As one of the most well-researched nutrients ‒ there are thousands of peer-reviewed scientific publications about it dating back to the early 1900s ‒ chances are you’ve heard of creatine. But in case you haven’t, or your need a quick refresher on what it is, we’ve got you covered!

Creatine is an amino acid found in various foods, such as meat, fish, milk, and eggs. Many individuals choose to supplement with creatine for convenience, calories, and macronutrient reasons – 2.4 pounds of fresh, uncooked steak provide the same five grams of creatine that one scoop of creatine supplementation can supply.1 

If the phrase “creatine supplementation” brings to your mind the image of a serious athlete, then you aren’t alone. But creatine also supports multiple body systems that require significant amounts of energy to perform or maintain homeostasis.*

For example, creatine supports the brain by providing cognitive function support.* It also helps maintain skeletal muscle strength, mass, structure, and function, as well as bone strength and cellular hydration.* Therefore, individuals of all sexes, ages, and life stages can consume creatine for optimal aging support, precision in women’s health, improved athletic performance outcomes, and those looking to round out a plant-based diet.*

How to cycle creatine

Ever heard of creatine cycling? Although its benefits are primarily for athletes, it refers to the timing and amount of creatine consumption. Let’s break down the process and explore how it can benefit you.

Creatine cycling is taking higher and lower amounts of creatine over a cyclical period of two or three months, with the goal of maintaining increased levels of creatine in the muscle while maximizing creatine uptake into the muscle and muscle saturation. Saturating stores in the muscle is known to help energy production to support muscle mass gains, reduce muscle breakdown, improve strength and power output, and increase performance during high-intensity exercise.* 

One common creatine cycle looks like this:

It starts with a loading phase of high amounts of creatine, usually 5-7 days with a high dose of 20-30 grams daily. This amount is typically split into four 5-gram doses during the day with 2-4 hours between doses. Depending on what you consume it with, the time it takes to reach peak creatine level in the bloodstream falls somewhere in that window. This loading phase goal is to increase total muscular creatine content by as much as 20 percent.1

When paired with an appropriate periodized training program, the creatine is believed to have increased delivery and uptake into the muscles, resulting in greater retention and metabolization of the nutrients in exercised muscles.2 Therefore, consuming a pre-exercise or mid-exercise amount can increase creatine uptake. The theory is that peak creatine uptake timing would occur during exercise while there is peak muscle blood flow, supporting its optimal absorption.3  

After the loading phase comes the maintenance phase. For 4-6 weeks, the daily dose drops down to 3-5 grams, which can be consumed in one serving. The maintenance phase dose helps maintain the high muscle creatine stores achieved during the loading phase.

After the maintenance phase, the cycle’s final 2-4 weeks is typically a rest phase. This phase should be personalized because not everyone needs a full 28 days off. In this phase, some individuals will consume no creatine or a very low amount (1 gram daily), allowing the body to optimize or speed up its ability for absorption, utilization, and overall effectiveness of the supplement when the loading phase begins again.

Individuals who creatine cycle will start again with the loading phase and repeat. 

For those who don’t want to load and cycle, the most popular supplement protocol is consuming a lower absolute amount or weight-dependent amount. Research shows that 0.03 grams per pound body weight or a standard 3-5 grams daily for 28 days can lead to similar increases of creatine in the muscles.1 Similarly, it can help enhance resistance to muscular fatigue without weight changes, including body mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, and total body water,4* making the consistent, lower daily amount regimen popular with many. 

What are the cons of creatine cycling?

There aren’t many cons of regularly consuming creatine. However, there is mixed research suggesting creatine loading might result in early water retention in the muscles, which can increase total body water and intracellular water volume levels in some individuals.5 Note that this might increase body mass, the number seen on a scale, and subsequently support an increase in fat-free mass over the cycle. 

Some might notice a change in blood creatinine level, typically a biomarker that reflects kidney function, but don’t worry – the amount of creatinine in blood is related to muscle mass and reflects dietary creatine and creatinine intake. A similar pattern of elevated creatinine in the urine can result from creatine intake, too. Despite changes in blood or urine, healthy individuals consuming the researched amounts of creatine should not experience side effects or kidney issues, according to research.5 However, anyone with pre-existing kidney disease, taking certain prescription medications, taking concomitant supplement ingestion, taking inappropriate creatine amounts, or engaging in anabolic steroid use should consult with their health-care professional before doing creatine loading. 

The takeaway

Creatine cycling is most popular among athletes who partake in sports with weight cutting. The practice can help an athlete meet a short-term weight goal while maximizing training and performance benefits. Many individuals who creatine cycle will adopt their own protocol based on how their body feels, looks, and performs during each phase.

Although creatine cycling might not be necessary to help you meet your specific health goals, supplementing with creatine can support your training and everyday maintenance.* Consider Thorne’s Creatine, a high-quality formula that is NSF Certified for Sport®.

References

  1. Harris RC, Söderlund K, Hultman E. Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clin Sci 1992;83(3):367-374.
  2. Roberts PA, Fox J, Peirce N, et al. Creatine ingestion augments dietary carbohydrate mediated muscle glycogen supercompensation during the initial 24 h of recovery following prolonged exhaustive exercise in humans. Amino Acids 2016;48(8):1831-1842.
  3. Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al. Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: A real concern? Nutrients 2021;13(8). doi:10.3390/nu13082844
  4. Rawson ES, Stec MJ, Frederickson SJ, Miles MP. Low-dose creatine supplementation enhances fatigue resistance in the absence of weight gain. Nutrition 2011;27(4):451-455.
  5. Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021;18(1):13.