Creatine has become a staple of the fitness world, offering impressive benefits to those who want to maximize their workout routines. A naturally occurring amino acid, creatine in supplement form can improve muscle growth, endurance, muscle strength, and recovery, while being regarded as safe, and proven to be effective.
But, to the dismay of anyone who exercises, the truth is that no supplement, including creatine, works overnight, suddenly giving you the body of your dreams. Just because you didn’t wake up with biceps twice the size of the day before doesn’t mean that creatine doesn’t work. So, how long does it take to start seeing results, and what can you do to get as much out of it as possible?
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Quick Basics on Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that’s produced mainly by the liver of the body, and 95% of it is stored in the cells of the muscles to fuel a variety of muscular functions, while drawing water into muscle tissue to give muscles a larger appearance. Being a supplement, creatine works cumulatively, accumulating in the muscles more over time when taken consistently. Each time we exert our muscles, they burn through their creatine supply, which is why taking it consistently is paramount to success.
How Long Will it Take for Creatine to Work?
Here’s the thing: creatine doesn’t work instantaneously, and how long it takes to start giving you results is incredibly subjective. It depends on all kinds of factors, ranging from your body composition to your dosage, as well as how you take it, and your definition and standards of “results.” Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all type of answer, let’s go over the key variables that all make a difference in how long it can take for creatine to give you noticeable benefits.
Factor #1: Type of Creatine
First off, there are two types of creatine: creatine monohydrate and creatine HCL. Creatine monohydrate contains a water molecule, and many say that this works more quickly, because its chemical composition effectively draws more water into the muscle in a shorter period of time, essentially “bloating” the muscles to make them appear larger – in other words, giving the muscles the ability to retain more water.
If your goal is to bulk up as fast as possible, then creatine monohydrate may be the best type of creatine for you. Keep in mind that water retention is different from muscle mass, so this is a more superficial type of result.
Creatine HCL (hydrochloride), meanwhile, has hydrochloride attached, which enhances its solubility. Basically, this allows it to absorb more quickly and effectively into the body by increasing its bioavailability, so in terms of effects on things like muscle strength and muscle growth, creatine HCL gets the job done faster than creatine monohydrate, but it doesn’t offer the more immediate effect of water bulking up muscle tissue.
Factor #2: How Much Meat You Consume
Creatine is a natural byproduct of animal protein, so if you already consume a good amount of meat, then you already have existing creatine reserves in your muscular tissue. Like we said, creatine works cumulatively, so the higher your existing reserve, the faster it will take for you to start seeing results from added supplementation.
Factor #3: Metabolism and Body Weight
As is the case with just about everything we supplement, your metabolism and body weight play a role in how your body utilizes creatine, and how much it needs. As for the body weight factor, the more you weigh, the more creatine your body will need to get the results you’re looking for. And, some people’s metabolisms metabolize through creatine intake more than others, as well.
Factor #4: Loading vs. Not Loading
Whether you’re loading as the initial stage of supplementation or not also matters. Many serious fitness enthusiasts begin supplementing with creatine by engaging in a “loading stage.” This is when they take about 20 grams of creatine daily for 5-7 days before going into the “maintenance stage” of taking 2-5 grams daily for a long period of time.
Loading is done to build up the reserves of creatine quickly, making up for what would be considered a deficiency in the bodybuilding world. Naturally, loading for the first week or so would allow the creatine to work faster. But, you don’t have to engage in loading if you don’t find it necessary. Just know that in this case, it would take longer to see results.
Factor #5: Quality of Product
The product itself matters, of course, as well. You want to know that you’re buying pure creatine, in either monohydrate or HCL form. There are always “new” types of creatine hitting the market, but they haven’t been tested for efficacy to the extent that the other two types have (keep in mind, monohydrate is the most extensively tested by far, with consistently positive results).
Factor #6: Don’t Cycle
With a lot of supplements, people cycle on and off for periods of time, believing that restarting after an “off” period “jumpstarts” its effectiveness. But, this has never been proven to be the case with creatine, and cycling off may accomplish nothing but depleting your creatine reserves instead of bringing you closer to reaching your goals.
Factor #7: Consider Timing
It’s believed by many experts that the best way to get results is to take a dose of creatine immediately before and immediately after working out – basically, taking your daily dose and splitting it in half to take it twice in one day. This is believed to provide immediate benefits to the muscles as they exercise and start the recovery process, maximizing the effects of the supplement.
Get Faster Results with Your Creatine Regimen
Creatine is a supplement that is basically guaranteed to work, but you have to take the right product, and take it according to expert advice based on years of experience and research, to get results sooner than later. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to get the results you want more quickly than average, so that you can enjoy more strength, bigger muscles, and higher endurance levels practically in no time.