It’s been more than 20 years now after a hard workout at the gym cooling down on a stationary bike I read a hotshot, big-named Sports Illustrated reporter, I think it was, expose his own ignorance in a story about creatine’s dangers.
He capped it off by suggesting one consult—a standard AMA article insertion then and still now—with a doctor first. Consulting your family doctor still now as it was back then is like taking your brand new $1,000 wristwatch to an auto body shop mechanic after you unfortunately left it somehow in your last huge laundry load.
Creatine has been labeled either the most or second most substance studied on the planet.
Back in the day it was suggested to use a loading dose, 10mg for seven days then reduce to 5mg per day. According to updates the loading dose is no longer necessary. One can start with the 5mg recommendation.
Cycling on and off is apparently up to the user even though a hot water bottle loses its heat after a time. Toss in streamy hot teenage marriages here too and add in people are different and you have a hat trick.
We cycle on and off. The time periods are up to you. Rather than suggest ours you’ll find yours if you decide to cycle.
Anyway, this is a good summary on creatine. One precaution if you are a weight-making athlete who gets tested randomly for PEDs, better check not with a physician but state or local authorities if they label creatine one and ban it.
One more caveat: Good luck with that, too.
I Began Taking Creatine At 43—Here's What Happened To My Body View
“My morning routine begins like this: I wake up with my 5:17am alarm, head directly to the kitchen sink to make a very large glass of cold (tap) water, add one scoop of essential amino acids and one scoop of creatine, stir, sip, finish. I immediately follow-up with a mug of coffee and healthy splash of whole milk…then out the door to strength train at my local YMCA. (In between, I’m petting and loving on my Bernese mountain dog, Willa.)
“I already wrote about why I take aminos—I highly recommend you check out that post, because it blew some minds—and today, I’m diving deep into creatine.
The truth is, I wasn’t always a believer. I used to just have water and coffee in the a.m. (And those Willa snuggles.) I wasn’t looking to become a body-builder, and creatine was what my guy friends who were super-serious about lifting took, not me.
But that changed a few years ago, when I really dialed in my nutrition, and creatine piqued my interest. I started reading every study I could find about supplements, talking to scientists and researchers, and listening to podcasts on the topic.
First! Full disclosure: I am not an MD, RD or PhD. I am a curious human who has NASM personal training and nutrition coaching certifications, and who passionately loves learning about health, fitness and nutrition. Which is why I’ve spent my professional career (and personal time) writing/assigning/editing articles—plus reading studies and speaking to experts—about topics like this. I also consulted a nutritionist, Jen Silverman, RD, to fact-check me and fill-in any gaps in my reporting. (Jen and I met at the HPLT Miami women’s retreat in January, and have geeked out over nutrition together ever since.)