Creatine Loading : How to Get Maximum Results

Almost everyone who is involved with bodybuilding and fitness has heard about creatine. Regardless of whether they use it themselves or heard about it from others in the gym, there is usually some confusion surrounding the supplement. It is important to understand and adopt the best creatine loading methods so that you can get the best results. Taking creatine in the appropriate amounts is the only way to maximize on results.

Creatine Loading:Maximum effectiveness

Taking Creatine

Creatine is one of those bodybuilding supplements that have to be taken with precision otherwise it will be ineffective. The following are some of the ways that you can effectively incorporate creatine into your routine.

How to Load

In most cases, the first step involved with taking creatine is the loading phase. This phase is designed to fully saturate the muscles that are responsible for storing the creatine. The next step is the maintenance phase. During this phase, a person lowers their dose of creatine and keeps it at optimum levels.

Best methods

It is recommended that you take 20 grams of creatine within a five day period. This will provide you with the fastest way to stock up on the supplement which will help you get into the maintenance phase ahead.

1. It is important to remember that the loading phase is not for everyone. This is because creatine causes bloating or gastric upsets in some people.
2. If you find yourself in such a situation, you can take a lower dose of 10 grams over a period of 10 to 14 days. Such a dosage is less likely to cause bloating.
3. The only downside is that there is a longer loading period with such kind of dosages.
4. If you do not want to engage in an extreme loading phase, you can go with a dosage of 5 grams over a one month period. However, you should keep in mind that it will not be effective as the two loading methods mentioned above.
5. Finally, it is important that you do not go above a dosage 20 grams over a five day period. High doses of creatine in your body will turn to formaldehyde and appear in the urine, which is not healthy.

Moving to maintenance

Once you are through with the loading phase, the next thing is to move to maintenance. There are those who usually stick with 5 grams a day but most people go to 2-3 grams a day.

For those who are not vegetarians, eating red meat decreases the need for additional supplementation. This is because red meat contains some amounts of creatine. However, if you are a vegetarian, it is best that you maintain a dosage of 5 grams per day.

Taking creatine is only beneficial if you do it on a continuous basis. The loading phase is sure to help you with your workouts but in order for you to maximize on the benefits of creatine, you need to stock up on the supplement.

How to take creatine to get maximum results

In order for creatine to get into the muscles quicker there should be a spike in the insulin present in your body. This means taking creatine with juice such as grape or orange. The type of juice you choose is not significant.

You can mix up creatine with your own dextrose. This is because dextrose has a maximum effect on the insulin present in your body. Read more about Dextrose at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose

In order to get maximum results, you should take creatine during the post-workout period. This is because during this time, muscle glycogens are most susceptible to creatine storage. However, during the loading phase, you need to split up your dosages. You can take the supplement two to three times during the day so that your body is able to handle it.

It is also important that you take creatine with some food. It could be a post-workout shake that is comprised of proteins and carbohydrates or a full-fledged meal. This will help to reduce the chances of a stomach upset for those who happen to have sensitive stomachs.

Finally, it is important to remember that creatine is primarily beneficial for those people who have been involved in heavy weight lifting. However, athletes who engage in high-intensity sports can also benefit greatly from using creatine,because their muscles also rely on the muscular stores of creatine.