How much Creatine should I take per day?
Some clinical studies use a loading phase - where you consume a much higher dose of creatine - say 20-25 grams/day - for a period of a week or so, after which you drop the dose down to a much lower level - about 5 grams/day. The loading dose is critical for relatively short term critical studies, since muscle saturation of creatine must be achieved as quickly as possible to yield quantitive results.However, in everyday life, where you don't need to obtain muscle saturation quickly, you can skip the loading phase and take 5 grams per day. For maximum absorption, studies show that you'll want to combine your creatine with either protein or a protein / carbohydrate combination. Adding it to your post workout shake would be ideal.
How many grams of creatine should I take a day?
5 grams seems pretty standard. Creatine has been proven to be a pretty safe supplement for several decades. Creatine phosphate is part of the Krebs cycle. There doesn’t seem to be sufficient evidence that “loading” with more than that for a short period has any benefit. Creatine bonds to hydrogen molecules. This is why it can cause dehydration if your water intake is insufficient. Just drink enough water, and you won't have to worry about losing water from places you don't want to, like your interstitial fluid. As a type 1 diabetic, I have used creatine for 14 years. Straight. I've had no problems with my kidney function or BUN. It will give you slightly better recovery time and slightly better performance in the gym
How much creatine do I need a day to get big?
5 grams per day, even rest days, is the standard recommendation. If you're just starting out you can increase that to 20 grams for the initial 4-6 days, to shorten the time it takes to saturate your muscles.I recently wrote extensively about all the whats and buts and ifs of creatine and I recommend you read that if you're interested.As for when to take it, Piyush Kumar Merwal is right that it works anytime of the day. However, Jacob Damen is also correct in his recommendation to take the creatine right after training. There's a study from 2013[1] that shows, not a significant difference, but a trend that supplementing post-training is slightly better.Footnotes[1] The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.
Is it better to take creatine before or after a workout and why?
Don’t take creatine with caffeine.If you’re taking creatine with caffeine, you’re essentially flushing your money down the drain.Creatine is a water soluble molecule. This is why creatine manufacturers will suspend the creatine in a “water cloud” essentially a hydrophobic medium that allows the creatine to be metabolized instead of passed right through your body before it can be utilized.Now, caffeine by nature is a diuretic. This means it flushes water out of your system. So, by taking caffeine you’re increasing the rate at which stuff passes through your system. If you take creatine with caffeine you’re pushing it through your system way before it can be utilized.So, to answer your question; I’d say take creatine ANY TIME except with caffeine (Usually about 2 hours after taking any form of caffeine).Here are times to avoid it:Avoid taking it first thing in the morning if you drink coffee.Avoid taking it before the gym if you take a PRE-WORKOUT (containing caffeine)The best time to take creatine is when you’ve spiked your insulin. The reasoning here is insulin is the pathway into the cells, so if you take it after a meal you’re bringing in the creatine (which helps hydrate the cell and assists in the production of ATP - the energy required for the cell to function).To recap:Don’t take creatine with caffeine - Pre workouts contain CaffeineDon’t take creatine in the morning - If you are a coffee drinkerTake creatine when you’ve spiked your insulin - Usually after your first meal…or with a post-workout.Now, with that, there are many different forms of creatine on the market. Which is best? Well, that’s an answer to another topic…I take Creatine HCl.I hope the best for you!
I smoked approximately 1 gram of cannabis a day for a year and stopped 5 days ago. Am I classed as a heavy smoker?
Well.. if you are a heavy smoker I’m afraid to know what I am.I’d say you were an average stoner for a year now you quit.I’ve had periods of smoking 5g a day and I’ve smoked for 7 years and I’d say I’m a stoner, yet some other guy will have smoked 10g/day for 20 years who’d call me a newb.It’s relative.Why do you care what label you get though?
Are two teaspoons of creatine a day enough for my loading phase? I took one teaspoon post and pre-workout.
When you take supplements that are in powder form compared to capsule, it will only benefit you to purchase an electronic scale that measures grams (the more precise the better…down to the milligram). The reason is because teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, etc. are all estimates You can have heaping amounts or just below level, so what I mean is it may or may not be the right amount. With a scale you will always have the precise measurement.Now, down to the creatine business. When you’re in the loading phase, you should be getting 20 - 25 grams per day for 5 days. Break these up at 5 gram intervals spread out throughout the day. Once you’re out of this phase it really doesn’t matter when you take the stuff. The only thing that matters is you shouldn’t take creatine within 2 hours of taking any form of caffeine. The reasoning behind this is since creatine is readily filtered through the kidneys you need to be taking it with a lot of water because the water creates a barrier around the creatine molecule that prevents it from being filtered out. I leave it next to my bed and take it before I got to sleep because that’s the only time during the day that I’m guaranteed not to have had caffeine!Hope this info is helpful!
Will creatine help build abs?
Creatine will only make you retain water for a more bulky or boated look. Your abs are already there. You just have to shed the fat on top of them to see it. Doing more cardio and eating right is the best way to make that happen. You can't perfect one spot on your body without affecting the other parts. Focus on more cardio and change up your routines so you don't plateau. No Sugars No Bad Fats (Fast Foods) No Bad Carbs (White Rice, White Bread, Starches etc.)
If I take whey protein and only do push-ups, crunches, and sit-ups, is it okay to take protein?
It is very good that you have decided to be active and have made a decision to exercise. Any bit of exercise is better than no exercise at all.Firstly, you should keep in mind that nowadays whey protein is considered more of a dietary supplement as opposed to a body building supplement. Even people not working out do consume it. Athletes into sports like tennis, football also consume this to meet the body’s daily protein requirement.Taking a protein is only the first step of improving the diet and taking it does not magically give you great muscles, as many people still believe.You can take this safely, there is no harm.Regulars at the gym take it just after their workout as it helps to repair the muscles after the intense workout. Taking it within an hour (window) helps the body to absorb/utilize it faster and better. Since it seems you are not looking for intense sessions, this reason is not applicable to you and you may take it any time of the day, if at all you take it.The question just arises whether you should take it.Here is an example which will help you figure out :Our subject : A moderately active male weighing 73 kgs, 170 cm tall and trying to loose weight.His daily calorie requirement for loosing weight should be about 2000 calories a day. This is assuming he would burn around 500 calories daily via some sort of exercise.He needs about 150 gms of protein per day to loose weight in a healthy manner over time.Here is how you decide :Keep a track of all the macros you eat and if you can somehow manage the protein requirement, you do not need the whey protein shake. For vegetarian people, hitting that number is a tough thing. I am an eggetarian and still struggle to hit my daily protein target naturally.You should not only focus on protein but keep the carbs and fat in check too.Hope this helps. Thanks for the A2A.