If you’re seriously into fitness, you load your gym bag with protein bars, your barbells with weight plates, and your body with creatine. It’s just what you do. Yet while pretty much every bodybuilder takes creatine to gain a muscle-building advantage, not everyone agrees on the right way to go about it.
One of the most long-held beliefs about creatine supplementation is that you should start with a “loading phase.” For the uninitiated, “a creatine loading phase involves ingesting 20 to 25 grams of creatine per day—usually, split into four or five smaller doses of five grams each—for a week or so to saturate the muscles with creatine rapidly,” explains exercise physiologist and certified nutrition specialist Dominic Kuza, M.S., head of product innovation and advanced clinical education at RAW Nutrition. After completing this phase, individuals transition to a maintenance phase in which they take three to five grams of creatine daily.
Here’s the thing: While the benefits of creatine supplementation are indisputable—it’s the subject of more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, making it one of the most researched supplement ingredients—there’s a lot of chatter suggesting the loading phase isn’t always necessary.
So, should you load your creatine? Here’s a deeper dive into the compound’s benefits, when a loading phase does and doesn’t make sense, and general best practices for maximizing creatine’s benefits.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Kylene Bogden, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.S.D., I.F.N.C.P., is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, co-founder of FWDfuel, and Cleveland Cavaliers performance dietitian. Dominic Kuza, M.S., is an exercise physiologist, NASM-certified nutrition specialist, and head of product innovation and advanced clinical education at RAW Nutrition.
Quick Refresher: Creatine And Its Benefits
Put on your listening ears because to fully understand what a creatine loading phase can and cannot do, you must understand how the body uses and stores creatine in the first place.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the human body created in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas by synthesizing the amino acids arginine, glycine, and methionine, according to Kylene Bogden, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.S.D., I.F.N.C.P., performance dietitian for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It can also be ingested via certain foods, including beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, some other animal-based products, and pumpkin seeds.
Whether it is manufactured in-house (the body) or solicited through an outside source (food or supplements), creatine is stored in the muscle cells as creatine phosphate (CP), says Bogden. Creatine phosphate is a form of creatine that has phosphorylated—or bonded to a phosphate molecule with the aid of an enzyme called creatine kinase.
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When you exercise—or otherwise need an extra energy boost—the body calls on creatine phosphate to aid in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which gives the body fuel just as gasoline does a car, explains Bogden. “The creatine phosphate donates its phosphate group to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), converting it into ATP the body can use for energy,” she explains.
This conversion process may sound time-consuming, but it’s one of the fastest ways for the body to generate fuel. “Creatine phosphate recharges the body quickly, giving your body the energy it needs to continue performing,” says Bogden. As such, “supplementing with creatine is like giving your body a backup battery,” she adds.
The Idea Behind Loading Creatine
The goal behind a creatine loading phase (again, that initial week or so wherein you take in a significantly higher dosage than usual) is to fast-track the benefits of supplementing with creatine. “It allows your muscles to absorb more creatine in less time, which allows you to experience the benefits in less time [than you would without a loading phase],” Bogden says.
What exactly are those benefits? Thanks to its ability to ramp up your ATP production in moments of need, creatine supplementation has been shown to improve muscle strength and increase lean muscle mass, says Bogden. In fact, one 2021 review published in Nutrients found that those who supplemented with creatine experienced greater increases in relative muscle strength during lifts than those who didn’t supplement. During training and exercise, increased available energy can also translate to increased explosivity during movements such as plyometrics and Olympic lifts, according to Bogden.
“Supplementation also has cognitive benefits,” notes Kuza. “It supports healthy neurological function, memory, mental clarity, and overall brain health—particularly under stress or sleep deprivation.” Indeed, one 2023 study in BMC Medicine found that creatine supplementation increased brain creatine levels and improved cognitive performance.
To be clear: These benefits aren’t reserved for those who commit to a creatine loading phase. If you consistently supplement with the standard three to five milligrams per day, your muscles will slowly saturate with the compound in three to four weeks, according to Kuza. After that initial month, non-loaders begin reaping the same benefits as someone who underwent a loading phase.
Is A Loading Phase Necessary?
Ultimately, the true benefit of a creatine loading phase depends on the time frame in which you’re trying to reach your goals. For the average person, though, a loading phase is not necessary.
You’ll eventually attain the health and fitness goals supported by creatine supplementation—including increased strength and better brain functioning—whether you load or not, according to Bogden. The only difference between using or forgoing a loading phase is how soon those benefits occur.
“A loading phase accelerates the speed with which the muscles become saturated with creatine so that they become saturated within just a few days,” explains Kuza. As a result, users experience benefits such as increased strength, endurance, and muscle volume a few weeks sooner than they would without a loading phase, he explains.
“Athletes or competitors looking for quick improvements may find loading beneficial, especially before an event or training cycle,” says Kuza. A powerlifter starting a six-week squat cycle or a bodybuilder looking to add on a little extra mass before transitioning to a cut, for example, would both be well-served by the expedited benefit timeline of a loading phase.
A loading phase could also benefit lifters who have hit a plateau or are feeling down on their rate of progress, as a loading phase can help you start seeing results fast. Case in point: One study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that, while those who did and did not load experienced the same strength benefits, those who did not load experienced the strength benefits in 28 days while those who did experienced them in just six.
Read More: Here’s What It Takes To Build Two Pounds Of Muscle Per Month
However, because a loading phase requires a rigid schedule for a full week—which can feel laborious for those juggling jobs, family obligations, and a gym routine—the hassle of a loading phase just isn’t worth it for the average gymgoer or person seeking a brain boost, says Kuza.
A loading phase may also be inadvisable for those with sensitive stomachs. Bloating and GI discomfort are potential side effects of creatine supplementation, and research shows that tummy troubles following ingestion are more likely to accompany larger doses (10 grams or more). As such, if you stick to the maintenance dose from the get-go, you’re more likely to avoid any annoying symptoms.
How To Pick The Right Creatine Supplement For You
Regardless of your initial dosing approach or what health or fitness benefits you seek, Bogden recommends the same criteria for selecting a creatine supplement.
If you’re newer to creatine, you might start with creatine monohydrate. “Monohydrate is the most research-backed, effective for muscle and brain health, and cost-effective,” she explains. That said, there are other forms of creatine, such as creatine HCl, that have been found to be easier on the gut if taking monohydrate turns out to cause any bloating or GI issues.
You also want to avoid unnecessary additives. “Choose a pure creatine monohydrate that doesn’t have artificial sweeteners, fillers, or added sugars—especially if you have a sensitive stomach,” Bogden suggests. While scanning the label, look out for an ‘NSF Certified for Sport’ or ‘Informed-Sport’ insignia, too. Both programs test products for unsafe levels of contaminants, prohibited substances, and masking agents, and their marking on a creatine package co-signs its purity, she adds.
Finally, consider the supplement form that will best meet your needs and support consistency. Powdered creatine supplements—available in flavored and non-flavored varieties—need to be added to a beverage (like water or a protein shake) but allow you to divvy up dosages throughout the day easily. This is handy both for those in a loading phase as well as those sticking with a standard dosage. Pill supplements might seem more convenient, but loading with them could involve downing handfuls of capsules throughout the day. Chews or gummies might prove to be an easier delivery system.
Takeaway
Creatine is a beneficial addition to a supplement stack whether you’re looking to better your health or reach new athletic heights. However, kicking off consistent supplementation with a creatine loading phase is only really necessary for those with time-sensitive goals. Everyone else will be perfectly well-suited starting with the same three- to five-milligram daily dose that they’ll take for months (or years) to come. Loading phase or not, invest in a quality creatine supplement that allows it to fit into your current routine seamlessly.