My last video I covered most current recommendations for dosing creatine, as well as why there’s a mysterious code on the label of Creapure sourced creatine. What I did not cover in that vid, which lead to some questions, was dosing schedule of creatine now that people are using much higher doses than the typical 3-5 grams.
It’s interesting that like bad fashion (bell-bottom jeans anyone?), things always come full circle. Back in the day, we did a loading phase with creatine, then a maintenance dose, and that was that. Studies that followed suggested simply doing the maintenance dose (3-5 grams) resulted in tissue saturation, it just took longer. So, for the last few decades, we all did the 3-5g, and that was that. At that dose, it didn’t require multiple dosing schedules. Once per day was sufficient, although breaking it up into 2.5g x 2 per day may still be of benefit.
Come full circle to current times, where studies find all manner of benefits of creatine unrelated to strength and performance in the gym, and doses required are higher (see prior vid for that info) to maximize those benefits, a dosing schedule is required to see full benefits. Why? The body can only absorb and utilize so much creatine at once. More technically, steady elevated serum levels is superior to large spikes in serum levels which leads to urinary excretion, essentially as it sounds, peeing out the excess creatine. The advantage of small doses over the day is therefore likely better matching of creatine delivery to the rate at which tissues can take it up. The optimal schedule for increasing tissue levels, and likely brain levels, is going to be impractical, so a balance has to be struck. For example, a study in 2009 compared 1g x 20 doses per day vs 5g x 4 per day and did find the former schedule lead to an approx +13% increase in whole-body creatine retention vs the 5g x 4 per day schedule. It’s also essential to note that it remains unanswered as to whether the extra retained creatine translates into meaningfully greater muscle saturation, strength, hypertrophy, or cognitive/brain benefits. Regardless, very few people are going to be willing to follow such an inconvenient schedule just to get a bit more creatine into tissues. I will post that study below for those who want to nerd out on the details.
The best balance of dosing and schedule I recommend is for each 5 grams, add a dose to the day, so 10g is 5g x 2. 15g is 5g x 3, and 20g, is 5g x 4 doses per day spread out over the day. If you’re using the coffee booster, you are getting 3g of German sourced Creapure, and if adding additional creatine via Alpha Joe, each scoop supplies 5g, so calculate accordingly! Finally, timing of creatine doses does not appear to matter much, and one dose can be post workout if it falls on a workout day. Otherwise, just spread doses out evenly.
“Urinary creatine and methylamine excretion following 4 × 5 g · day−1 or 20 × 1 g · day−1 of creatine monohydrate for 5 days” J.of Sports Sci.
Abstract
In this study, we examined the effect of two creatine monohydrate supplementation regimes on 24-h urinary creatine and methylamine excretion. Nine male participants completed two trials, separated by 6 weeks. Participants ingested 4 × 5 g · day−1 creatine monohydrate for 5 days in one trial and 20 × 1 g · day−1 for 5 days in the other. We collected 24-h urine samples on 2 baseline days (days 1–2), during 5 days of supplementation (days 3–7), and for 2 days post-supplementation (days 8–9). Urine was assayed for creatine using high-performance liquid chromatography and methylamine using gas chromatography. Less creatine was excreted following the 20 × 1 g · day−1 regime (49.25 ± 10.53 g) than the 4 × 5 g · day−1 regime (62.32 ± 9.36 g) (mean ± s; P < 0.05). Mean total excretion of methylamine (n = 6) over days 3–7 was 8.61 ± 7.58 mg and 24.81 ± 25.76 mg on the 20 × 1 g · day−1 and 4 × 5 g · day−1 regimes, respectively (P < 0.05). The lower excretion of creatine using 20 × 1 g · day−1 doses suggests a greater retention in the body and most probably in the muscle. Lower and more frequent doses of creatine monohydrate appear to further attenuate formation of methylamine.
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
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