Creatine cycling

[googler]

I've been taking creatine powdered form for the past 6 weeks, 2 teaspoons on training days (1 before & 1 after training), and 1 teaspoon on rest days. I've read it's best to take a break from it after a few weeks. What would you guys advise doing. Should I continue taking it until I reach the 8 week mark or stop now after 6 weeks? How many weeks would a normal break be? Thanks

 

[jumpedthegun]

i'd like to know too. i recently started creatine about two weeks ago. I do 3/4 teaspoon on off days and a heaping teaspoon on workout days. I know I should cycle off of it to make sure my body doesn't stop producing natural creatine, but how long should the cycles last? does it matter that i'm not loading?

 

[Freestyle]

There's no solid evidence that you should stop taking creatine at all -- same with the 'loading phase'.

In theory, taking a break every now and again will keep your body guessing. I'd say 12 weeks, then a 4 week break is fine.

Maybe a longer cycle if you skip the loading phase. It takes up to 30 days for creatine to reach optimum levels in your body, so you should treat the first 4 weeks as a warm-up.

The jury is still out on whether the loading phase is overkill. It certainly speeds up the introduction of creatine into your body, but not by a huge amount. Dehydration has also been problem with loading phases, so if you do it, drink a LOT of water.