How much creatine do you actually need?
What the research found, how to do it, and every source the episode cites.
The verdict
Make it a habit.
- When
- you wake up
- Then
- take 3 grams
§ 01 · The protocol
§ 02 · Transcript
- The question
How much creatine do you actually need?
- How it works
Your muscles keep a small fuel reserve for sprints and heavy sets. Creatine fills it up, by about twenty percent.
- The research
In the lab, three grams a day filled it as much as a twenty gram loading phase. The same rise, just slower.
- The protocol
So, if you're an adult who trains hard, take three grams of creatine monohydrate a day. Skip the loading phase.
- The catch
Here's the catch. At three grams, your stores take about four weeks to fill. Stop early, and they never do.
- The verdict
Keep at it, and creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. So make it a habit, and track it with Anvilus, on the App Store.
§ 03 · In the sources' words
“Creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”
“creatine accumulation in muscle was similar (~ 20% increase) after participants consumed 3 g/day for 28 days or 20 g/day for 6 days [35]. Thus, it is currently recommended that individuals consume ~3-5 g/day of creatine for a minimum of 4 weeks in order to experience similar skeletal muscle saturation levels.”
“There is no compelling scientific evidence that the short- or long-term use of creatine monohydrate (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) has any detrimental effects on otherwise healthy individuals”
§ 04 · Sources
- Kreider RB et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017;14:18
- Antonio J et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021;18:13
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