Should I Take Creatine on Rest Days? (What Science Says)

For all those facing energy loss issues during intense workout sessions, creatine is considered a savior. Creatine is the most effective supplement that you can take for that extra energy that you need for long, intense workout sessions.

Creatine is a natural supplement in our body. But our body doesn’t produce much of it and hence, we take it as a supplement.

Whenever we are working out, creatine is consumed by muscles, which in turn increases muscle power and allows your body to lift more and lift longer.

So now that we know the consumption of creatine powder is undoubtedly effective, some questions that you might normally ask are:

When should we take creatine? Or should you take creatine on rest days as well? What happens when you skip it on your rest days?

Through the article, all your doubts will be cleared. Read along, and learn why it is important to take creatine on off days!

Should I Take Creatine on Rest Days?

The simplest answer to the question is, no! it is not compulsory to take creatine on rest days! However, although not taking creatine on rest days won’t cause any issues, skipping it may affect the working of creatine in your body.

Taking creatine on off days maintains its level in your body.

If you are just starting out with creatine, you will be usually following a loading phase to fill the creatine voids in your muscle cells.

If you just skip it for a day, your muscle cells won’t be able to fill in those voids, or even worse, some of those voids that were filled earlier may end up empty again.

As a result, it may take longer for creatine to start working.

But that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to take it in higher dosages like 20 grams per day. On your rest days, you can cut it down to just 5 grams per day. By doing so, you can at least ensure that your body’s creatine level won’t go down.

Now, if you are either in your maintenance phase or have skipped the loading phase altogether, then also you have to take creatine on rest days.

If you’re maintaining a dose of 3-5 gm per day, it is better to maintain the same on rest days too in order to retain the required concentration of creatine in your muscle cells.

What Happens If I Don’t Take Creatine on Rest Days?

You have seen why you should take creatine on rest days. Now it’s also important to know what happens if you don’t take creatine on rest days.

If you know the basic principle behind how creatine works, it will be much more easier for you to understand. Your body usually produces just around 1 or 2 grams of creatine per day, and without a creatine supplement, there will be a lot of creatine voids within your muscle cells.

While taking creatine in normal dosage, you will be consuming somewhere around 2 to 5 grams per day. This much creatine is required to maintain the saturated creatine level in your muscle cells.

So, if you skip it for one day, some of the creatine voids your supplement has filled earlier may become void again.

That was about skipping creatine on rest days when you are taking it in normal usage. But if you are in your loading phase, things become a bit more complicated.

During your creatine loading phase, you have to take somewhere between 5 and 20 grams of it per day, depending on how fast you want results. The more you take, the faster the results will be.

So, if you skip creatine intake on a rest day while you are in the loading phase, an even larger percentage of voids that you filled with a higher dosage earlier, empties again. This can impact your loading phase results.

That being said, its non-consumption won’t harm you in any way but it certainly would deteriorate the speed at which your body adapts to it.

Taking creatine powder on rest days helps maintain the storage of creatine in muscle cells. So, try taking it on rest days also, at least in lower dosages.

Do You Have to Take Creatine on Rest Days?

Making it clear first, creatine intake on rest days isn’t a compulsion and it won’t even harm in any way if you don’t.

But for the best results in your workout endeavor, it is always advisable to take it on regular workout days as well as on off days. There’s a certain cycle of loading in creatine which if not maintained doesn’t provide desired results.

Creatine powder is also a strength improving and recovery supplement.

So, creatine on rest days will help repair your body and prepare it for the next workout session. But keep in mind that you at least drink enough water so that you won’t suffer from dehydration, bloating, migraine, or other side effects.

We also recommend you go for lighter physical activities on your rest days. At least, don’t be a couch potato on your rest days if you have taken creatine.

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Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that creatine is an excellent supplement for maintaining your energy levels during your intense workout sessions. And this will help you achieve better results.

But different from most other supplements, creatine has its own way of working. That means, unless you take it regularly, you won’t get the best results.

The key takeaway here is, take creatine on rest days as well. But you have all the freedom to go for a lower-than-usual dosage on these days!