Creatine Cycling?

Anyone Tried This Method
By Paul Cribb:

"the traditional recommended dose regime for creatine supplementation can actually short-circuit the enormous potential gains that can be obtained from this supplement. In this article, I will detail a specific dosage strategy and cover the key points on how to use Micronized Creatine to obtain (dare I say it) drug-like gains in strength and muscle mass. But first, here is a quick refresher of the reasons why the traditional dosing patterns for creatine may actually be counter-productive to obtaining the best results from this supplement.

The traditional way of using creatine involves a 5 to 7 day loading phase of 20 to 25 grams a day followed by a daily maintenance dose of 2 to 5 grams of creatine per day. However, this basic “scatter-gun” approach might get the job done but probably destroys 70-80% of the potential gains that could be obtained. Here are some research-based reasons why athletes have to change the way they view creatine supplementation if they want the best effects possible.

Achieving a high concentration of creatine within muscle is essential to triggering a powerful anabolic effect at the cellular level. However, it is clear that the traditional dosage pattern fails to maintain high muscle creatine concentrations over a longer period of time (6 to 12 weeks).[1-3]

Excessive loading (the traditional way) may cause creatine saturation outside the cell that prevents effective muscle uptake for weeks or even months! [4]

A small maintenance dose is futile at maintaining high muscle creatine concentrations. Using a small dose after loading ensures that high muscle creatine concentrations disappear within 6 weeks![5]

Step 1

Use Micronized Creatine for three days only. The daily dosage will range from 15-25 grams/day depending upon the size of the individual. Bodybuilders that are 180 pounds or heavier are advised to use the higher end of this scale (20 to 25 grams per day).

No creatine supplement is used for the next three days.

Step 3

Perform step 1 followed by step 2 repeatedly to form a three days-on/three days-off cycling pattern

take a one week break from training. In the last three days of this rest week, commence your Micronized creatine cycling strategy."

So basically it’s 20-25g of creatine a day for 3 days, then 3 days off. Repeat, repeat, reapeat. Has anyone heard of or tried this method of creatine cycling?

  1. Volek et al. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 31: 1147-1156, 1999.

  2. Cribb et al. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 35: S400, A2239, 2003

  3. Cribb et al. Presented at The Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Science Conference, April, 2004

  4. Guerrero-Ontivers, M.L. and Wallimann, T. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 184: 427-437, 1998.

  5. Van Loon et al. Clinical Science 104:153�??162. 2003

I haven’t heard of this, but it sounds interesting enough for me to become a guinea pig for this approach! I’ve been taking 5g a day for a while now, so I’ll bump it up to 25g for the next 3 days. We’ll see what happens.

I’m going to begin trying it at the beginning of August, it sounds like an interesting method and I’ve talked to a few guys who have sworn by it.

Hopefully it produces some great results.

Mind if you guys post your results with it? I’m curious whether or not it’s the cycle method or the week off training the produces the results, since you make your gains recovering in that rest week rather than during actual lifting.

any results?

bump, this looks interesting.

I’ve had good results from just going 5g a day. No loading phase.

I know, this is a really old thread - but I just want to say that this type of cycling have worked very well for me, much better then the standard 5 g a day :slight_smile:

Any merit to this?

hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on taking creatine. i am doing lots of cardio and also abs as well as weight training and i’m on a fat burning diet. i take creatine once a day after my workout to prevent muscle deteriation and increase my stamina and strength.

the general say in the gym is creatine as good as it is, doesnt help reduction of the belly and fat around it. should i stop taking it now till i get to prefered shape or shall i continue taking 1 portion a day which works out roughly around the 6 g (daily recomended)?

all the best

rez

[quote]Rezmout wrote:
hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on taking creatine. i am doing lots of cardio and also abs as well as weight training and i’m on a fat burning diet. i take creatine once a day after my workout to prevent muscle deteriation and increase my stamina and strength.

the general say in the gym is creatine as good as it is, doesnt help reduction of the belly and fat around it. should i stop taking it now till i get to prefered shape or shall i continue taking 1 portion a day which works out roughly around the 6 g (daily recomended)?

all the best

rez[/quote]

These questions have been addresses literally hundreds of times in this forum.

The consensus is to take 5 grams a day, every day. Consume PWO on training days, with a PWO drink like Surge Recovery. On non-training days, just mix with a protein drink.

You can make things much more complicated, but there’s no need to do so.

You’re right in the creatine probably doesn’t aid in fat loss, but it doesn’t hinder it either so there’s no reason to stop using it while on a fat-loss phase.

[quote]Rezmout wrote:
hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could advise me on taking creatine. i am doing lots of cardio and also abs as well as weight training and i’m on a fat burning diet. i take creatine once a day after my workout to prevent muscle deteriation and increase my stamina and strength.

the general say in the gym is creatine as good as it is, doesnt help reduction of the belly and fat around it. should i stop taking it now till i get to prefered shape or shall i continue taking 1 portion a day which works out roughly around the 6 g (daily recomended)?

all the best

rez[/quote]

Keep taking it. Read this article Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION and try to research more about creatines effects… LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You

there is absolutly no need to cycle creatine (or load for that matter). taking 3-5g/day will suffice

I have seen this experiment on another site. And the end result was no different than that of Normal Creatine

Supplementation. The resluts will be the same.