Creatine: Should You Cycle It?

[tickdog3]

I cycle 2 months ON, 1 month OFF. That has worked best for me.

[suprajazz]

Every individual is different, stay on creatine like this guy states then check your liver levels, they might be high :) good luck.

[jiggawha44k]

what about drinking alcohol while on creatine?

[AZNOUTLAWZ918]

Read the creatine label people and follow the direction lol. Just saying...

[2legacy]

eyyyy. its jimmy struthers!

[17thwonder]

I'm currently cycling because I'm afraid that my muscles will be too reliant on creatine to keep them looking lean. Is this the case? I hear only 25% of the creatine actually stores as water in your body the rest of the 75% does not.

[WasGibtsLeute]

Once I read that there are some studies which revealed that there are sportmen/women who took creatin for 4 to 10 years without bad side effects.

[Tigerpaws9097826]

Thanks Will. I've heard contradictory recommendations on this topic over long time, usually based on not much more than opinion. You've done the research, and I really appreciate this advice based on a study of the facts. 

[a68593]

i take creatine for 2 months and stop taking it for 3 months , when i cycle creatine off i lose strength and size to a great extent...... do i lose muscle at this stage?

[iSaviano]

Yo guys r u supposed to take creatine everyday? I work out 3 times a week and I only take it 3 times a week

[ihci]

whats a good brand of creatine mono to get or are they all the same? thx

[UpTehCooch]

a friend of mine has said his body doesnt make creatine naturally anymore after he stopped taking creatine

[willbrink]

@UpTehCooch

And if that were true, your friend would be dead.

[screenflicker1]

@willbrink Great comment. He needs to ask his friend, how does he know!

[itzeyadig]

@UpTehCooch That can't be true he would be very sick and probably be in the hospital or like brink said dead, because the body needs creatine it produces it naturally in the liver and kidneys for skeletal muscle use. It's an energy that the body needs.

[guitarguy316]

Great info! I am currently taking whey protein and was considering taking creatine for additional benefits, so this was very helpful!

[willbrink]

@guitarguy316

The many potential health benefits of creatine are covered in my free creatine report. Download at Creatine-Report dot you know what

[risingphoenix737]

I've heard so many people swear you had to cycle or it would mess you up in one way or another. Thanks for clearing this one up for people.

[risingphoenix737]

I've heard so many people swear you had to cycle or it would mess you up in one way or another. Thanks for clearing this one up for so many ppl.

[fshfrghedht64]

heyy i just finished my overload phase with creatine monohydrate but now i only have to take it once a day but how long should i do this for untill i have to give it a break for a while

[willbrink]

@fshfrghedht64

See vid on cycling creatine here on the YT page.

[Brainkiller]

Just seems strange that on my bottle of explode it says to cycle, it says 30 days on 30 days off... dont know why they'd promote a technique that makes them lose money

[AdverbAdjective]

@Brainkiller have you even looked at the ingredients list? it has more than just creatine. arginine and a ton of stimulants. thats why they want you to cycle it.

[sefmm]

If I take creatine for 2 or 3 months, anda then I stop will I preserve my improvements or will I loose what I gained?

[erkbr]

@sefmm you may lose water weigh and maybe the performance enhance from creatine, but not muscle gained (unless your diet/training gets bad after stopping creatine)

[inF4MOUSchris]

im so confused! all my friends say that once u get off creatine that u go back to your strength prior to starting creatine, it this fact or false, do u lose strength or mass when you stop the use of creatine? thanks

[johnchatz]

that is good news! thanx will!

[willbrink]

@johnchatz

Thanx!

[imtonasty]

so lets say i start doing creatine today, if i keep on taking it for 5 years and not cycling would everything still be ok?

how many grams should be ok if i just start taking it and is going to continue withouth cycling for a long period of time

[MultiRebel420]

Thanks man

[jjmm112]

Thank`s Will, 5*.

[SammyJ21]

I am in disagreeance, I have seen studies where the natural production of Creatine has decreased after multiple cycles of Creatine... Maybe it depends on the person rather than it is a down piece of fact?!

[willbrink]

@SammyJ21 "I have seen studies" I hear a lot, but those who say it usually fail to supply said studies....If you have studies showing creatine production is *permanently* suppressed by cycles of creatine, by all means send them to me for reading. Temporary suppression is well known and established. See:

Hultman, E., Soderlund, K., Timmons, J., Cederblad, G., Greenhaff, P. (1996). Muscle creatine loading in man. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81, 232-237

[SammyJ21]

@willbrink Francaux M, Poortmans JR, Kreider RB, Muscle Building Body Knowledge(book). But to be honest most of these "studies" are anecdotal and supply insufficient evidence to either arguement... But from my experience as a Personal Trainer people have commonly said to me that they feel they "need" the Creatinbe again after they finish a cycle because they don't get theenergy or pump they want... So that is my reasons for my sceptisism

[willbrink]

@SammyJ21 Studies I read and or am involved with are not anecdotal. I know Kreider, and he would make no such claim studies show long term suppression from creatine supplements. If your entire basis for not agreeing with me is related to client feedback as a personal trainer, then you failed to supply a study and are relying on anecdotal. Regardless, as stated, cycling may be beneficial, but there's no studies to show one vs the other is superior, and some possible benefits to not cycling.

[donkeydonkey33]

hey what would you recommend besides creatine as a sort of "must-have" workout supplement for a beginner?

[willbrink]

@donkeydonkey33

Beginners don't need any supplements. What they truly need is to learn good nutrition, and training habits, before worrying about supplements per se. See the many article on my web site for more info which covers supps, training, nutrition and other essential topics.