How Long After Taking Creatine Will I See Results?

Fitness enthusiasts often wonder how long does it take for creatine to kick in. Let us find out how sooner can you expect to notice results after using creatine supplements.

How Long It Takes For Creatine To Work?

Muscle creatine stores need to reach the point of muscle saturation before creatine starts demonstrating its results.

This entire process can take a week if creatine loading phase (the use of four 5-gram doses of creatine every day for 7-10 days) is followed by a maintenance dose of 2-10 grams every day thereafter.

If the creatine loading phase is not followed, the body may take around 4 weeks or close to 28 weeks before muscle saturation happens.

Does Creatine Start Working Right Away?

You may be wondering if creatine is already being produced naturally in the body, the point of muscle saturation must already have been reached. Well, the answer is, not really.

The human body doesn't produce ample quantity of creatine naturally and this is the reason why creatine supplements are taken so that the point of muscle saturation is reached.

Moreover, creatine supplementation improves the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the body that is required for short, high-intensity bursts such as sprinting or deadlifts.

However, the level of naturally-producing ATP in the body is not sufficient to handle the amount of ATP required to handle intense workouts for long.

This is the reason why creatine supplements are used by elite athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and bodybuilders so they can have more than normal quantity of ATP in their bodies.

This "artificially-achieved" high creatine and ATP levels help them hit the gym harder and longer to become bigger, stronger, and faster.

All in all, the primary reasoning behind creatine supplementation is to enhancing the existing ATP stores in the body during rest while also assisting in the re-building of ATP during intense workouts. 

How long does it takes creatine to kick in?

When it comes to the concept of creatine "kicking in", the basic thought is that you are putting your body from a state of mild deficiency (or a possible mismatch between your levels and needs) of creatine and ATP stores to a healthy balance.

In other words, creatine supplementation will not immediately solve your problems. Like every other nutrient, the body will first full stock it, absorb it, and store it before your body's creatine levels ease up with time.

Once you have completed the creatine loading phase, the creatine maintenance phase will help you combat the usual low creatine levels in the diet of most of us. All in all, the more creatine you will take relative to your body weight, the more effective your body's response will be.

To sum up, creatine is a highly effective and safe supplement that supports your muscles and organs.

The reaction time of your body after you start feeding it with creatine supplements will depend primarily on how you load creatine and the doses you use.

You should always remember that you need to observe patience while staying consistent with creatine supplementation.