This article will discuss every aspect of using creatine in details. Check the following points for easier navigation :
1- Read This Before Using Creatine.
2- Loading Vs No Loading Dose.
4- Creatine Powder Vs Pills Vs Liquid Form.
5- Which Brand is The Best for Creatine.
6- Creatine Monohydrate, Micronized, Creatine HCL and Others.
7- Progress in Muscle Mass and Overall Performance.
8- Creatine Safety and Considerations.
10- Type of Diet to Consider When Using Creatine.
1- Read This Before Using Creatine:
Creatine is the best supplement ever discovered in fitness. Results can be seen from the first month, especially in terms of muscle mass and strength.
But because it is so powerful, it is recommended to delay using it after you achieve some improvement using high quality nutrition. In this way, you will be able to get that impressive results once you started using creatine because your muscles are well developed. On the other hand, if you started using creatine from the beginning you will miss the initial boost that comes from normal nutrition.
Personally, I started using Creatine after 2 years of consistent training and the main reason I avoided any supplement in my first 2 years is because during that time my body kept improving month after month. The improvement was very related to my nutrition which comes from real foods like eggs, chicken, white rice, barley bread and others. This high quality nutrition gave me explosive energy in my workouts and enabled me to improve quickly.
During that period of time I was only cared about bulking and gaining mass and I was able to gain around 17 pounds of weight mostly in muscles. My performance measure was bench press which improves from almost nothing to around 170 lb for 5 reps without touching any supplements. After using creatine i experienced another boost which mainly observed after 45 days of supplementing with creatine. I gained 4 pounds in that time and another 4 pounds after supplementing with creatine for 2 years. Maximum bench press improved to 220 lb in the first 45 days and reached 260 lb after 2 years of using creatine.
2- Loading Vs No Loading:
Can I use creatine without loading phase?
Creatine needs around 7 to 30 days in order to reach the desired level for improvement in muscle mass and heavy lifts. A loading phase is recommended to reach these levels within a week but not necessary as it will reach it anyway after a month. Using creatine without loading phase is completely fine and you can simply start it by consuming 5 grams daily from the first day. The typical loading phase can be 3 to 5 doses (I would stick with 3 only, 5 grams each dose) daily for 5 days. Meaning you would consume 15 grams a day for 5 days. After that, only 5 grams daily is needed to maintain the required level.
3- Before Vs After Workout:
Timing is not important here. The reason for this is because even if you stop taking creatine today, it takes one or two months for your body to completely remove it and get back to the normal levels which we have it naturally.
However, timing might have some impact on absorption. Personally I prefer taking creatine on empty stomach, like when I wake up or right after a workout. And if you want to have it before your workout that would be completely fine. It totally depends on your personal preference.
4- Creatine Powder Vs Pills Vs Liquid:
Creatine absorption is the main concern for optimal results. Good absorption comes from good solubility. That is why Powder and liquid forms are preferred here. Although liquid form has perfect absorption but it is still preferred to use the powder form as it forces you to consume more water which is very important for creatine users. This is because creatine helps fueling the muscles with more ATP which enables it to lift heavier weight. As a result, the muscle cells experience new resistance which forces these cells to enlarge in order to cope up with the new situation, and since our cells and body in general consists mainly of water, more water is needed to fill up the new volume.
5- Which Brand is the Best for Creatine:
The quality of the brand you choose have a significant effect on absorption. This quality can be tested easily when mixing the creatine powder with water. A good brand should not take too much time for its powder to completely dissolve. Check out Platinum Creatine From Muscletech. Make sure to have the complete dose of 5 grams dissolved into water before drinking it. Furthermore, since absorption is the main concern here, avoid combination with other beverages and food at the time of consumption.
6- Which Form Of Creatine Is The Best:
The most popular form of creatine is Creatine Monohydrate. There are few more forms like Creatine HCL and Creatine Nitrate but the dose will be different and there is no real difference from the monohydrate form. On the other hand, the monohydrate is much more tested and older in the market. Thus, there is no reason to spend more money for such forms.
However, if you are looking for true difference when spending more, it is strongly recommended to get the Micronized Monohydrate because it dissolves much better in water than the normal creatine monohydrate, and therefore giving you better results. One of the leading products in the micronized form of creatine monohydrate is Platinum Creatine by Muscletech (Based on location, newer product design might be available).
7- Progress in Muscle Mass and Overall Performance:
Since creatine mainly improves your maximum lifts and reps, you can easily measure the improvement on your performance by knowing exactly your maximum capacity before supplementing with creatine. Measuring and knowing your numbers will positively affect your mentality toward you progress. This is why it is a bad idea to start using creatine in early stages of training; give your body enough time to reach its maximum capacity before supplementing.
8- Creatine Safety and Considerations:
Creatine is safe to use, but even though majority if not all of studies and experts agree on the safety of creatine, it is important to keep in mind that our diet often includes other supplements like whey protein and other amino acids which are all metabolized in kidneys and liver. The load on your liver and kidneys while supplementing with many supplements can not be the same as supplementing with creatine only.
Another point is that our bodies react differently to these supplements and we may not share the same benefits or side effects from supplementing in general. Therefore, It is recommended to consult your doctor before using creatine and there is no harm in checking the functionality of your kidneys and liver before and after using any supplement or at least from time to time, (like twice a year).
Personally, I tested my Creatinine blood levels right before using creatine and after 5 months of using it. Creatinine Blood Test is a good indicator for kidney function. During that time, my creatinine levels increased from 0.9 to around 1.2. The normal range of creatinine is 0.7 to 1.3 which means my levels were normal.
Good amount of water and sleep is mandatory when using supplements, because you are adding extra load on your system and your body needs to process it.
In case of side effects while supplementing in general, it is recommended to consult a physician and have essential blood tests done.
9- Creatine Cycle Off and On:
How long should i use creatine:
After achieving some progress, it is a good idea to have a break (3 to 4 months) from all supplements you use including creatine. Try to keep the same improvement you reached using natural nutrition and good recovery. This method is very helpful on the mental level, because you can use creatine again after this break and have another boost in your performance instead of using it all the time. Furthermore, by doing this, you avoid being attached and reliant to your supplements all the time.
10- Type of Diet Recommended:
What Diet Should I follow while supplementing with creatine?
Since muscle mass is the main goal for majority creatine users, it is strongly advised to consume enough amount of carbohydrates through out the day. Carbohydrates enables the muscle cells to absorb more nutrients including creatine from the blood and eventually leads to increase in size.