You know creatine as a world-leading supplement. In fact, it’s one of the most popular supplements for lifters looking to build muscle. But what happens when you stop taking creatine?
Here’s all you need to know about the topic, plus a few likely questions you may also have.
Stopped taking creatine – What happens now?
When individuals stop taking creatine, they may experience a decline in immediate energy availability during high-intensity activities. This could potentially affect your training performance.
Gym goers and lifters may feel a little more fatigued during workouts, as the muscles lose some of their energy-producing capabilities when creatine stores decline. This can lead to reduced exercise intensity and endurance. This won’t happen straight away though.
Once you stop taking creatine, your body’s natural levels will gradually return to pre-supplementation levels over a period of 2 to 4 weeks.
Your body will still produce small amounts of creatine and you will still get some through your diet if you eat red meat and fish. But it’s unlikely you’ll be getting 5-10g of creatine per day, which is the usual supplementation amount.
What will happen to my body?
As a result, you may experience a slight decrease in strength, power and endurance. It doesn’t mean you will lose all the muscular progress you made while using creatine and you can still build strength up naturally through training.
The good news is that by maintaining consistent training and exercise, most individuals can retain the majority of their gains acquired whilst supplementing with creatine.
In terms of physical appearance, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll notice any difference at all.
There’s more evidence coming to light through clinical studies of creatine’s benefits to brain health and overall well-being. For me this is worth supplementing with creatine on its own.
However, it’s unclear at this time on what sort of impact not taking creatine may have. The likelihood is that you’ll miss out on the potential neuroprotective benefits. To what extent is unknown.
Will I lose my gains when I stop creatine?
One of the most common concerns is whether stopping creatine usage will result in you losing your muscle gains. What’s the deal here?
The answer is no, you won’t lose gains when you stop taking creatine.
Creatine helps build muscle as a by-product of its main role in energy metabolism. When creatine is present in your muscles during intense periods of exercising, it can donate a phosphate molecule to recreate ATP (your main energy currency) very quickly. This brings plenty of benefits when it comes to lifting, sprinting, jumping and anything else explosive.
The presence of creatine in muscles will also draw water into your cells. People worry about this thinking creatine makes them gain weight. This isn’t anything to worry about. You aren’t gaining unhealthy weight.
If anything it’s a good thing for muscle building and making you look ‘full’. People think this will make them look bloated and therefore they shouldn’t take creatine when cutting. This is a misconception.
But not taking creatine is likely to make you lose some water weight, and therefore overall body weight. This shift in water weight should not be mistaken for a loss in muscle mass.
Once you build muscle up over time through your resistance training and progressive overload, the primary macronutrient you want to be conscious of to maintain these gains is protein. You also still want to be lifting weights and training with resistance of course.
By itself, creatine will not help you maintain muscle gains.
How long should you take creatine for?
There was a theory in the past, maybe it’s still going, that you should cycle creatine supplementation.
There’s no need to do this and in most cases it’s unnecessary. There’s no specific duration for creatine usage, as it largely depends on individual goals and preferences.
Some individuals may choose to cycle on and off creatine, while others may opt for continuous usage.
Research suggests that long-term creatine supplementation, even for several years, is generally safe and well-tolerated.
I’ve been taking creatine for many years with no specific off-phase and it’s still serving me well.
Can you stop creatine cold turkey?
Yes, you can stop creatine usage abruptly.
Creatine isn’t a drug that you need to wean yourself off. It’s a naturally occurring molecule made from three amino acids. In this regard, creatine is just like anything other natural health supplement.
Is creatine pointless if you don’t take it every day?
While taking creatine consistently can help maintain optimal levels in your body and muscles, it’s not entirely pointless if you miss a day or two.
The benefits of creatine build up over time, so occasional missed doses will not significantly reduce its effects. However, for the best results, it’s recommended to take creatine consistently as part of your daily routine.
For example, I take creatine on rest days as part of my daily health supplement regime.
What happens if you only take creatine sometimes?
Taking creatine sporadically or inconsistently may not provide the same benefits as regular usage.
Creatine works by saturating your muscles with phosphocreatine, which helps to create a short term energy cycle in your muscles when performing high-intensity activities.
You won’t notice any consequences if you miss 1, 2 or 3 days, but the longer you go without creatine supplement, the more likely you are to limit the potential benefits.
There is no specific time frame that defines how long is too long without creatine, but when you start to miss 1 week or 2 weeks, your overall muscle creatine saturation levels will drop. This is when you might start to notice greater feelings of fatigue in the gym and slightly less strength.
Final verdict on taking creatine
If you want the best results, it’s recommended to supplement with creatine everyday. Missing a couple of days of creatine here and there won’t make any difference.
The same applies if you have a few cheat meals over a week or so. It doesn’t matter. What matters are your long term actions – consistent training at a good intensity, a good diet overall, incorporating good healthy habits.
It’s the long term habit that matters with creatine too. I’ve been taking creatine for many, many years. You can find some of my best creatine supplements here.
Read more on creatine
Ben is passionate about getting strong both physically and mentally. He’s been obsessed with all things health and muscle building for over 17 years. In between strength and conditioning training five times a week, Ben is a professional fitness writer. Ben has a first class Biology degree, is a fully qualified teacher and is completing his L3 Personal Trainer qualification.
