Creatine Load Up

[BigOldDad]

I started on my Creatine load up as of Saturday. It says to take four heaping teaspoon fulls a day for four days. I am on day three today. It seems like I get a hot flash from this and I look flush in the face. Anything to worry about?

[Holto]

After almost ten years of using creatine I would say loading is not necessary. I have never noticed any benefit.

[icanrace]

I'm with Holto, no need for loading.

My opinion, 5g per day, every day.

Your hot flashes I doubt is from creatine, but it might be. Back your dose down to 5g per day.

[Optimum08]

no need to load...just go with 5g. a day everyday...i go postworkout some go preworkout...i have yet to see which is actually "superior"...

[Built]

Don't load. The only kidney stone I ever got was just after a creatine loading phase. Probably didn't drink enough water.

I take half before, half after I train. That's it.

[Holto]

Your hot flashes I doubt is from creatine.

Perhaps it's Andropause. :zipit:

[Praetorian]

No need to load up on creatine.

dafs

[BigOldDad]

Thanks- I was doin as the bottle said to. i will do only 5g tomorrow day four. I do drink allot of water so hopefully no kidney stone problems!! Good thing I have you professionals here to rely on!! :)

[PBX4Sho]

i read somewhere that studies showed that people that did the loading phase showed better results a bit quicker than those that didnt do loading. Thats just something i read on the internet so god knows how accurate it is. i personally just take the 5g 1 hour before my workout.

[SpecialK]

i read somewhere that studies showed that people that did the loading phase showed better results a bit quicker than those that didnt do loading. Thats just something i read on the internet so god knows how accurate it is. i personally just take the 5g 1 hour before my workout.

Well if you think about it it makes sense - if two people start out with zero creatine concentration in their system (not realistic, but just for an easy example) and one loads and the other doesn't - the one who loads is going to reach the saturation concentration of creatine faster than the one who doesn't. So effectively they get to see the max benefits for a few more weeks than the person who doesn't load.

However, if you take 5g per day everyday for the rest of your lifting career, those few weeks become pretty insignificant in the big picture of things.

I loaded when I first started taking creatine and got terrible stomach cramps, so I would personally not recommend it. I was drinking 1-2 gal of water per day, too.

[PBX4Sho]

i did hte loading phase and had no problems. thats just me though.

[BG5150]

If you want to load, then load. if you don't think it'll work, then don't. But it's not like your bench is going to go from 135 to 200 in a week if you load.

And I doubt the hot flashes come from the creatine. That's a new one to me.