Tips to Use Creatine for Muscle Growth – Dosage and Timing

29 Apr Tips to Use Creatine for Muscle Growth – Dosage and Timing

After a long search, you’ve finally found “THE ONE”. Yes, the creatine powder that ticks all of your boxes and offers to finally put a stopper at your unsuccessful bulking efforts. So, what do you do next? You go ahead and start slurping it down with heaped teaspoons.

But before you know it…

You are prepared to splurge your money on the next product because, well, this one doesn’t seem to work for you, AGAIN! WHAT A BUMMER!

Do you realize that this is the perfect “lose-lose” situation for you?

Buying creatine powder one after another without actually knowing how to put it to good use might even strike off some really good creatine supplements from your list. In fact, you should know how to use creatine for muscle growth before ever buying it.

The instructions to use a creatine supplement might also vary, depending on your individual needs, and you need to account for that too. Not to mention, both the effectiveness of creatine and any health risks associated with it depend largely on how a person is taking it.

As creatine is one of the most researched and consumed supplements by athletes, using it properly is guaranteed to show results. And if you’re also planning on using it, you will be ecstatic to know that it is the most common muscle-building supplement used by the bodybuilding community. Apart from providing muscle gains, creatine is also proven to show results in improving anaerobic capacity in athletes.

It is, potentially, a safe as well as cheaper option for those who want to increase their performance and physical health. Knowing the right use of your creatine supplement can very well change your results.

So, while you might be taking pride in your choice of product, hold on a minute and just go through this guide before you make another serious buying mistake.

How to Use Creatine for Muscle Growth? Quick Tips

This one is a highly queried topic on the internet. The entire section describes the different pointers to correctly consume it and get the best out of your workout performance. Let’s begin with the most important consideration:

#1. Correct Dosage

The most important factor of creatine usage is how much you take it and whether it is enough. Hence, it is also natural to wonder how much creatine should I take. 

Many people take only about 1 or 2 grams of creatine per day and then complain about not seeing any results.

Well, this much creatine dosage is just not sufficient enough to gain any muscle. Instead, it is suggested by experts to take a standard dosage of 5 grams per day to see the best results.

However, research also proves that a minimum of 3 grams of creatine dosage per day is as effective as a higher dose. As a result, it should be enough to start seeing muscle gains and enhance your strength. Hence, if 5 grams seems to be too much for ya, you can reduce it to 3 grams per day.

#2. Maintain Consistency

Creatine supplementation works optimally by increasing the absorption of overall creatine in the muscles. This eventually aids in increasing muscle mass and also enhances your performance. 

Hence, if you want faster and more effective results, you need to be consistent with your creatine dosage. It doesn’t matter what time you take creatine or if you take it before or after workouts. The only thing which matters is that you remain consistent. 

Furthermore, there are two methods that will help you with sticking to your creatine supplementation. The first one is that you continue taking 5g dosages of creatine for up to several weeks, till you begin seeing results.

Or, you can go on with the second option which is Creatine loading. Here you are needed to take high doses of creatine of about 20g per day, for a week. Then, you reduce the dosage to 3g to 5g per day once your muscles are saturated.

#3. Go for Micronized Creatine

Creatine is generally not well soluble in water. No matter how hard you try, it just doesn’t dissolve properly in the shaker. This is why you’re often told to mix creatine in water and drink it as quickly as you can.

However, experts suggest that you should skip the liquid creatine and pills too if you’re not a fan. Instead, you should go for micronized creatine. This type of creatine is broken down into finer crystals, whose larger surface area makes absorption easier and increases its solubility in water.

These were some crucial tips that will help you reap the best results out of your creatine supplement. Make sure to always test your supplement against these, to stay on the safe side.

However, if you want faster results, you should consider Creatine loading, which is saturating your muscles with creatine. Check out the next section to learn more about it and decide if you need to use creatine this way for enough muscle growth.

Creatine Loading – What Is It and Should You Follow It?

The Creatine Loading phase is a process of taking high amounts of creatine for a few days (divided into servings) when you start on the supplementation. This helps to enhance the absorption of creatine in the muscle and lets you see the results much sooner.

Generally, creatine is taken in increased amounts for up to a week from when you start. Experts suggest 20g of creatine is the best amount to start loading. It takes around a week for the muscles to saturate and begin showing results. 

After a week, eventually, reduce the dosage of creatine to 3g to 5g per day. Loading is the quickest way to reap the maximum creatine benefits of the supplement.

Moreover, there is a huge amount of research that backs up the benefits and safety of creatine loading. Here are some points that assure you that it maximizes bodybuilding results.

• The loading phase pumps up the creatine into your muscles.
• Creatine loading effectively maximizes the creatine stores in your body.
• It gives guaranteed injury prevention, as people on creatine loading are less prone to muscle tightness or strains. 
• Muscle strength is another benefit of creatine loading, which is legit. 
• Creatine loading provides increased stamina and improved performance for high-intensity workouts. 

Therefore, if you are thinking of considering creatine loading for super-fast results, you can go for it.

But, on the other side of the spectrum, it’s not really necessary, and deciding on it depends a lot on your expectations.

First, know that it is always possible to saturate your muscles and reach desired bodybuilding goals without loading too.

Second, you are on 7 days vs 30 days equation here. If you really want to expedite your results, go for creatine loading. But if you’re okay to wait for some weeks longer, taking 3-5 grams is more than enough for consistent results week in, and week out.

Plus, creatine loading may not necessarily be for those who already have gut issues, because, my friend, the loading phase can introduce you to some unpleasant bathroom trips. Stomach cramps and bloating are some of the common complaints. But that definitely doesn’t mean you cannot give creatine loading a try, given you want faster results. So, just weigh in the pros and cons and decide for yourself, eh!

What is the Best Time to Use Creatine?

There remains a debate on when to ideally take creatine supplements for better results. Many people argue that it doesn’t matter what time of the day you take creatine, it works just fine. According to them, you can take creatine whenever you want—morning, noon, or evening. 

However, experts’ suggestions contradict this idea. Some say that if taken before exercise, it works well due to its performance-enhancing abilities. On the other hand, some believe that if taken afterward, it shows better results as it promotes recovery and muscle growth.

Just take your creatine dose close to the exercise time, and you should be fine.

Also, it is recommended that even if you are resting, you should not stop taking creatine if you want the desired muscle growth results. Once you start on it, it is necessary that you remain consistent and do not skip the dosage.

Do I Have to Make Diet Changes When Taking Creatine?

The diet-related worries are often based on the fear of gaining fat while on creatine. Well, for you to gain fat, you’ll have to consume more calories than you burn in a day. However, in a normal 3g dosage of creatine, there is very little of it, which poses no threat of gaining weight. 

Moreover, maintaining a healthy diet helps in staying away from fat gain during creatine usage. Also, if you want to gain muscle, always make sure that you do not unnecessarily restrict your diet. Cutting major food groups off your diet can cause you to lose muscle, which no one wants. 

Nevertheless, if you do high-intensity training, you tend to lose the stored creatine. Hence, to avoid creatine drainage from the body, you must include rich meat and fish in your daily diet. This will help in refueling the body’s need for creatine.

As for the need to take creatine with food, there’s no need for you to worry much about it, either. Just take it with your usual carb and protein meal.

Many people take it on an empty stomach too and have never faced an issue. But taking creatine with food can also help some people avoid abdominal discomfort or cramping.

What you should also be focusing on is taking creatine with some protein and carbs and taking it with a meal that you were already used to before starting the supplementation. Planning a meal specifically for taking creatine might, in fact, add a lot of extra calories to your diet.

Still, if you’re just fussy like me and want to plan a brand-new meal, just try to consider the calorie count it adds to your daily diet.

Here’s one more tip for you, mate—whether you’re making big changes to your diet or not, you do need to stay hydrated. Proper hydration while taking creatine is of utmost importance to avoid muscle cramping.

Creatine is going to pull water from your bloodstream to power up those muscles. So, water definitely shouldn’t be in short supply. In fact, I have seen some big brands make creatine formulas that are already high in hydration with added electrolytes (one example is Ultimate CRN-5). Guess these manufacturers are going the extra mile for us, eh!

Wait! Did I tell you about the different types you are going to be choosing from, yet?

The Type of Creatine You Choose Also Matters

The primary factor which you should consider before starting any creatine supplementation is whether it is right for you. There is an abundance of creatine supplements on the market. 

People often search for the best creatine for muscle growth and choose the one with the highest ratings. However, almost all of them come with some kind of booster that helps absorb it well into the body.

A systematic review conducted in 2021 declared that there are exactly 8 kinds of creatine, as mentioned below.

• Creatine Monohydrate
• Creatine gluconate
• Creatine citrate
• Liquid creatine
• Creatine nitrate
• Micronized creatine
• Buffered creatine
• Ethyl ester malate

Research has led us to believe that out of all these forms of creatine, creatine monohydrate is the best-suited form. It is the most affordable as well as one of the most absorbable forms of creatine sold today.

If you want the best results for yourself, make sure you choose the right kind of creatine as it will help boost lean mass and strength.

Can I Overdose on Creatine and What are the Effects?

It is absolutely fine to spend hours trying to find out how much creatine to take for muscle growth, but it’s not fine to take too much creatine and regret it later. Sometimes, people are too eager to get faster results that the only way they can think of is taking too much creatine.

Well, your body can only store so much creatine, depending on the creatine content already present in the muscle cells. This means, even if you take excess creatine, you won’t gain any extra muscle.

Creatine is generally safe, as long as it is taken in appropriate amounts. It doesn’t matter how much creatine per day goes into your body. But if you overdose on creatine constantly as a force of habit, you might have to face some side effects, starting from stomach issues.

 Here is a list of some common side effects of continuous and recurrent creatine overdose:

• Liver problems
• Kidney damage
• Kidney stones

Apart from these, there could be other risks to your health if you take excessive amounts of creatine. Hence, you must stick to normal dosages and avoid overdosing on it completely.

Final Take

There’s a lot that goes into reaping the benefits of creatine supplementation. Creatine is one of the most popularly consumed supplements among bodybuilders. It not only enhances an athlete’s performance but also increases muscle mass, giving a bigger and bulkier body.

However, just starting on any supplementation is not wise. There are a lot of factors that you need to consider before consuming any product. Hence, for that purpose, this blog contains detailed information on the different pointers to consider before selecting a creatine supplement.

Just follow the dosages and timings to take creatine. This will help you to enjoy the maximum benefits of your supplement, that too without any side effects. 

Now that you know how to use creatine for muscle growth, go ahead and start your search for “the one”. I hope this helps you in the selection and consumption of the right supplement for you. Do let me know of your choices and if you need any advice.