firestorm

Below is information regarding Creatine Monohydrate to help people understand what it is, how to take it and why to take if or if it is right for you.

firestorm

HOW MUCH CREATINE AND WHEN DO YOU TAKE IT:

First of all, do not oversupplement!

Secondly, no single creatine dose is right for everyone. The creatine dose you choose depends on your weight, percent body fat, fitness goals, and the type and intensity of training.

Finally, as of yet, creatine doses have not been independently optimized for women, should this be necessary.

Typical doses for pure creatine monohydrate cited in scientific studies range between 2-25 grams per day for an average sized male (70 kilograms/154 pounds). If, however, your particular creatine product contains additives the recommended serving size would be accordingly greater. Read the label carefully.

As far as creatine is concerned, more isn't necessarily better. The actual amount of creatine monohydrate taken in a single day should not exceed 25 grams for an average framed male. How to accurately choose your creatine dose is described below.

firestorm

Calculating your creatine dose:

Creatine supplementation is typically divided into three stages, loading, maintenance and wash-out. These are described in more detail below.

Loading: For the first few days of supplementation take no more than 0.3 grams of creatine per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. Divide this amount into four equal parts. Take one part every four hours. This is known as the loading phase. Loading for more than five days consecutively is most likely a waste of creatine and cash!

Maintenance: Afterwards, the creatine dose can be reduced to just a few grams (0.03grams/kilogram body weight) a day for no longer than one month. This is known as the maintenance phase. The maintenance amount just needs to replace the amount of creatine degraded on a daily basis.

Practical terms: A 154 pound person would take 21 grams of creatine per day during the loading phase and 2 grams per day during the maintenance phase. [Refer to Table (below)]



Creatine Dose
(/day)


WEIGHT:
Pounds 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
Kilogram 45.4 50.0 54.5 59.0 63.6 68.2 72.7 77.2 81.8 86.3 90.9

DOSEapprox grams)

Loading 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 25 26 27

Maint. 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7

Below your weight is your corresponding creatine dose


When to Supplement: I recommend that you supplement immediately following your workout. This is when the metabolic state of your muscles is most receptive to absorbing creatine from the blood.

Wash out: Following the loading and maintenance phases, a washout period is advised. Such a lay off period allows the body to recover from abnormally high creatine levels that it normally wouldn't encounter. One month is typically advised for complete wash out.

Periodize: The cycling between loading, maintenance, wash out and subsequent loading has been termed periodizing in the fitness literature.

IS LOADING NECESSARY? A loading phase MAY NOT be absolutely required. As little as 3 grams of creatine a day for a few weeks has been shown to increase muscle creatine levels sufficiently to detect a difference in physical performance.

Serum, Micronized, or Effervescent Creatines? The previously discussed guidelines were originally formulated for powdered creatine monohydrate. You'll need to refer to the manufacturer's recommendations for other forms of creatine monohydrate. Click here for information about various other creatine products. Here you can search for creatine serum, micronized creatine, effervescent creatine etc and get the manufacturer's recommendations.

HOW DOES CREATINE CAUSE MUSCLE GROWTH?

Creatine may enhance muscle growth through two possible mechanism. These are outlined below.

Muscle Volumizing: The first involves the movement of fluids from the blood stream into skeletal muscle, causing our muscles to swell. This process has been termed volumizing in the scientific literature. This phase of muscle growth can account for as much as 1-2 kilograms of additional body mass within the first few weeks of supplementation.

Protein Synthesis: The second form of muscle growth involves creatine's ability to increase exercise capacity. Since creatine allows us to exercise more intensely, it should then be possible to develop muscle mass more rapidly.

Furthermore, some studies also suggest that muscle volumizing per se stimulates muscle protein synthesis.

IS IT NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TAKING CREATINE TO STAY STRONG?

Unfortunately, some of your gains in strength will disappear after you stop taking creatine. This is inevitable and will take about one month. This is the time it takes for your muscle creatine levels to return to normal. However, since creatine supplementation allows one to exercise harder, which is the best stimulus for muscle growth, some gains in strength may persist after stopping creatine. In support of this notion, biochemical indicators of protein synthesis increase in response to creatine use, possibly indicating more muscle proteins are being produced.

However, there is no magic pill for building muscle. Even if supplementing with creatine, your muscles won't grow without proper nutrition and sensible exercise.

firestorm

Above information provided by creatinemonohydrate.net.