How and when should creatine be taken?
Creatine usually comes in powder form. Although capsules are available, they are significantly more expensive and most prefer powder. Creatine can be mixed in most drinks. During loading, it is customary to divide the creatine into 3-4 doses spread throughout the day (3 doses of 10 g or 4 doses of 5 g). During maintenance, 1-2 doses daily (usually of 5 g each) are used. Taking one of the doses pre-exercise on exercise days is recommended. Also, if some meals contain more carbohydrates than others, creatine should be taken with the high carbohydrate meals. Some believe it is best to take creatine throughout the day to maintain elevated blood levels. However, once muscles are saturated with creatine, it takes a long time for muscle creatine levels to return to baseline (30 days). In the big picture, maintaining elevated blood levels around the clock is relatively inconsequential, as muscle creatine levels will be maintained at near-maximum with once daily dosing.
