Is "creatine loading" necessary?

[Leukippes]

First time taking creatine, got micronized from ON and it recommends to have 5g with breakfast, lunch and dinner and an extra 5g before bed. That'd be 20g in a day for 4-5 days.
Is this necessary? I read 10g or more a day can upset your stomach.

[AfroPope]

Creatine loading is not necessary.

See "MUST READ" https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=161791793
or "EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CREATINE" https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=173714091

[danielmoo]

Thanks.
Is it ok if I mix it in my Gatorade or should I drink it with my protein shake?

It doesn't matter, take it however you'd like. The thread AfroPope shared should help you out.

[MentalistMan]

Loading creatine will lead to faster saturation, but it isn't necessary.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

loading is not necessary
3g-5g/day is all you need

[Farley1324]

Check the stickies.

Creatine monohydrate: 5 grams a day, every day, in any beverage, at any time of day, no loading, no cycling (unless you are one of the unfortunate few with GI distress from normal mono doses)


(5g a day is kind of on the higher side if you are a smaller lad like 160 range a mere 3g a day would be plenty)

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

in any beverage

and every now and then, when you want to make things more interesting, you can just down the dry powder and chase it down with a glass of water

srs

[Farley1324]

and every now and then, when you want to make things more interesting, you can just down the dry powder and chase it down with a glass of water

srs

Yup. Much better with creatine mono than with some other bulk supplements that's for sure

[Cheftepesh]

Read some of the stickies. The loading of creatine is not necessary. It just aids in increasing the speed of saturation.

[emergency]

3-5 g a day, never need to load.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

Much better with creatine mono than with some other bulk supplements that's for sure

agreed

[TheFugitive]

On training days only for this guy

[showjo1josh]

Definitely not necessary to load just take 5g creatine monohydrate and that will get the job done.

[RK42]

The only real advantage of loading is that you can tell more easily how much it helps you. If you simply start with the regular dose, which is mostly recommended these days, it will take a few weeks to accumulate in your body. Say you start on creatine this way, and make nice progress for the next month. You can't really be sure if you just had a good month of training, or how much the creatine helped. That's of course totally fine if you're already convinced that creatine will be useful for you, and that you will keep taking it.

I took creatine first a very long time ago. Back then, I simply followed the loading instructions on the tub. The nice thing was that I could clearly tell that it added about 1-2 reps to each set, because I got to see the effect within a few days.

When I started training again after doing nothing for way too long, and phased in creatine a few months later, I went without the loading. Just a regular dose every day. I already know now that, while it doesn't create any miracles, it has a useful effect for me.

[JacqueAttack]

My digestive system does not handle "loading dosages" of creatine well at all. As others have mentioned, its not necessary but could be helpful in achieving saturation quicker.

[fbcpastormk]

Creatine does not need to be "loaded"

[aekest]

No - research has primarily shown that you do not need to load.

Also THIS:

Check the stickies.

Creatine monohydrate: 5 grams a day, every day, in any beverage, at any time of day, no loading, no cycling (unless you are one of the unfortunate few with GI distress from normal mono doses)


(5g a day is kind of on the higher side if you are a smaller lad like 160 range a mere 3g a day would be plenty)