Creatine Loading
Creatine is a natural nutrient found in our bodies. Most of the needs of creatine of the human body can be fulfilled through a balanced diet. However, bodybuilders, athletes and a vast majority of individuals following a fitness regime, resort to creatine supplements because it has proven to increase body mass and lean muscle formation, in a very short span of time.
Creatine is available in several forms in the market – phosphate, citrate and monohydrate. Among these, the most popular form of creatine is the monohydrate. Nearly all successful clinical trials have been on this form of creatine. It should be taken with a non – acidic drink. This is because creatine converts to creatinine in an acidic environment. Grape juice is highly recommended as a drink to accompany creatine ingestion. It is also okay to mix creatine with other proteins.
Users usually cycle the dosage of creatine over a period, to achieve maximum results. Users generally start with a high dosage – called the Loading dose, which continues for a week. This is followed by the maintenance dose for a month, during which users lower their dosage substantially. To complete the cycle, the users then stay off from creatine for a week and then start to load again. The Loading phase is very critical. The body is unused to higher amounts of creatine in the body, thus users prefer to ‘load’ creatine in their body to maximize results. Users generally take around 15 – 20 grams of creatine before or after workout during the loading phase. This is continued for a week during which the body is given a chance to acclimatize to the excess creatine within the body.
Dosage has been a bone of contention among users. “How much is enough?” – is a frequently asked question. Critics of creatine have suggested that the loading phase is not only harmful for the body, it is useless as well. An average person weigh 150 lbs has the ability to manufacture around 120 grams of creatine, and uses up around 2 grams in daily pursuits. They argue that, since creatine is naturally produced within the body, the body has a limited tolerance for excess creatine, which is thus stored as fat or excreted through urination, which results in wastage of creatine. Critics also suggest that the in the loading phase, dosage should be limited to 5 – 10 grams for a week, for optimum results, which should be followed by a lower dosage. One should keep in mind that not everyone reacts to creatine in the same way. Users having less creatine in the body, like vegetarians, show a quicker and more perceptible reaction to creatine. Meat eaters, who have presence of creatine in their body in comparatively larger quantities, will have a slower reaction. This should not lead the latter group to take higher dosages of creatine.
Critics of creatine have suggested that the loading phase is not only harmful for the body, it is useless as well. An average person weigh 150 lbs has the ability to manufacture around 120 grams of creatine, and uses up around 2 grams of creatine in daily pursuits. They argue that, since creatine is naturally produced within the body, the body has a limited tolerance for excess creatine, which is thus stored as fat or excreted through urination, which results in wastage of creatine. Critics suggest that the in the Loading phase, dosage should be limited to 5 – 10 grams for a week, for optimum results, which should be followed by a lower dosage.