Do you have to take Creatine at the same time every day? Our busy schedules mean that everything else revolves around our work, including workout timings. But what about supplements? We answer this burning question in detail below.
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Creatine is one of the most efficient supplements for the body and is very easy to maintain and purchase due to its wide availability. Most beginners, when they start taking supplements like Creatine and protein, have many questions such as:
- Do You Have To Take Creatine At The Same Time Every Day
- Should I take Creatine daily or just before workout?
- Can I take Creatine only on lifting days?
- How many times a day should I intake Creatine?
We will discuss Creatine dosage, timings, regularity, and other details in the article below.
Should I Take Creatine Daily or Just Before a Workout?
There is no harm in consuming it daily, and you should take it even on your days off. But what is necessary is that you should not take more than the recommended dosage of Creatine.
Creatine is one of the safest supplements on the market. There is no harm in consuming it daily if you don’t exceed the safe limit. However, Creatine can cause dehydration and some other problems if you take more than you are supposed to.
Most athletes and bodybuilders take Creatine daily at a proper interval to maintain a proper routine and steady growth. Creatine is one of the few supplements that bodybuilders continue to take even if they take a long break from their workout.
Professionals take a measured amount of Creatine (about 25 gms during loading and then 5-10gm every day prior to workout afterward); even beginners should follow a proper routine and guideline while following Creatine or any other supplement.
Do You Have To Take Creatine at the Same Time Every Day?
For the best results, you should take creatine on a proper schedule every day. By doing that, our body will accommodate faster to Creatine and the changes it will bring.
The most important thing with Creatine is that you maintain its consistency. People often start Creatine but leave it mid-ways when they don’t see results. That is a bad habit, and you should not do this.
Creatine is very effective, but it may take some time before it starts showing its results, so the consumer must be patient with it. Typically, professional bodybuilders and athletes take Creatine upto four times a day at a steady time every day.
You should also follow their steps and take your creatine dose at the same time every day to get the best results.
Should I Take Creatine On off Days?
You can take on creatine off days, and you should maintain its schedule even if you are not working out.
Creatine is effective even when you are not working out, although the rate of progress may be slower compared to when you are working out. Creatine not only builds our muscles but also produces energy in our body, which can help us in our day-to-day life in more than one way.
Creatine is useful even for those older adults whose body has stopped producing Creatine. They can take creatine pills or powder every day to maintain their muscle density and strength.
The energy provided by Creatine can also help us in healing and recovering faster on our days off. You should take Creatine on your off days and maintain the routine even if you take a long break. Even those who don’t work out sometimes use Creatine to get better muscle strength and energy.
Can I Take Creatine Only on Lifting Days?
We would suggest you take Creatine on all days.
Taking Creatine on lifting days is very effective. It increases the chance of an increase in water retention in your muscles. Creatine absorbs water from the muscles and therefore increases their water retention capacity.
This, in turn, makes our muscles look bigger. This type of increase in muscle volume is the safest way, and its effects stay for a longer time than any other. Taking Creatine on lifting days will increase our muscles volume exponentially and is also very helpful for our body.
However, this does not mean that Creatine is not effective on non-lifting days. Creatine helps increase the energy molecule ATP, which lets us work out faster and lift more weight. On those days when you are not lifting, Creatine will help you work out faster.
How Many Times a Day Should I Intake Creatine?
Professional bodybuilders and athletes take Creatine 4 times a day in dosages of 5 grams. If you are a beginner, you must start Creatine once a day (again with 5gm) and increase it two and more as you increase your workout intensity.
You should not take excess Creatine. 2 to 3 grams of Creatine is produced in our body every day on its own. Taking an unnecessarily high dosage of Creatine puts pressure on the kidneys and liver, can cause dehydration, and may also lead to dizziness.
It is hard for our body to absorb raw nutrients like creatine powders, so we should only take the necessary amount. The intake of Creatine greatly determines the proper functioning of our body in many ways. If you take more Creatine than the safe limit, then you might end up hurting the body.
How Should Creatine Be Taken?
You can take Creatine with liquids like water or milk. You can also take it with a mixture of other shakes and supplements. However, never take Creatine with alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, and the dual effect of Creatine and Alcohol will surely cause dehydration in your body.
Creatine can easily cause dehydration because of the way it extracts water from the body and moves it towards muscle tissue. So you must maintain a proper level of water inside your body.
Excess dehydration can cause problems like headaches, dizziness, or fatigue. During the workout, our body perspires, losing even more water than usual, so it’s necessary to take water breaks in proper intervals.
Creatine can be taken either before a workout or after a workout and can even be taken as a shake during working out. It is dependent on your choice, but for best results, you should take it before working out.
A Few Final Words
As explained above, you can and should take Creatine every day, but only in recommended amounts and not more than that.
Creatine is the most popular supplement across the globe, and you must maintain proper discipline while consuming it. Bodybuilders should maintain a proper routine and a proper dosage quantity for the best results.
Creatine has a downside too, but if you are taking it in the proper amount, then there is no need for you to worry about any side effects. Remember always to buy pure and stay within safe limits.
We hope this answers all your queries and invite you to leave a comment if there was something else that we missed. If you liked the content, please share it with others through social media and on your internal groups as well.