How to Use Creatine

Recommended Serving
A loading phase of 4 days for people under 200 lbs and 5 days for people over this weight. The loading phase is 5g (a rounded teaspoon full) taken 4 times a day at evenly spaced intervals. Many people will benefit by taking a serving prior to training and another serving after training.

The maintenance phase is 2-10g per day. 2g is the minimum level required to accumulate muscle creatine levels. The most popular maintenance dose is 5g per day, which is the dosage used in most studies.

Creatine can be used on a 4-6 weeks on, 4 weeks off, followed by a reloading phase. It can also be used continuously on a maintenance phase.

Serving Timings
During the loading phase, take the first serving before breakfast, the second prior to training, the third after training and the fourth serving before going to bed. During the maintenance phase, take a single dose after training. Alternatively, split the serving in 2 and take the first half prior to training and the second immediately after training.

How to Take It
Creatine is denatured during its journey into muscle tissue. By decreasing the time creatine sits in the stomach, and by elevating insulin levels, creatine is more effectively stored.

To minimise the time in the stomach, creatine is best taken in juice, water, tea, coffee, or even a protein drink. To ensure the stomach empties, take at least 20oz of fluid (about a pint). If you take creatine in a small drink, follow it with additional water, to a total of 20oz of fluids.

Insulin levels can be elevated by taking creatine in a glucose drink, or a fruit juice high in glucose such as cranberry juice.

Some people suffer intestinal distress when taking creatine. This is because creatine is not dissolved well in water and acts as a bulking agent in the intestine. This problem can be rectified by taking more frequent, smaller, doses through the day in a hot drink which increases the amount of powder which is dissolved in the liquid.

Supplement Facts
1. Creatine is not denatured when taken in a hot drink, in fact studies have shown that tea and coffee seem to increase creatine storage and not reduce it as was originally thought.

2. Creatine will stay stable in liquid for a number of hours. If you mix it in the morning but only drink it later in the day, don't worry, it's still active.

3. Not all fruit juices elevate insulin levels, most are high in fructose, which has minimum impact on insulin and therefore have no benefits when taken with Creatine.

4. Creatine can be taken with protein drinks with minimum impact on effectiveness.

5. Creatine is naturally occurring in the diet, it's found in all red meats, at around 1-2g per day in the average meat eaters diet.

6. There are no known cases of creatine causing health problems of the kidneys, liver or heart in healthy individuals.

Reported Benefits
1. Creatine increases cell volume via water storage. Hydrated muscle cells synthesise protein faster, ie muscle grows faster.

2. Creatine adds lean body weight within days.

3. Creatine will increase the length of time that maximum effort can be applied, typically you will get 1 or 2 extra reps in each set.