down when in a liquid, but it breaks down alot slower than people think. I belive after 72 hours in a liquid it is mostly creatinine.

9

Sounds plausably correct - what reasons for never taking a break Herb - I don’t eat redmeat - thats one I can think of

any others ?

10

I use V-12 Creatine. I never load up. I just get one scoop every day until it is in my system. When I first started using V-12 I noticed a great pump from the first day. I dont use it on the weekends and i stop during track season.

11

Month Dose Period
June Three gram twice a day First 20 days of month(loading)
July Two gram per day All month except week before major competition by 1 week 9 grams per day (maintan creatine levels and increase level before championshis)
August Two gram per day Last 20 days of month days(maintain)
September Two gram per day The last 20 days of month(maintain)
October No Supplementation
November
December Three gram twice a day First 20 days of month(loading)
January Two gram per day Last 20 days of month(maintain)
February Two gram per day Last 20 days of month
March Two gram per day Last 20 days of month except week before major competition week 9 grams per day(maintain and increase level before compition)
April No Supplementation
May No Supplementation

is my creatine supplementation dosage for all year long

12

Why is it like this? Your body does not adapt to creatine, nor does it stop producing its own creatine after prolonged use of creatine supplementation. There is no need to cycle creatine, no need to take more than 3g per day (unless you are just starting with it, but the end result of 3g per day after 28 days is the same as a slightly short loading phase). And, you can use creatine all year round for the next 20 years and get benefits from it with no ill effects. So why wouldn’t you?

13

Month Dose Period
June Three gram twice a day First 20 days of month
July Two gram per day All month except week before major competition by 1 week 9 grams per day
August 9 grams per day Week before competition
September No Supplementation
October No Supplementation
November No Supplementation
December No Supplementation
January Three gram twice a day First 20 days of month
February Two gram per day Last 20 days of month
March Two gram per day Last 20 days of month except week before major competition week 9 grams per day
April No Supplementation
May No Supplementation

i have done with your opinion but i think loading creatine over a long time is better than over a short period as over a long one little dosage is taken so the body benifits from it all but big dosage end up in the urine thanks herb

14

The cell volumising effect of creatine would indicate that best for sprinters to stop supplementing with creatine during a comp phase.

You suggest otherwise…any particular logic for this?

15

I had heard the opposite…that your body will down-regulate creatine production with extended use. I think I remember reading this in some of the old Soviet literature or something (i’d have to look it up.)

Perhaps your information is more recent?

16

Whilst on creatine your body’s production of creatine goes down. However even after prolonged use, it goes back to normal once creatine supplementaion is stopped (ie, when the athlete retires).

17

I disagree. I like to think of creatine as a stimulus or A SPECIAL SHAKE, you know what I mean. If your constantly on it then you would be adapted to its effect and so it no longer gives you that psychological high; comparingly, yes that actual creatine cell-volumizing effect won’t disappear if your on it forever.

What I mean by the pschological high is that say for the first month of strength training/maintaining you don’t use it but on the second and third month you do. Why? Bc on the last 2 months you are trying to peak for a powerlifting meet and so you will be using creatine. You don’t want to take a chance and decrease/maintain in strength levels in the last month .

BTW; Ceterus Paribus (all other things being equal), there hasn’t been any scientific study done to see whether or not prolonged creatine use leads to platueing in strength levels, I wish there was such study! I believe that periodization and other stimulus normally present in training would lead to strength gains but when you compare those gains to someone who cycles creatine (2months on, 2months off) you would see better gains!

Just IMO!

18

IMO for a 220-240lb guy take 5g of creatine 1 hour before wts and 5g immediately after wts with protein an 45min-1hour later!

19

So then what about using creatine during a peaking point in the season? (coming up to conference, state, etc…) Would that be the same protocol as you had mentioned that powerlifters use?

20

Don’t know yet bc I haven’t come to that situation yet! It depends on whether your muscles will cramp up and lead to injury or alternatively if you have CF as a regeneration specialist? If you do retain CF as regeneration specialist then yes the protocols will stay the same! The reason I say this is bc this is the amount of dosage I was on before doing a medical examination; afterwards, my bioenergetic specialist told me that my report came and stated that I had creatinine in my pee so that meant that some of the creatine I took was getting wasted. It could have been wasted for different reasons; therefore, I have concluded that dosage I took was the right amount and to be on the safe side I don’t mind flushing a little creatine I mean creatinine down the toilet!

I would rather that I wasted a little creatine than not have enough of the stuff!