When should I take creatine?- this is the question from athletes and bodybuilders all over the world!
Apart from this question, there are many other frequently asked questions regarding the creatine. That’s understandable though, as creatine is getting more and more popular with the days passing by.
Here we will discuss what is creatine, how it works, its legality, its benefits, probable side effects, and the answers to the frequently asked questions on creatine.
When should I take creatine?
The answer to this frequently asked question is quite simple- take help from a physician.
Well, apart from that, there are some common norms and knowledge about when to take creatine. There is a lot of research on when to take creatine. And the results show us that taking creatine immediately before or after workouts is the most effective.
And on the days when you’re not working out, you don’t need to take that. As this is not going to be that much effective. But still, if you want, you can take creatine on the rest days as well. In that case, you can just take that with your meals.
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What is creatine?
Creatine is a kind of organic compound of amino acids. You can find them in muscles, and brain tissues.
Creatine is a massive source of energy. But despite being an energy booster, creatine is not a popular nutrition element at all. It is rather a booster only.
And the creatine we are talking about here is the medicinal creatine pills or shots that you can take just like this.
How does creatine work?
Creatine is a muscle element. The description itself says a lot about this compound.
These days, you’ll find pills or shots of creatine at the drug stores. They speed up muscle growth. They build and keep body muscle strength.
Creatine’s muscle strengthening helps the individual to endure all sorts of intense training. And as a result, they boost up their stamina.
Legality of creatine
Creatine is a naturally occurring molecule.
They are considered simple boosters. A usual medical item.
Both the drug administrations and the sports federations all over the world approve of creatin.
In short, creatine is legal.
Should I take creatine?
Creatine is nothing more than a kind of medicine, or you might say an energy booster.
As this particular pill, or shot is not any kind of drug, and as the doctors and the sports federations approve of it, taking creatine is not a big deal.
Also, if you are an athlete or a bodybuilder or if you are aspiring to become one- getting stronger and achieving better stamina, durability is a must.
To say it even more specifically, the choice is totally up to you whether you want to take creatine or not.
Well, the decision-making might come easier if you are to consult your physician, if you’re good to go after a medical check-up, and if you want to do better in your sports, you should definitely take creatine without worrying much.
Should I take creatine before or after a workout?
Now, this is some question. You should take creatine on your workout days. Now the question remains- before or after a workout?
There has been much research on the best utilization of creatine. And most of them show us that taking creatine half an hour ago before starting your workout can come with the best result.
The reason is simple. Creatine helps prepare for large bursts of energy as they boost muscle strength.
Hence, taking creatine before a workout is a better choice. That way, you’ll be able to work out more intensely and as a result, you’ll be able to get an even better body.
Should I take creatine on off days?
Creatine is more effective when you take them with workouts. Taking creatine on off days will not do much energy-boosting.
Creatine works to enhance stamina and durability by increasing your muscle strength. This is why taking them before working out helps.
On the contrary, when it is an off day, you are not doing anything that requires the boost up, right?
Hence, taking creatine on off days will be a waste.
So, the answer is a no. You don’t necessarily need to take creatine on off days.
How long should I take creatine?
The answer varies on the way you want to use this enhancer.
The highest safe dose of creatine is 25 grams daily, but for this high amount, only 14 days in a row is a safe game.
If you want to sustain it for a longer period, ⅘ grams daily for 14 months have been proved to be safe.
On another note, there are reports on five years of continuous usage of creatine, though the daily dose was limited to 3 grams.
In short, the timing can be modified based on the daily dose. But, to be safer, it would be better to go to a physician, do a check-up and take the prescribed amount only for the prescribed time.
Should I take creatine while cutting?
Definitely yes.
In fact, taking creatine while cutting is even better for you because creatine is going to bring water to your muscle.
This is good to enhance your muscle strength. Naturally, when you’re cutting a phase of diet, your muscle development gets slowed. Sometimes, they get paused as well.
Taking creatine on that period is going to boost it up, as gaining more water to muscle helps enhance the development and durability.
So, yes. You should take creatine while cutting.
Should I take creatine everyday or just on workout days?
It depends on the prescriptions.
But, as we’ve told you earlier, taking creatine on rest days is not that effective.
Even though, if you are to take creatine as a full course, you might need to take it everyday for the time being.
But, if you are not taking them as a full course, rather as a booster only- in that case, taking creatine just on workout days will do the job.
In short, the answer is both. Depending on the usage, you might either need to take creatine everyday or take them just on workout days will be enough.
Should I take creatine while trying to lose weight?
If you want to have strong muscles even while trying to lose weight, you should take creatine.
Creatine is not something that increases your weight either. They simply help to strengthen your muscle, enhance your durability, and increase your stamina.
While trying to lose weight, you are supposedly working out a lot, and cutting a diet.
Both of them can be exhausting.
While you are working out intensely, you will need a lot more stamina than usual. Also, you will need better muscle. Creatine helps with that.
And as for diet, a weight loss diet usually offers a carb-cut plan. That might get exhausting at times. And your muscle development might get slowed a bit.
Creatine brings water to your muscles, and thus, you’ll be able to be both healthy and strong.
So, yes. You should take creatine while trying to lose weight.
Benefits of creatine
Creatine is a muscle element that helps in the energy boost up as well. Let’s see the benefits that this element has to offer.
- Creatine speeds up muscle growth faster.
- They build and keep body muscle strong.
- As they make the muscle structure strong, it helps one to get better durability, and stamina to go through more intense exercises.
- Creatine is of great use to treat Parkinson’s Disease. The prime reason behind it is, they are great to nourish the muscles.
- Creatine is useful for diabetes. Because their molecular structure helps reduce blood sugar levels.
And again, creatine is medically approved, and the usage of creatine by sportspeople is not anything out of rule.
So, if an athlete takes creatine, it will not fall under doping.
Probable side effects of creatine
There are not that many side effects of this compound. This is the reason why all the doctors approve of it.
However, despite creatine being a comparatively safe supplement, it still might have a few possible side effects. Let’s take a look at them-
- As creatine causes massive water retention in the body muscle, the overuse of creatine can lead to a sudden weight gain.
- People who have the chronic renal disease should avoid creatine as this compound might trigger more renal complexities.
Apart from those extreme situations, creatine is all good.
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Other frequently asked questions
There are some other questions that people keep asking frequently.
- Is creatine bad for health?
Well, no. Creatine is in fact one of the safest supplements out there. Every doctor approves this.
- Is creatine equivalent to doping?
No. Every single sports federation in the world approves creatine as a supplement. Using creatine is not considered doping.
- Is creatine bad for your kidney?
This answer depends on a lot of things. If you are someone with kidney disease, then maximum supplements will be troublesome. Creatine is the same too. They might harm the kidney patients. But, creatine itself does not start any damage, rest assured.
- What is the safe limit of creatine intake?
For an adult, the highest amount of creatine intake at one day is 20 grams. Though, the answer will always depend on the doctor. Don’t google for quantitative questions, ask a doctor.
- At which age can I take creatine?
Only after turning 18. Creatine is not for underage kids. And, even after becoming an adult, you will still need to follow a doctor’s suggestion to go through.
- Does the amount of creatine intake depend on my body weight?
Well, no. The amount of creatine intake depends on the workout plan and the amount of time you plan to carry on with creatine. Your body weight won’t be important.
So, this was all about creatine. And the frequently asked questions have been answered as well.
But again, for anything serious, we’d recommend consulting with a doctor in person.
Hope it was helpful. If you have any further questions, let us know in the comment section.
