? about getting off creatine

Underground S&C Underground
1

I've been using creatine for about 2 months now, and have read that it's not great for your kidneys if you continue to use it without some sort of cycling.

From the things that I've read, it appears as if 3 months on, 1 off seems to be the concensus best cycle. Since I didn't go through a loading phase, I'm going to do 3 1/2 months on.

My question is how can I cycle off creatine with minimal losses. I've heard horror stories of guys who have trained on creatine, and made massive gains, but lost them all as soon as they stopped using creatine. I am very fond of the gains that I have made in both size and strength and want to keep as much as possible. What is the best way of doing that while cycling off? Should I just gradually lower the amount I take until I'm taking none, then stop for a month, before starting another cycle?

2

"and have read that it's not great for your kidneys if you continue to use it without some sort of cycling."

Source?

"I've heard horror stories of guys who have trained on creatine, and made massive gains, but lost them all as soon as they stopped using creatine."

You won't be as strong, but if you continue to eat and train intelligently you won't lose much muscle.

3

"Source?"

If I remember correctly, when creatine first hit the fitness industry, there was a book that was sold at Barnes and Nobles, Borders, etc. talking about creatine, how it works, why it works, and the requisite citations of studies.

IIRC, they do mention cycling in that book, for the reasons that the Last Don listed.

Sadly, the name of the book escapes me.

4

todd, I don't have the links because I'm on my work computer, but I can find them and post them later if you'd like.

The concern didn't seem like it was going to cause kidney failure or anything along those lines, just that creatine caused excess stress on the kidneys. As I've had kidney stones once before, I'd rather not mess around with the possibility of that happening again.

5

ttt

6

Drink enough water and you won't have a problem with your kidneys. You could say the samething with massive amounts of Vit C or Protien as well.

7

So you're saying I don't have to cycle?

8

"As I've had kidney stones once before, I'd rather not mess around with the possibility of that happening again."

That makes sense. I'd like to see those links, if you could post them when you have the opportunity.

9

The only reasons to cycle something are (a) it is stressful on your body, (b) it tends to downregulate your own production of that substance, or (c) it is too expensive.

There is no research that supports the first two and creatine is fairly inexpensive. So I would say don't cycle, just take it as a normal supplement.

Brian

10

Based on earlier discussion on this board, and also discussion on similar boards, the consensus seems to be that there's no reason to cycle creatine.

-Gary

11

everything I have read indicates no need to cycle. Keep it around 3-5 grams a day and you should be fine.

I think the early horror stories about creatine were all based on people being dehydrated. Drink even when you aren't thirsty.

12

Main benefit for cycling is that then you have a load phase, this means that over the period of 3 months you are using more of the suplement, therefore the company sells more.

In terms of benefits for the user, I am yet to see any research that supports cycling creatine.