How to Take the Supplement Creatine
If you are involved in a vigorous strength-building routine, you might consider supplementing with creatine. Creatine, an organic acid, supplies muscles with energy. While the body makes its own creatine, many weightlifters and athletes supplement, claiming that it increases their stamina, enabling greater strength gain and making tough workouts easier to power through. In addition, it can provide a psychological boost as creatine causes the tissue around muscles to slightly swell, leading to a more muscular look. The most common creatine is creatine monohydrate, a powder that is mixed into liquid and ingested, according to the Creatine Information Center. To achieve the best results from creatine, however, one must know how to properly consume it.
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Instructions
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Properly Taking Creatine
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Begin the creatine loading phase. It is not essential to load creatine, but it can lead to faster results, according to the Creatine Information Center. "Loading" creatine refers to taking higher dosages for a short amount of time to increase the body's levels quickly. For creatine loading, take approximately 5 grams four times per day, for one week, according to the Nutraceutical Sciences Institute, the creators of NSI CreaPure Creatine. Proper dosage can very due to bodyweight, although the 5-gram dose is a general recommendation. To calculate your exact dose, consult the table at the Creatine Information Center (see References).
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Create your creatine drink. Mix your creatine powder with any liquid. However, mixing creatine with a high-carbohydrate drink such as juice or a sports drink can help the creatine reach the muscles faster, according to both the Muscle Building Guide and Iron Magazine's Robert DiMaggio. However, there are some arguments that mixing creatine with an acidic drink (such as orange juice) can hamper creatine's effects. In addition, mixing creatine into your post workout protein shake is also effective.
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Take creatine at maintenance levels. Again, dosages can vary due to your weight, but the typical recommendation is to take 5 to 10 grams of creatine per day, for three to 4 weeks, to maintain creatine levels. An ideal time to take creatine is just after a workout, when the body easily absorbs nutrients.
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Cycle off creatine. In order to prevent the body from adapting to creatine, some authorities such as the Creatine Information Center, recommend cycling off of creatine for a week. Simply do not take it. When a week has passed, reenter the loading phase and repeat the cycle.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not attempt to take your entire loading dosage as one serving. While you will not hurt yourself, your body cannot process that much creatine at one time.
References
Resources
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