Cycling Creatine?

[MuscleHead]

Who here cycles their Creatine use? Is it useful to cycle or not? And does the little light switch off in the fridge when you close the door?

[Pete]

I was about to ask a similar question.

I'm using creatine as part of a recovery stack - so I have a dose of 5g after each of my four weekly workouts. Do I need to cycle with a regime like this where the body gets Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday without creatine?

[Flamer]

For loading take 1tsp (5g) 4-6 times a day for 7-10

days. Follow with maintenance of 1tsp (5g) 1-2

times a day for 4-6 weeks. Finish cycle with 2-4

weeks of taking NO Creatine. Repeat the cycle

from beginning.

Just cut & pasted from a suppliers web page. Didn't the products you purchased come with useage directions?

[MuscleHead]

For loading take 1tsp (5g) 4-6 times a day for 7-10

days. Follow with maintenance of 1tsp (5g) 1-2

times a day for 4-6 weeks. Finish cycle with 2-4

weeks of taking NO Creatine. Repeat the cycle

from beginning.

Just cut & pasted from a suppliers web page. Didn't the products you purchased come with useage directions?

I've read a lot of different views online whether to cycle or not. Some say 'yay' and others 'nay.' I've been on for 4mths and I still grow in strength with every workout.

[Pete]

How's the strength of your kidneys though? That's the problem..

[Flamer]

Creatine cycling involves a creatine loading phase, a maintenance phase and a "no creatine" phase. The theory behind creatine cycling is that you prevent your body from getting use to it. The idea is that over time, your body may not respond to creatine, thereby making creatine supplementation useless.

There does seem to be some evidence to support this theory as weight gains from creatine supplementation seem to taper off for most people after a few weeks of taking creatine. Even if this theory is false, creatine cycling still seems like a good idea since the effects of long-term use of creatine supplementation have yet to be determined

There are many variations of creatine cycling. One creatine cycle may work better for you than another. There are several different creatine cycles that bodybuilders follow - all very different from one another. There are some that don't support creatine cycling at all. They feel that creatine is completely harmless and can be taken all the time. However, most athletes do cycle. You need to make the decision yourself and do what you think is best. Moderation is the key with any supplements.

[I try]

I use 180 tablet container of NFS Kre-alkalyn, take 1-2 weeks off then start again. Highly recommend Kre-alkalyn, no loading needed, good strength gains. You could use a test-booster whilst cycling off creatine if you're not already, or maybe ZMA.

[Hennie]

I load mono, thereafter use on workout days as you deplete ATP more on workouts. Guess its about time to cycle it.

[Old Bull]

I have and quite a few in The House that do Pl just do the loading phase for six weeks, up to a comp then break.

We now use Kre-alkalyn, no loading.

[MuscleHead]

Once you stop creatine use for 2-3 weeks do you again do the loading phase when you go back on a cycle? The loading phase is the worst part I find.

[Hennie]

Once you stop creatine use for 2-3 weeks do you again do the loading phase when you go back on a cycle? The loading phase is the worst part I find.

I usually do, its also expensive to load

[Flex]

Creatine cycling involves a creatine loading phase, a maintenance phase and a "no creatine" phase. The theory behind creatine cycling is that you prevent your body from getting use to it. The idea is that over time, your body may not respond to creatine, thereby making creatine supplementation useless.

Hmmm, interesting theory but no that's not really the reason - your body produces creatine every day on it's own - it can't really used to it as it's always had it and always will. The main reason a cycle is recommended is to try and help with reducing creatinine levels. Essentially by having increased creatine levels in the body, and through the muscles use of ATP during weight training, creatinine is produced as a by product of the ATP regeneration. The theory is that after 6-8 weeks, creatinine levels may be getting to a level that might not be too healthy and so by having a break - anything from 1-4 weeks, this should allow the body to flush out the creatinine.

The reason results may seem to taper off after 4 weeks or so is that the body has reached saturation point. The initial water weight gained through the creatine transporting into the muscle cells will slow down and thus most guys will think results have stopped. It's still working for you only it doesn't seem to have such a profound effect. If you use your car as an analogy, you can liken it to running your car on 91 octane gas, then each day adding 1/2 a liter of race fuel to your gas tank. It will get more powerful each day, and after two weeks once your tank is full of race gas you'll be at full power. But then your car stops getting faster each day - has the fuel stopped working? No, so would you stop using race gas and go back to 91? I don't think so.

A 6-8 week cycle often corresponds well with a mass gaining phase or particular training program so normally it's a matter of working out a creatine cycle that fits your training. You'd want to use it for at least 3 or 4 weeks to really get benefits from it but then you could use it continuously if you choose to. If you go to your doctor regularly then you could get your creatinine levels checked at every visit to be on the safe side. If you're using creatine and you're on the sauce you probably want to do this anyway no matter how long/short your cycles are.

[biggurl27]

I use 180 tablet container of NFS Kre-alkalyn, take 1-2 weeks off then start again. Highly recommend Kre-alkalyn, no loading needed, good strength gains. You could use a test-booster whilst cycling off creatine if you're not already, or maybe ZMA.

I had NFS kre-alkalyn too. 1 month worth continuous 6 per day. Now not on, won't take again now for 9 weeks just until comps finished. Although it states no fluid retention like your standard mono, I'm not convinced. Could probably take it up to 2 weeks prior to comp, but just not bothering. If I wasn't competing I would do 1 month on 2 weeks off.

[weener lad]

Up until recently I used NFS Kre-Alk for about 2 years always cycled off for 2 weeks after finishing a 180 container and never had any fluid retention problems. I have now switch to EFX Kre-Alk which is far better value for money when shipped into the country. Funny thing is is that the pills are identical to the NFS kre-alk. Not sure if that means NFS are just shipping it in bulk, repacking and ripping us! Thats my conspiracy theory anyway :pfft:

[Luigi]

tryd a few creatines and im not a great responder to them

i seem to get very bad skin while on it especially upper back/face friends who use it also get this problem

also find i get very bloated.... but with little strength gain from it plus it makes me generally feel like shit... but enough with my rant

nfs-kre-alkalyn:found this to be the safest form - as in no loading and it dosnt make you feel crap and had little sides from it, also increased appetite 23%

gaspari-sizeon:this was the last one i took, saw some good size gains from it (5kgs) but that may have just been diet, little strength gains... was odd - some days id take it(says to drink while training) and itd make me feel sweaty and faint and id end up cutting a workout short, yet other days itd make me full of energy and stronger too

musashi-creatine mono:this was the worst, most likely because its the cheapest, did the loading phase at the start which was awful to be honest, got a heap of sides from it and felt like crap the whole time - didnt even finish it.

bsn-no explode:i know its illegal now but theres still a bit floating around... this stuff was different. felt like you had just skulled 2 v bottles before a workout, heeeeeaps of energy - recovery was improved heaps, little sides but still unsure if i liked it - felt like your hopped up on some drug while training but it sure worked, bummer they banned it.

[espguitaris33]

I get what your trying to say with the gas....but for your own wallet and cars sake, octane is the resistance to combustion. it is harder for your car to ignite 91 octane, and rediuclous for race gas. If you go buy racegas you get black smoke as you waste it and it doesnt burn right. BUT:

if you run 91 octane and your maximum horse power is 375, and start adding bits of 113 race gas, each time you add you can turn your turbo up just a little bit till its full race gas. it allows your engine to work at a higher maximum to win more races. If you start adding 91 in you have to dial back the power or it will ping, and burn holes in pistons (over exert yourself in a workout)

that being said as what i know, on to what i dont

so say you arent cycling, what amount should you take? I have iso mass extreme gainer that i'm trying to use (when i'm not playing hockey or working out, I need calorie shakes to not slowly lose weight). Each servinb has 7g of an assortment of creatines. the bottle says 3 servings daily, and nothing about cycling. I have CFS and actually had a teacher 4 years ago reccomend creatine just for daily life, so I like the idea of having creatine in it. I also will not be drinking the shakes every day, or the 3 servings on the days I do, only on workout and hockey days. What is the maximum daily intake without loading in the beginning and not planning on cycling that I can have. Not saying it will be that every day, but maybe 2 days a week with none at all?

I am 5' 9", between 153-157 pounds, and am just starting out, but would love 180

[Pseudonym]

Hi ESP. I tend not to load much, and my cycle usually lasts as long as the tub does, with a break until whenever I get around to buying more. As you can see, I'm quite scientific about it. :wink:

To answer your question, I'd go for 5-10g a day. I don't think it's the type of thing you need to be too fussy about.

[Gym rat]

Balance creatine mono tryed I thought it taste like ass also I thought it was a waste of money

[HaNs]

Mine tastes like sand, used it for 11 days and didnt notice a difference. Will try it again dec or jan.

[espguitaris33]

okay, i was just concerned because i want the 3 shakes worth of calories on some days but that means 21 grams of creatine!!!

i dont think i could drink that much water!!!! :shock:

[Mr_Krabs]

okay, i was just concerned because i want the 3 shakes worth of calories on some days but that means 21 grams of creatine!!!

i dont think i could drink that much water!!!! :shock:

When I was using nitrosyn (contains creatine too) I had another non-creatine containing shake that I used as well so I could control the amount of creatine I was taking in, but still get all the protein I wanted.