How to start creatine: do you need to load?
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Written by: Hirotsugu YoshimuraReviewed by: Tomonobu Someda
So how should you actually start taking creatine?
Just take 3–5 g every day. If you want faster saturation, you can load for the first 5–7 days, but it's optional.
3–5 g every day is the baseline
Creatine works by filling your body's stores. Taking 3–5 g daily saturates them in about 3–4 weeks. Timing within the day doesn't matter much.
- 3–5 g
- Daily maintenance dose
- 3–4 weeks
- Time to saturate without loading
Loading is for those in a hurry
Taking 5 g four times a day for 5–7 days saturates stores within days. It's useful if you want faster effects, but it isn't required, and some people get GI discomfort even when splitting doses.
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Published:
Written by
Hirotsugu YoshimuraFounder of BODYDATA / CEO of INVOLVE
I don't pick things because they "seem good." I check the data first, then test it with my own body.
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Reviewed by: Tomonobu Someda
Content reviewed from the perspective of coaching practice and supplement-industry experience
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