Should I cycle Creatine??

[angleslam]

Hey fellas. I was wondering if you should cycle creatine, or is it ok for you to stay on it year round??I been lifting for a bit over 2 years and hit a bit of a plateu, and started taking Creatine Monohydrate about 4 months ago and it has helped me to overcome it. Thanks and sorry if this is a dumb question lol.

 

[Rémy!]

Some people do stay on all year, and some don't. Its a personal choice but I think most people do cycle. It has been suspected that you need to give your receptors a break for a bit by cycling but this is not proven, I prefer to cycle myself. IMO If you decide to stay on all year just keep water intake high and goto a doc to check your kidneys a couple times a year.

 

[Rotty]

Bro. See what works for you. I pretty much took creatine year round for 3 years. Then I started to cycle it. I will do say 2 months on and one month off, etc. You dont want your body to get to used to it it may not work anymore. Just IMO. Good luck.

 

[Lguy00]

naaaaaa

if you take creatine all year round you won't have the gains that a person who cycled would and your body with stop producing natural creatine and the gains you do get won't be that noticable. i would due 8 weeks on 2 off. works for me

 

[Mike P.T.]

i would bro. cycle it for several months then take a month off.

 

[mrt]

Creatine puts some pressure on your kidneys, so it is a good idea to cycle it.

 

[augastes_stiranko]

I have been on it for over 5 years and have suffered no negative side effects and but The only time I went of it was 2 years ago to see if my body was producing creatine on it's own and it was. I don't think that creatine shuts down your own creatine production and I don't think it's ever been proven that it does. From now on I stay on it year round.

 

[angleslam]

Thanks alot for all the info fellas! Im really appreciating it.

 

[rgosit]

ive been on for almost a year strate with like 2, 2 week periods off...

 

[John G]

Cycle it!

It is important to cycle your creatine. Recent studies published I believe in Muscle and Fitness or Ironman, showed that people who didn't cycle their creatine had fewer gains then the people who cycled it. As you may already know, there are creatine stores in your body (Duh) creatine supplementing makes sure that they are constantly replenished during workout. Anyhow over a period this effect is lessened. The Bodies response to the supplementing is greatly reduced. In some cases creatine levels were even lower when the creatine was taken over a long period of time, they eventually return to normal levels when stopped. Your body will never completely stop producing creatine.

Also regular creatine is very unstable to water. It will disrupt ph levels in the stomach. Effervescent Creatine and I believe micronized eliminate this problem.