Beginner Guide To Creatine, WHEN & HOW to use it for best results.
Have you ever taken notice of the CrossFitters getting fitter, faster and stronger every time they do their routine?
They just keep performing and excelling each & every day! I used to be so amazed by how massive the changes are for those who engage in CrossFit. But now, I just wanna share with you what I’ve learned over the past years – it’s all about taking the right amount of the right supplement at the right time to support your routines.
One of which is the most commonly known as Creatine. Basically, Creatine is an energy source. That’s why it is what CrossFitters like myself take in order to improve the strength of the body, increase the lean muscle mass and help the muscle recover quicker during routines.
Also, it is known to help athletes achieve bursts of speed and energy, especially during high-intensity workouts such as heavy weightlifting & sprinting. Given its components, it enables an athlete to do all of these things.
However, did you know that there is a PROPER way of using it?
Yep, there is & this is your beginner’s guide to using Creatine. Keep on reading!
How to Use Creatine
To achieve the best results, it is important to use Creatine in a proper & effective manner. One must be familiar with the basics of using this supplement – from choosing the form of Creatine you’ll use to the amount of dosage you’ll take and to the frequency of using it.
Form of Creatine
Let’s start with the form of creatine for beginners. Although all of the forms are effective in what they do, they differ with one thing and that is how the creatine molecules bond, which has an effect on how the body metabolizes & breaks it down. That’s why for beginners, I highly recommend using the Creatine Monohydrate.
How to Take Creatine
Now, when it comes to the best time of taking Creatine, it always works best when done consistently!
To better understand this, let me share with you the 2 phases of Creatine supplementation – the loading phase & the maintenance phase.
During the loading phase, which is where most people start off, you fully saturate the muscle stores by taking at the least 4 servings of 5 grams each day. This should be taken in the morning, at lunchtime or post-workout, depending on which time you do your routine. This phase’s main objective is to increase the creatine levels quickly.
On the other hand, the maintenance phase is when you start taking Creatine in lower doses, around 3-5 grams in one day, just to keep the proper levels. This is basically the time when your body will be most receptive to fuel. You’d want to have a proper balance to be more effective in your usage.
Dosage of Creatine
Now, talking about the right amount of dosage that is best & most suitable for you, it is highly relevant to your weight. To calculate the right amount, you can rely on this scale:
Under 120 Pounds – 3 Grams
121-200 Pounds – 5 Grams
Over 200 Pounds – 8 Grams
The bigger the pounds, the more grams of Creatine one should take.
However, the standard & safest dosage of Creatine that is recommended by professionals is 3-5 grams per day. Either of these would suffice.
What is the best TIME to take Creatine?
Research has shown that it is most beneficial to take creatine around your workout time, immediately before or after your workout. In a test where researches compared two groups of people taking creatine at different times the resaults were following.
The group that took creatine at morning and night, like a normal vitamin supplement, received some benefits & their muscle mass increased relative to the control group that took no creatine at all.
The group that too creatine around their workout in pre-workout or post workout drink, gained more muscle mass than the group who took it morning and night.
This shows that you might be most beneficial to put your creatine consumption right around your workout time, whatever time that might be for you.
It's worth noting that on REST DAYS with no workouts, you can take them whenever suits you during the day
Conclusion
That sums up your beginner’s guide to using Creatine. I hope you learned a thing or two & I hope this helps you achieve better results!
If you’d like to more about the best supplements to match your everyday workout, read this: https://fitwitheik.com/blog/top-4-nutrition-supplements-for-crossfitters-backed-up-by-science
Cheers,
Eik
