Quote:
Originally Posted by ATinz  is it bad to stay on creatine for a long time or should you take it in phases? like 30 days on 7 off. i really dont think it will harm me to just stay on it but i needed to get some good feedback |
Crash course: Creatine 101
What is creatine?
It's a nonessential amino acid that occurs naturally in foods such as beef. It is a nonessential amino acid because our bodies can produce it. Most of the creatine, approximately 95%, is stored in our muscle cells.
How does it work?
To put it very simply, creatine allows your muscle cells to store more Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) than normal and to help
replenish ATP that has been used through exercise. So what is ATP? It's an energy-containing compound that is utilized for fast bursts of energy. For instance, ATP is utilized during lifting weights or sprinting. Creatine supplementation for one to two months has been shown to increase strength (5-15%), lean body mass (1-3%) and sprint performance (5-8%). The more ATP your body has, the more fuel for your muscles.
Creatine is also a muscle volumizer. It has been shown that creatine helps pull water into the muscle cells, giving a person a much fuller and tighter appearance. This explains the weight gain that many see while supplementing with creatine. The pumps one gets from a workout are also much better because of the extra water in the muscle cells.
Is creatine safe?
Creatine is one of the safest supplements you can take. There have been literally hundreds of studies done on creatine showing the safety of this supplement. There are very few reported side effects with creatine use. Drinking plenty of water, which one should be doing anyway, can minimize most of these.
There have been some anecdotal reports that claim athletes who train with creatine in hot or humid conditions experience severe muscle cramps. The cramps have been attributed to changes in the amount of water or salts in muscle. Studies have shown that the cramping is due to muscular fatigue and dehydration while training in heat. It is not related to creatine supplementation.
There have also been anecdotal reports from athletic trainers and coaches suggesting that creatine causes muscle strains and pulls. Out of all the studies done to date, not one has documented an increased risk of injury from creatine supplementation during training. This being the case, even though highly trained athletes have been studied during intense periods of training.
It is also important to note that creatine will not affect hormone levels. You will not have side effects like mood swings or bad skin.
How should one use creatine?
Loading phase 1 week: 10g creatine twice a day
5-7 weeks: 5g twice a day
Total cycle length, 6-8 weeks.
Off for 3-4 weeks, then start all over.
