Creatine

[Big Dawg88]

I have been taking creatine for quite a while now i just took a 2 week

break off of it and started back on it again. Is it better to cycle it and

if so how often and how long do you cycle it for?

[swole1385]

I stay on mine all the time i dont see a reason to stop taking it.

[BIG TEXAN]

I'm with swole on this...I stay on mine year round. Just see what works for you, I see no problem taking a week or two off every now and then just to let your body clean itself out of everything.

[bunktown]

I usually cycle off of it. I take it for 6-8 weeks then take 2-4 weeks off. I find for me it works better that way.

[sherpa27]

if you cycle it your receptors can "recharge" somewhat and will react to the creatine better. Its not that big of deal so it dont really matter

[Decoder]

Originally posted by swole1385
I stay on mine all the time i dont see a reason to stop taking it.

how about organ damage from water retention ? enjoy your painful kidneys later in life. I really suggest you cycle off an on, i have met a few people in the hospital with kidney damage due to the use of creatine for long periods.

[Warrior]

Probably better to cycle on and off. Your system gets time off from the added metabolite - plus the whole mental effect you can get by going back on Creatine vs having always been on it. You can get a naturally in your diet via lean meats - try not to overcook them or you can damage the Creatine...

But I believe a long term daily dose of 5-8 grams is safe for the average bodybuilder with a good amount of LBM. However Creatine supplementation is a relatively new concept and long term studies of any potential side effects don't exist - yet. But so far - it is very safe with no side effects when taken as directed (like anything).

I have heard many times you should reload every 30 days - but then of course there are contradictions on that saying you can develop larger muscular stores without loading. Personally I have stayed on it for many months before and I will take 2 servings per day (8-16 grams) for a few days every now and then... just to be sure I have full CP stores... in the end, you kinda have to do what works best for you... and what keeps you gaining...

[Chili 11]

You know guys I have been taking creatine for a little while now and I did my week of loading and now I just take a scoop of it after my workout Mon-Fri but I just dont notice any diffrence with it? Maybe its just me, or maybe I am taking it wrong. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks guys.


Nick

[bunktown]

Well chili creatine doesnt work for everyone, but I've read that if it doesnt work for you, you could add an alkaceltzer to it or buy the product that is called swole.

[tryingtogain]

dude dont take it year long cycle it i talked to a pharmacist and he said to cycle it give your kidneys a break! he said stay on it for 2 months then go off then go back on

[Warrior]

Originally posted by tryingtogain
dude dont take it year long cycle it i talked to a pharmacist and he said to cycle it give your kidneys a break! he said stay on it for 2 months then go off then go back on

Hey brah - let me be the first to enlighten you on the medical fields. People specialize in certain things. No one doc can specialize in everything - it would spread him/her too thin in trying to become an expert. For example, ear aches in children are commonly passed off by doctors who spent very little time in med school on the topic. They send child home with antibiotics. Another doctor who specializes in ear... science I guess, could easly find a build up of fluids in the same child that could have otherwise led to permanent ear damamge.

My tip to you: if you want advice on Creatine, most pharmacists are not the people to be talking to because they probably got their info from the same place you do - TV and the media. Versus actual studies. See an MD specializing in Sports Performance for better info.

BTW - there was a recent study on college football athletes who took 5-20 grams per day for up to 5 years... no one had evidence of kidney or liver damage.

Bottomline - use it in a responsible dose and with plenty of water and you will be fine.

[painintheazz]

I agree with warrior, just because someone has a MD, doesn't mean they know about a specific topic, they are just speaking their opinion. That is why there are specialists in fields.

Pain

[BIG TEXAN]

I agree with my boy's here.....for answers to any sport related questions go talk to a sports medicine doc.

Hey Warrior.....your talking about reg. docs and childrens ears....well the family doc has been giving my daughter ant-biotics for awhile now, anyways I finally got fed up with all of it and took her to an ear, nose, throat specialist. Needless to say (not sure what he did....some kind of ear drops) she's been fine for weeks. So yeah, for specific questions, go see a specialist in that area.