Creatine 101: How much creatine should I take?

Wondering whether it's time to start taking creatine? Serious about reaching your fitness goals? It's likely that you want to see results and see them quickly. But when it comes to creatine supplementation, it's important to take the right amount in order to stay safe and see optimum results. In this article, we answer the commonly asked question, 'how much creatine should I take?'.

Why take creatine?

Creatine is one of the most popular and most effective natural muscle builders available on today's market. Whilst we all make around one gram of creatine per day in our bodies, and get around one gram per day from our diets (typically from seafood and red meat), athletes require more in order to carry out effective training sessions.

Completely legal and natural, creatine is known as one of the (if not THE) most impactful sports supplement - particularly for increasing muscle mass. In fact, taking creatine for as little as 5-7 days has actually been shown to increase lean body weight and muscle size.

As a result of its incredible benefits, creatine is common, especially amongst bodybuilder and athletes. It is widely regarded as the go-to supplement for boosting gym performance. But, thanks to creatine's effectiveness in promoting brain health, elderly individuals as well as vegans (who get less creatine from their diets compared to meat eaters) also use the supplement for their overall well-being.

Interested in learning more about the wide reaching benefits of creatine? Read more here.

Should I take creatine every day?

Yes, to maintain and increase performance and muscle-building, it is recommended that you take creatine every day. This includes both training and rest days. And there is a good reason for this. Continuous intake of creatine is vital for those hoping to increase strength, muscle mass and performance because it helps to maintain creatine levels in your body.

In fact, not only is it recommended that you take creatine every day, but skipping creatine intake on rest days could lead to lower creatine levels in your cells. In turn, this could limit your body's ability to utilise creatine during your next workout.

Worried about the impact of taking your creatine supplements everyday? Fortunately, there is no need to be. Research has shown that it is safe to consume creatine supplements daily, even over several years. There is no evidence at all to suggest significantly detrimental side effects in even those people who consume high doses of creatine (30 grams/day) for up to 5 years.

What kind of creatine should I take?

There are a lot of creatine supplements on the market, each with their own unique properties. However, the most common type of creatine is creatine monohydrate. Supported by a great deal of scientific research, this type of creatine is the most readily available and also the most affordable. Research also suggests that it is highly effective, especially in building muscle mass.

However, one of the biggest issues with Creatine Monohydrate is its poor bioavailability.

CreGAAtine

CreGAAtine is a novel scientifically proven dietary supplement, made of Creatine and Guanidinoacetic Acid (GAA), which is a natural organic compound that acts as a direct precursor of Creatine.

The combination has been proven very effective. In fact, whilst creatine monohydrate administration over 4 weeks has been seen to increase muscle Creatine of about 2%, CreGAAtine™ actually leads to a 16.9% increase. This is a very significant relative rise of 8.5 times.

Interested in learning more about CreGAAtine? Read more here.

How much creatine should I take?

If you've been asking the question, "how much creatine should I take?" and are feeling a little confused, there's no wonder. The internet is full of varying information when it comes to creatine doses. This is partially a result of different kinds of supplementation such as creatine loading, which we also outline below.

In general however, research suggests that consuming approximately 3-5 grams per day of creatine is sufficient to maintain muscle stores. This amount of creatine is considered a maintenance dose, which will support your muscle stores.

You might also want to know that this dosage is standardised regardless of both athletic ability and sex.

How much CreGAAtine should I take?

Those taking CreGAAtine should take two sachets per day; one sachet twice daily with meals. When taking CreGAAtine sachets, put the supplement in a lukewarm cup of water and drink. If you prefer, it doesn't have to be water; you can drop it into your favourite drink. When the recommended dosage of CreGAAtine is followed, it is not necessary to take a break from consumption. Take your CreGAAtine sachet before or after a workout; whatever fits in with your routine best.

One dose of CreGAAtine contains 1g of Creatine and 1g of GAA.

What is creatine loading?

Creatine loading involves taking creatine at a higher dosage during the beginning phase of your creatine journey.

Those looking to start taking CreGAAtine might be surprised to hear that they should actually take more than the average creatine consumer. General recommendations suggest that you should begin with a starter phase of creatine use. This is commonly referred to as creatine loading.

Typically lasting 5-7 days, this phase involves taking a high dose of creatine in order to 'load' your muscles with the substance. Following on from this, individuals will reduce their dose to a lower 'maintenance' dose. Research suggests that creating loading is a quick way to reap the benefits of creatine.

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