Creatine can increase muscle strength, help you work harder for longer in the gym, and give you a bigger muscle pump. It's also very safe, so there's no reason not to add this effective supplement to your stack.
Many studies have demonstrated that creatine supplementation, in combination with various kinds of training, is effective at augmenting training workouts and increasing muscular strength and lean body mass [14,17].
Evidence. Research on creatine use for specific activities and conditions shows: Strength, muscle size and performance. Oral creatine use might allow an athlete to do more work during reps or sprints, leading to greater gains in strength, muscle mass and performance.
Typically the aim is to take 5g of creatine 4 or 5 times per day. You could take all 20g at once or 10g 2 times per day -this will depend on individual tolerance as some people are fine with these doses- but most of the evidence has come from smaller, more frequent serves.
So, you can definitely take creatine if you don't go to the gym or if you're not trying to get 'big'. For people who don't work out, the benefits are mainly that creatine will give you that energy boost for any day-to-day movement, and will also improve brain function.
Creatine can be effective for both bulking and cutting, depending on how you use it and what your goals are. Creatine creates a water retention surrounding the muscle that not only preserves the muscle during a cutting phase but also provides immediate muscle recovery in order to continue intense workouts.
Bottom line. Creatine supplementation enhances exercise performance, but most studies show that it has no effect on testosterone levels.
How long does it take for the benefits of creatine to work? As with working out, results aren't immediate with creatine supplements. Consistency and dedication are key to seeing the benefits of supplemental creatine. It can take anywhere from seven to 28 days to see the effects of creatine on your energy levels.
The gains from creatine can be both temporary and permanent. While the muscle mass gained during the first week of use is typically not permanent, gains made over a longer period can be maintained even after stopping creatine supplementation.
The study found that those who consumed creatine lost about a pound more fat compared to those who didn't. The authors also found that those consuming creatine gained a significant amount of lean muscle mass.
When creatine dosage is stopped, you lose that extra energy, which means you won't be able to exercise like when you took creatine. With reduced energy, your performance will decrease, and you'll work out less, so, obviously, you won't be able to keep up with the speed of muscle gains any longer.
Creatine makes your muscles look bigger, while actually making them bigger as well. First, creatine causes your muscle cells to store more water which causes your muscles to appear fuller and larger. You may notice the size increase a few days or weeks after starting creatine supplementation.
Increased Water Weight
You may gain anywhere from two to five pounds during your first week of creatine supplementation due to water retention. Creatine helps increase muscle mass by drawing extra water into the muscle cells, causing you to retain fluid.
The supplement works best when it's a regular habit, but there's no advantage to taking it at a precise time each day. "Taking creatine regularly — multiple times per week — is essential to increase creatine stores within the muscle," he adds.
New research indicates that creatine is also important to brain function, affecting mood and cognition. Early trials suggest creatine supplementation can improve stress resilience, depression, and brain functions such as memory.
Creatine supplementation increases creatine stores in the brain. By reducing the accumulation of adenosine and adenosine triphosphate in the brain during wakefulness, creatine supplementation seems to reduce sleep depth, duration, and “rebound sleep” after sleep deprivation.
Creatine is thought to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, and help the muscles recover more quickly during exercise. This muscular boost may help athletes achieve bursts of speed and energy, especially during short bouts of high-intensity activities such as weight lifting or sprinting.
Creatine increases the amount of protein in your muscles, which helps stimulate muscle growth. Therefore, taking creatine on rest days can be a great way to give your muscles a boost and help you build muscle more quickly.
How many grams of creatine should you take a day? For maximizing your creatine muscle stores quickly, you should do a creatine loading phase of 20 grams daily for 5–7 days. Follow this with a maintenance dose of between 2–10 grams per day. Some people also find an approach of 3 grams daily for 28 days works well too.
When you don't drink enough water while taking creatine, the body will break down muscle tissue to get the water that it needs. That can lead to muscle cramps and a host of other issues like kidney problems.