How To Take Creatine: 3 Tips You NEED

OVERVIEW: I’ll show you how to take creatine based on my NASA research experience at the Johnson Space Center, along with one bizarre athlete FIX. HOW TO TAKE CREATINE Creatine timing and dosing are common mistakes that are easily corrected. A 5g dosage twice daily (b.i.d.) is all that is used for a loading phase (although a loading phase is not necessary), giving you a total creatine quantity per day of 10g. After 5-10d of creatine loading a 5g daily dose is sufficient, typically consumed in the morning, and/or before or after workouts. BEST TYPE OF CREATINE Although I briefly mention creatine ethyl ester (CEE) in this guide, hundreds of published research studies show that creatine monohydrate is safe and effective, and for me, that makes it the only “type” of creatine powder I’d consider. CREATINE SIDE EFFECTS Once we answer the question does creatine work, we should look at potential side effects. Let’s start by clearing up some myths: in healthy individuals, creatine research has shown no side effects related to kidneys, liver, dehydration, or much of anything negative at all. The main potential issue seems to be diarrhea when the creatine powder is not fully dissolved (in some people), but this effect appears to be transient. Regarding the side effects of going off creatine, a decrease in muscle water volume is noticed, but otherwise the gains are retained. The good news is that there appears to be no reason to cycle on and off creatine –this is likely an archaic remnant extrapolated from cycling steroids. SHOULD I TAKE CREATINE In spite of being a dual certified sports nutritionist (CISSN, Pn-1) I don’t [legally] recommend creatine (or any other supplement). The good news is that this supplement appears to be beneficial for just about everyone, including beginners and anyone wanting to build muscle. More specifically it’s efficacious for sports and competitions like: Crossfit, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, football, rugby, MMA, and a variety of strength and power athletes. There’s some research to suggest that in addition to the ‘supplements that build muscle’ category, creatine might even be considered a recovery supplement -a thorough exploration of this is beyond the scope of this quick creatine review (and will be conducted later). Overall creatine monohydrate is probably the best-studied and most efficacious supplement on the market. Until next time, Raise The Barr David Barr, CSCS, CISSN, RSCC