What’s the best way to take creatine?

What’s the best way to take creatine?

Take 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day. That’s the dose sports nutrition researchers, the ISSN, say is well established for filling your muscles’ stores.

Think of those stores as a tank. You can fill it slowly with a daily dose, or fast with a short “loading” week.

In one study, 3 g a day for 28 days raised muscle creatine by about 20%. So did 20 g a day for 6 days.

The ISSN says loading suits you if you want the effect within a month. If you plan to take it longer, or want to skip the weight gain loading can bring, take the daily dose.

Pick monohydrate. The ISSN calls it the most studied and effective form.

Want the dose detail? See how much creatine per day.

Should you take creatine before or after a workout?

Either. A 2022 review found taking it before or after training seems to give similar muscle benefits, in young and older adults.

The studies are few, and most had no dummy pill group. So nobody can yet name a best time. It’s also unknown whether taking it only on training days works as well as every day.

What matters more is the workout itself. The UK’s two approved creatine claims both rest on hard training.

Without the training, it may not help. Women past menopause who took 3 g a day for 2 years gained no lean mass (muscle and other tissue that isn’t fat). The researchers say creatine without exercise may not work.

So tie it to a habit you won’t miss, like your post-gym shake or breakfast. New to lifting? Start with a beginner gym plan.

How do you mix a creatine drink or shake?

Stir it into any drink, then drink it straight away.

Creatine powder keeps for years. But once it’s wet, it turns into creatinine, a waste product. Heat and sour drinks speed that up.

That’s why you mix it fresh, not the night before.

Gritty bits at the bottom? How well it dissolves doesn’t change how much your body takes up. Swirl and drink the lot.

Mixing it with whey? Read creatine and protein together.

Do you need to cycle creatine?

None of the reviews we read gives a reason to. Cycling means taking breaks, often for weeks, to “reset” your body.

The ISSN found no sign that your body’s own creatine making shuts down long-term. It also says use of up to 30 g a day for 5 years was safe in healthy people.

So a break just drains the tank, and you refill it when you start again. If you do take one, see what happens when you stop creatine.

How do you avoid bloating and an upset stomach?

Skip loading, or split it up. Holding extra water is the most common side effect, in the first several days of loading.

Servings over 10 g may cause diarrhoea. So if you load, keep each serving to 10 g or less.

When to speak to a GP

The ISSN found no compelling evidence that creatine harms the kidneys, in healthy or unwell people. Speak to a doctor or call 111 if:

• You have kidney disease. Some experts advise talking to your doctor before you take creatine.
• Under 18? The ISSN says creatine is acceptable only for young athletes in serious, supervised training. They should eat a balanced diet, know how to use it and stick to the recommended dose.
• Pregnant? Ask your midwife or GP first.
• You have lasting or worrying symptoms you think could be kidney disease. The NHS lists weight loss and poor appetite, swollen ankles, feet or hands, shortness of breath and tiredness. Also blood in your pee, needing to pee more, especially at night, and poor sleep.
• Call 111 if you have diarrhoea for more than 7 days, or bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from your bottom. Also if you’ve been sick for more than 2 days.
• Also call 111 if you keep being sick and can’t keep fluids down, or still have signs of dehydration after rehydration sachets.

Having a kidney blood test? Read does creatine raise creatinine first.