MORE STRENGTH AND POWER FOR TRAINING AND EVERYDAY LIFE - DOSAGE AND INTAKE OF CREATINE SUPPLEMENT

Creatine is a central energy source in the body and is mainly involved in supplying the muscles, nerves and sensory cells with energy. Athletes appreciate the additional intake of creatine supplements to increase muscle strength and performance. Learn more about the benefits and effects of the supplement here: Benefits of creatine supplement.

With a healthy, balanced diet, the human body supplies itself with creatine. It can (like most dietary supplements) be ingested through certain foods. Fresh fish, for example, has a high creatine content, around 10 - 2 g per kg (especially herring, salmon, tuna, cod and plaice) as well as meat (including pork and beef) with a creatine content of 4 - 5 g per kg.

It becomes more difficult for people who eat vegan or vegetarian food to supplement creatine naturally. Dairy products cover the creatine intake only up to about 20% of the daily requirement. For this reason, the positive effect of creatine is particularly relevant for vegetarians, vegans and the elderly. But above all, creatine supplement is taken to increase performance in sports.

Dosage recommendations for Creatine supplement

There is no general answer to the question of how much creatine monohydrate powder one should take because it depends to a large extent on the individual (age, weight, physical condition, activities, etc.). In general, older people and athletes have an increased creatine requirement.

The body of healthy adults produces about 1,5 to 2 g of creatine. It is about half of the required creatine levels per day. As a general dietary supplement, a total daily dose of creatine powder of 1 to 3 grams is considered ideal for healthy adults. For competitive athletes or in bodybuilding, the need is much higher. 5 g of creatine powder is equivalent to eating 1 kg of raw beef.

If necessary, creatine supplement can also be taken as a cure and is divided into two phases: the loading phase at the beginning (loading the body's creatine stores) and the maintenance phase to maintain an appropriate creatine dose.

Recommended creatine dosages (for healthy adults, based on a weight of about 70 kg)

Creatine as a general dietary supplement

Duration: Daily

Max. daily dose of creatine: 2 - 5 g, spread over 1 - 3 single doses

"Creatine Loading Phase"

Duration: approx. 4 - 10 days

Max. daily dose of creatine: 3 - 27 g (for competitive sports), spread over 3 - 5 individual doses

- As a general supplement: 3 x 5 g creatine powder per day (up to 15 g/day)

- Seniors: 3 x 5 g creatine powder per day (up to 15 g/day)

- Athletes and during physical exertion: 4 x 5 g creatine powder per day (up to 20 g/day)

- Competitive sports / bodybuilding 3 x 6 - 9 g creatine powder per day (up to 27 g/day)

"Creatine Maintenance Phase"

Duration: After the charging phase, up to 3 weeks

Max. daily dose: 2 - 14 g divided into 1 - 5 single doses

- As a general supplement: 2 to 3 g/day

- Seniors: 3 to 5 g/day

- Athletes and during physical exertion: up to 10 g/day

- Competitive sports / bodybuilding: 10 to 14 g/day

When should you take creatine powder?

Creatine is already essential in early childhood development, e.g. for physical development and the functions of vital organs (musculature, nerves, brain, vision and hearing). However, expectant mothers should always consult their physicians beforehand.

For adults without previous illnesses, creatine is ideal for stress and fitness.

A common question is when to take creatine. It varies a bit, whether you take it as a general supplement for stress in everyday life, to build muscle or as a dietary supplement for vegan/vegetarian diets and in old age.

You should take creatine powder with plenty of fluids since excess must be excreted via the liver and urine.

Creatine intake for seniors and as a dietary supplement

Creatine powder is a popular dietary supplement in old age, as a vegan nutritional supplement and for anyone who needs to perform a lot. The rule here is: to take several small doses of creatine supplement throughout the day, with plenty of liquid or dissolved in water. It doesn't matter whether it's before or after the meal. You can easily consume about 2 - 5 g during the day.

Creatine intake for athletes

Buying creatine is particularly popular with fitness fans and in competitive sports because it can be used to increase and maintain maximum performance.

If you want to take creatine to build muscle, the question arises: when to take creatine? Before training or after? Sober or better with carbohydrates? As a cure or regular supplement?

Daily use is essential for increasing strength and performance, but the timing is arbitrary. Nutrition and sports scientists are increasingly recommending the regular intake of smaller creatine doses of around 3 to 5 g throughout the day for fitness and hobby athletes. However, if you opt for a creatine treatment, it is advisable to take creatine in the maintenance phase immediately after getting up and after training.

An increase in strength through creatine should be noticeable after just a few days, and muscle building after 3 to 4 weeks - assuming high-intensity training with heavy weight. Nothing comes from nothing - a nootropic can only support.

What is the maximum daily dose of creatine supplement?

The maximum recommended daily dose of creatine depends on the condition, activities and goal of the user.

About 2 to 5 g is the recommended daily dose of creatine monohydrate powder as a dietary supplement for healthy adults. According to current studies, even higher dosages (in professional sports over 20 g) are considered harmless. While short-term use is the norm (up to 8 weeks), long-term use of the supplement is also considered safe. If you stop taking creatine, the level in your body will drop back to its original value after a while. Nevertheless, one should not exceed the recommended maximum dosages, as this increases the risk of possible side effects.

You can read about whether and which side effects creatine can cause in the blog: Creatine side effects.

Is a creatine powder overdose dangerous?

Nootropics are considered safe and well tolerated, so an accidental overdose should not be a concern. At a certain point, the body cannot absorb any more creatine anyway - the stores are full and superfluous active ingredients are excreted. In addition: a lot does not help much - if the body is permanently supplied with too much of the active ingredient in high quantities (e.g. permanently over 20, 30 g), creatine side effects can occur more frequently.

In addition, the following applies: Dietary supplements can neither replace a healthy diet nor appropriate fitness training. Especially when used in (strength) sports, there is no way around a targeted workout to define the muscles and increase strength and performance.

If you want to buy creatine in powder form, you have to weigh the creatine dose exactly or use an appropriate measuring spoon. Small amounts like 1 or 2 g are quite difficult to measure with scales.

Our tip: weigh out the entire daily dose of creatine powder in the morning and dissolve smaller amounts in water throughout the day and drink. It reduces the risk of a creatine overdose.

Sources:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreatin

https://www.supplement-insider.de/blog/creatin-ueberdosis/#Creatin_Ueberdosis_Wenn_du_zu_viel_Creatin_nimmst

https://www.kreatin.de/ueber-kreatin/dosierung/

https://de.myprotein.com/thezone/supplemente/creatin-einnahme-wirkung-dosierung-nebenwirkungen/

https://www.menshealth.de/fitness-ernaehrung/creatin-richtig-einnehmen/