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Scott Welch
BASc. (Nutrition)
Scott Welch has devoted his career studying performance enhancement and weight loss through dietary intervention. He received a bachelor of applied science degree in Nutrition from Ryerson University and later completed a post-graduate certificate in advertising. He’s had countless interactions with leading scientists, doctors, and hundreds of trainers from around the world, giving him a unique perspective that others lack. Welch founded MUSCLE INSIDER in 2009.
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Do I Have To Load With Creatine?
QUESTION: Is it really necessary to load with creatine?
ANSWER: Creatine loading is a strategy to increase muscle creatine stores. Obviously, the more creatine you can cram into your muscles, the more growth you’ll experience and the stronger you’ll become. (That’s assuming you’reputting it to good use and lifting the iron hard!) The most widely used protocol for loading involves a daily consumption of 20 grams of creatine split into 4 equal servings for the first 5 to 6 days. This is followed by a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams daily (depending on your size). Now to answer your question: No, you don’t have to load creatine to get great results. However, the gains will come slower. Let me explain. Studies have shown that following the loading schedule mentioned above will supersaturate the muscle cells with creatine within 7 days, but other studies have shown that consumption of 3 grams per day for 28 days produces similar results. So whether you get results sooner than later depends on whether you load or not. The top pros in the industry have endorsement contracts with supplement companies which give them all the creatine they want for free. These champs have no reason to load and usually only come off the stuff when they’re competing. For the rest of us who may be on a tighter budget, we do well on 3 grams per day all year.
Carb-Free Creatine Supplements
PharmaFreak, Thermolife's creatine Nitrate formula C-BOL, Advanced Genetics with their GP3 (I prefer the powder because it tastes soooo good), KAIZEN's creatine is of very high quality, Maxx Essentials' brand Creatine Maxx is a good buy, Ottawa based Interactive Nutrition's Micro Creatine is also worthwhile. Optimum Nutrition's Micronized Creatine Powder is one of the top sellers of micronized creatine.
Creatine + Carb Supplements
If you like to take carbs with your creatine, Cytosport's MONSTER PUMP, MuscleTech's CELL-TECH Hardcore Pro Series and ALLMAX's KRUSH RELADED are all terrific supplements.
But did you know that if you take creatine with Alka-Seltzer you can make it even more effective? Click HERE to find out why!
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