For Fitness enthusiasts looking for greater results, creatine is considered a go-to supplement. It gives you the energy that you need for that intense workout session, and helps you push harder!
But unlike most other supplements, creatine has its own way of working, which takes time, and dedication on your part. So, instead of expecting results within a day or two, you need to give your creatine supplement some time to activate.
So, how long does creatine take to start working? How to get results faster? And you may have a number of questions in your mind, especially if you have just started taking it and wondering when it starts giving you the results.
Through this article, we will give you the answer to all your questions about the creatine activation process. So, read along!
Does Creatine Start Working Right Away?
No, creatine will not start working as soon as you take it.
The reason why creatine takes time to activate is that there will be some creatine void in your cells before you start using it. Over time, as you take creatine supplement, those voids get filled up.
Only after that, you will get the actual results you expect from your creatine supplement.
How Long Does Creatine Take to Work?
It takes some time for creatine to start working. For some, it may be one week while it can be 2 weeks, three weeks, or even a month for others.
Here is how a creatine supplement works; your body produces 2 grams of creatine every day. However, this 2g per day may not be sufficient for your body, especially if you engage in intense workout sessions. As a result, there will be some creatine voids within your cells.
And, when you take 5g creatine powder per day, that extra creatine fills in those voids. Eventually, over a month, those voids will be all full and by then, you will get the desired pump.
That being said, it won’t always take a month for creatine to start working.
According to research, if you go for a creatine loading phase in the first few days, you can get the results even by a week. Instead of 5 grams, if you take 20 grams per day, your creatine void fills up in just 7 days.
After that, your supplement will start working in your body.
If you take more than 5g per day for the first few days, it is called the loading phase. After completing the loading phase, you can enter the maintenance phase wherein you can take just 5g of creatine per day.
In addition to whether or not you opt for the loading phase, there are a few more factors that determine how fast creatine progresses in your body. That includes your body’s metabolism rate, the diet you follow, and your workout intensity.
Some individuals can get the creatine result faster than others because their body has a faster metabolism.
If you follow a protein-rich, nutritious diet, your body will easily absorb more creatine as protein itself provides natural creatine.
Regardless of these external factors, going for the loading phase will help you get faster results!
How Do You Know Creatine is Working?
Before we go into “how do you know creatine is working”, here is the basic principle behind its working- Creatine promotes the accelerated production of ATP, which is basically what gives energy to cells.
As your cells produce more ATP, your body will get more energy. This is how you get the pump!
As a result, you will notice a big difference in your athletic performance before and after creatine. That is, you can go through an intense exercise session more easily than before.
In addition to better athletic performance, you can also notice faster muscle growth or an overall increase in your body weight. This increase in body weight is due to the increased water content in your body due to creatine action. This mass gain however, is temporary and will stop as your body adapts to it.
How to Take Creatine for the Fastest Results?
You can do many things to ensure faster creatine transformation.
First and foremost, go for a loading phase in your first one week. Instead of the 5 grams per day that you would need during the creatine maintenance phase, go for 20 grams.
The more creatine you take in the first few days, the faster will be its activation!
Another way to ensure faster results is by going for high quality creatine. Although there are a number of creatine variations available in the market, we suggest you go for micronized creatine monohydrate as it is not only fast but also safe.
Furthermore, follow a proper diet with high protein intake, and engage in intense workouts even in the initial days to achieve faster results.
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1 Week Creatine Results
If you go for a loading phase with 20g per day, you would see significant results within just one week. But if you go the conventional way and start taking 5g from the first day, you might have to wait for a few more weeks!
In addition to improved athletic performance, you can also notice an overall increase in your body weight. The change will be visible more if you go for the loading phase. That being said, taking even 5g per day can also give minor results.
2 Weeks Creatine Results
If you have started with the loading phase, you would already be on your track. Your body will naturally accept the creatine you provide, and you can go easily through a high intensity workout session.
But if you went directly for the maintenance phase (5 grams per day), you will be yet to reach the desired energy level.
1 Month Creatine Results
Now, your body has reached a certain stage called ‘muscle saturation”. As a result, your body will no longer gain that extra weight that you used to gain in the first one month.
You will see consistent improvement in your athletic performance. Keep in mind that it also depends on your diet, workout intensity, and such factors.
That being said, if you skipped the loading phase and went directly for the maintenance phase, your body would still be adapting to creatine!
3 Month Creatine Results
No matter if you went for the loading phase or skipped it, your body is now completely adapted to creatine after 3 months.
By this time, if you also follow a proper diet and progressive overloading, you will see impressive improvements in your gym performance.
Not only in gym workouts but in almost any kind of sport, 3 months is when creatine gives you a consistent boost!
6 Month Creatine Results
Within 6 months, your body gets adjusted to your daily creatine intake. You will feel more energetic during your workout sessions, leading to better athletic performance.
However, that doesn’t mean you need to use it indefinitely longer. If you feel like stopping using creatine, you can! But we suggest you take it continuously at the optimum volume.
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The Bottom Line
To see faster results, we recommend you go for the loading phase. Also, couple it with a good diet with sufficient protein intake, and follow an intense workout routine. That way, you can see results in one week.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with skipping the creatine loading phase and going directly to the maintenance phase. But you may have to wait up to a month to see results.
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