How to Cycle Creatine
Creatine cycling involves four days to a week of creatine loading, followed by a three week maintenance phase, and then a week where no creatine is taken. Creatine cycling will help you build muscle quicker, lift more weight, and prevent your body from getting used to the supplement.
Instructions
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The first phase of creatine cycling is the loading phase. In the loading phase, you should take between 20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four days to a week. Doing so will saturate your muscles with creatine and give you greater increases in strength, energy, and recovery, especially if you have never used creatine before.
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Follow the loading phase with a three week maintenance phase. During the maintenance phase you should take around 5 to 10 grams of creatine per day for three weeks. You will still see gains during the maintenance phase; however, you just need to take enough to replace the amount of creatine that has been depleted throughout the day.
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The third phase of creatine cycling is where you do not take creatine for an entire week. Doing so is supposed to prevent your body from getting used to it, similar to the idea of lifting heavy weights to gain muscle.
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Tips & Warnings
Creatine can be taken any time of the day, but if taken about a half hour prior to working out, you will see greater gains in performance.
You should take creatine in juice or a sports drink.
Creatine is also available in pill form, although the powder is absorbed much more efficiently.
