How Long for High levels of Creatine to Leave System

[JTyrell710]

Say i wanted to take creatine- full strength for a few months, get big and such- then say, i wanted my old six pack back- how long would it take for the elevated levels of creatine to drop (approx. is fine) so that my abbs are ripped again?

[Dedicated]

Not sure if this helps but I stopped taking creatine for exactly 9 days and I lost about 6 pounds, so maybe about that much time? All of it was water weight I'm pretty sure also.

[JTyrell710]

Did you have ab defintition before? how much did it go away- ive been doin very low doses infrequently and its gone away a little when i do take it


-all you haters who say im doin it for the wrong reasons, rememeber- ladies is the reason EVERYONE starts.. some ppl just continue; for themselves

[Livin Truth]

lol the creatine will leave your body as fast as it can wash through your liver..2 weeks max buddy and about the hater bull*****, i didnt start working out for the ladies i did it for strength in sports, now i do it for a career later on in life(the ladies are a plus) but i wouldnt dedicate my workout to them nor would i miss a workout for them, so yeah you are doing this for the wrong reason..LT

[smalls]

LOL, your sig is freakin awesome.

I have never got that much water retention from creatine so ab defenition wasnt a worry for me while on. Levels shouldnt take more than a few days to return to normal. But hopefully you will still be "big and such" after you discontinue, LOL. No need to cycle creatine, you may want to try it first and see how you respond to it before planning your schedule around its effects.

[JTyrell710]

arite thanks ya'll- good stuff smalls
LT- truthfully, i was sorta joking but you have some fun there arite? good stuff too tho'- thanks

[ItalianGalleon]

really, I was under the impression that you were supposed not use it for about a month after every two months of use, to prevent acclimation or your muscles' rejection of the additional creatine. Does anyone more knowledgable than I have anything to say on this?

Woo, 100 posts!

[PizDoff]

":really, I was under the impression that you were supposed not use it for about a month after every two months of use, to prevent acclimation or your muscles' rejection of the additional creatine. Does anyone more knowledgable than I have anything to say on this?"

That is what I have read as well......

[smalls]

Actually there is conflicting studies done (on rats). Early on they found that the creatine transporter is downregulated with prolonged exposure. But their have been newer studies showing it's not necassary to cycle your creatine use. But seeing as i'm having a hard time finding the new ones, maybe i'm just makin it up.
I usually just use it until I run out.

[Saint Patrick]

really, I was under the impression that you were supposed not use it for about a month after every two months of use, to prevent acclimation or your muscles' rejection of the additional creatine. Does anyone more knowledgable than I have anything to say on this?

Woo, 100 posts!


I say that's *********.

[ItalianGalleon]

Do you have anything to base that on? Maybe whomever I saw post it was say it here again with an explanation.

[drew]

There've been no studies that indicate Creatine has any harmful effects whatsoever on the body. It's recommended (but not necessary) that you cycle on for 2 months and off for 1 month as a precaution *just in case* there's some side effect that has yet to be discovered.

I'm fairly new to the stuff but decided to cycle it just to see how I improved while not taking it. So far, I'm not terribly impressed. I'll probably use what I have and then never buy it again.

[chris mason]

Yes, creatine works better for some than others.

As to cycling it or not, I personally don't, and I have seen it recommended both ways (cycling and not).

With regards to the question of water retention, if you are consuming creatine and it is blurring your abs, I think you may be consuming a poor quality product. Years ago I tried a well known creatine product and experienced excessive water retention to the point it raised my blood pressure. With AtLarge's creatine I have never experienced that problem and I understand it to be related to the purity of the creatine. AtLarge's Creatine 500 uses the purest creatine available.

So my advice to you is that if you are experiencing that sort of bloat you may want to try a different brand.

[ElPietro]

I always thought it should never make you appear bloated. You may gain more weight due to excess water retention. But much of that water also will be taken subcutaneously, so if anything you shouldn't see much difference in definition, and if there is a difference, it should be to make you appear more defined, not less.

I believe that when you are fully saturated it takes approximately 1 month to return to regular levels.

I haven't used it in over a year but remember that it added something like 5 lbs to my bodyweight.

I don't really understand the "take creatine for a few months to get big" line though. I think you are way overestimating the effects of creatine, and way underestimating the amount of time and hard work it takes to "get big."

[ItalianGalleon]

Chris, I read a while back that you took 10 g of creatine a day, but the recommended serving size for AtLarge's is 5 g. Do you still take 10 g?