Creatine loading - Myth or Truth?

[typicals]

I am getting different answers when researching this topic. Does taking 20g everyday for 5-7 days and then 5g everyday afterwards actually work or is it a myth to waste your creatine? I know there are arguments that say creatine loading is if you want to speed up process of creatine storage. All I want to know is if it actually works (proven by science). If it does speed up the process, I don't mind creatine loading. But if it's a myth, please let me know!

[lsiberian]

5g everyday is plenty. I recommend cycling off for a week for blood tests to avoid false positives. Creatinine levels can be elevated in your blood serum from the norm.

[BS57]

I am getting different answers when researching this topic. Does taking 20g everyday for 5-7 days and then 5g everyday afterwards actually work or is it a myth to waste your creatine? I know there are arguments that say creatine loading is if you want to speed up process of creatine storage. All I want to know is if it actually works (proven by science). If it does speed up the process, I don't mind creatine loading. But if it's a myth, please let me know!

Have you looked at the top of the page?

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=173714091

[JustinP72]

I am getting different answers when researching this topic. Does taking 20g everyday for 5-7 days and then 5g everyday afterwards actually work or is it a myth to waste your creatine? I know there are arguments that say creatine loading is if you want to speed up process of creatine storage. All I want to know is if it actually works (proven by science). If it does speed up the process, I don't mind creatine loading. But if it's a myth, please let me know!

"Research shows that [loading] can effectively boost creatine stores by 10–40%" (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition...ase#what-it-is)

Considering creatine is dirt cheap (though going up in price as of recent) I would dose @ 20g for 5 days if I was starting to theoretically saturate the system as quick/soon as possible.

There are a lot of trash articles out there ("If you take high dosages of creatine for extended periods of time, it will have a negative effect on your health." https://www.exercise.com/learn/can-c...l-a-drug-test/) refuted by science ("These studies show that short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) is safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals and in a number of patient populations ranging from infants to the elderly." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996/) and it's hard to sift through the weeds, separating gold from garbage, but I think the HealthLine article covers it pretty well.

[smokinal]

Most say you don't have to. Creatine is so cheap though, why not?

I tried 20g per day before and it tore my stomach up. If I were to load again, I'd do 5g am and 5g pm for a week, then go to 5g per day

[TheFugitive]

There's no reason to load creatine in this day and age, and stop using monohydrate if you are. It's a poor form of creatine with so many issues

3 grams of HCl is all thats needed daily or on workout days if you train 4 + days per week

[showjo1josh]

Like said above creatine HCL is the way to go and SNS has a quality creatine HCL capsule or powder form supp.

[Brankov88]

I take 5 grams daily for 2 months, loading phase can cause stomach issues.

[Yates Row T]

No need to load but wont kill you. 3g of creatine daily is just fine. Dont waste money on hcl.

[Immichaelski]

When I was a teenager I had the powder and was taking tons of it not knowing wtf I was doing. I went from hitting dinksrs in the infield to home runs srs and I’ve sworn by it since

[showjo1josh]

When I was a teenager I had the powder and was taking tons of it not knowing wtf I was doing. I went from hitting dinksrs in the infield to home runs srs and I’ve sworn by it since

Is this Mark McGuire under cover?! jk It definitely has advantages in the sports world when taken!

[Brankov88]

If your stomach can handle it go for the loading phase for faster results but in general 5grams daily for 2 months is perfectly fine. Then take a break for a month.

[Yates Row T]

If your stomach can handle it go for the loading phase for faster results but in general 5grams daily for 2 months is perfectly fine. Then take a break for a month.

No reason to take a break other than preference

[TheHolyCannoli]

To add to what others have already stated, if you do decide to go with a loading phase of 10-20mg/day, there is absolutely nothing wrong with splitting that into 2-4 doses (or more) per day in an attempt to avoid the GI issues. Historically, my stomach doesn't like a 10mg dose and puts me in the bathroom within an hour, but I can do 5mg/4times per day with zero problems. With that said, 10mg+/day really doesn't need to be done for more than a week anyways.

[TheFugitive]

No need to load but wont kill you. 3g of creatine daily is just fine. Dont waste money on hcl.

So waste it on monohydrate?