Common Questions about Creatine Answered

In the following article, we’ll cover the most common questions you have about creatine. Here’s what is covered below:

• When does creatine start working?
• How often should creatine be taken?
• Does creatine cause water retention?
• Will creatine help me lose weight?
• Does creatine cause headaches?

And without further ado, let’s answer the first question.

When Does Creatine Start Working

Before you start seeing the effects of creatine, it first needs to build up in your body. That process of building up takes about 7 days for your muscles fully absorb the creatine. Give it another week or two and you’ll start seeing the effects. After about 4 weeks, you’ll see the full effects of creatine ramped up.

At that point, you should start to see the following effects:

• Improved strength
• Increased energy
• Increased muscle mass
• Faster recovery after workouts

Those are the positive effects of creatine, however if you experience any negative side effects, then stop taking creatine immediately and talk to your doctor. Only doctors have the medical expertise necessary to diagnose the cause of any potential side effects. It is much better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health.

Negative side effects can include kidney or liver damage, dehydration, muscle cramps, digestive problems, and more. Everyone is different and creatine will affect everyone differently. That’s why it is so important to monitor your health as you start taking creatine, especially for the first month. If anything seems out of the ordinary, immediately stop taking the supplement and talk to your doctor.

How Often Should Creatine Be Taken

The initial loading phase is to help your body load up on creatine as you prepare to bulk up and see the effects of the supplement. During this phase, you can take 5 grams four times each day for a total of 20 grams. Take this amount of creatine for 7 days to help your body and your muscles absorb the supplement.

This is a common practice, but as mentioned earlier, you should talk to your doctor before starting creatine and have your plan reviewed by them. Even after getting your plan approved by a medical professional, continue to monitor your health for any changes.

After the loading phase (7 days), start a continuous dose of 3-5 grams on days when you are exercising. And continue to monitor any changes to your health, weight, and any irregularities. Monitoring these changes can ensure you are staying healthy and be sure to communicate all of these changes to your doctor.

Does Creatine Cause Water Retention

One of the side effects (or benefits if you prefer) is that creatine causes water retention. That water build up in your muscles causes swelling or puffiness that isn’t harmful, but can seem to exaggerate actual muscle growth. In other words, the water will make it seem like you are getting bigger muscles, when it actuality it is just water in your body.

This water retention will subside after a few weeks, but continue to monitor your health and any changes for additional or less water retention.

As your muscles absorb this water, it can actually cause dehydration. If your normal water consumption was 128oz per day and your muscles start to absorb a larger amount of that water, other areas of your body and important organs can get less water. That can lead to dehydration and other health issues.

As a result, one of the most important things to do when taking creatine, especially starting, is to drink enough water. Making sure you are fully hydrated when taking creatine because otherwise it can reduce headaches, muscle cramps, and other potential issues.

Will Creatine Help Me Lose Weight

As mentioned earlier, creatine is great at helping to increase your strength, endurance, energy, and muscle mass. However, it’s not great at helping you lose weight. In fact, the opposite might occur.

Now, weight gain isn’t always a bad thing. If you replace 10 pounds of fat with 12 pounds of muscle, technically you’ve increased your weight, but in a good way. After all, if your goal for losing weight is to be healthier, mission accomplished.

Also covered earlier in this article is that creatine can increase water retention in your muscles for the first month. That extra water leads to swelling that can seem like you’re gaining weight. Technically, you are gaining weight in the form of water. That temporary water retention will eventually subside, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re worried about gaining weight when taking creatine.

As a result, the right question here may not be whether creatine will help you lose weight, but rather will creatine help you become a healthier person.

Does Creatine Cause Headaches

Creatine is a water hog. It takes the water you’re drinking and sends that water right to your muscles. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s what it is meant to do. However, that also means the water you’re drinking isn’t making it to the rest of your body. When the rest of your body doesn’t get the water it needs, you can become dehydrated.

As a result, when you start taking creatine, you can experience headaches because you’re dehydrated. That’s why it is so important to drink a lot of water. The right amount can vary by person, but generally men should be drinking 3.7 liters per day and women should be drinking 2.7 liters.

If you find that you when you start taking creatine you are getting more headaches, try drinking more water and see if that helps. One of the biggest complaints when taking creatine is headaches and almost all of the time it’s a result of dehydration.

And as mentioned earlier, talk to your doctor as well. They will be the only ones to give you a medically sound opinion specific to you.