:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Health-GettyImages-CreatineLoadingPhase-428335a3ba6743aa9fb8a355d0271c23.jpg "Athletic woman in sportswear with measuring spoon in her hand puts a portion of creatine into a shaker")
- Creatine is a well-researched supplement that supports energy production, exercise performance, and cognition.
- A loading phase can saturate muscle stores faster and accelerate results, but it often causes water retention and potential digestive discomfort.
- Skipping the loading phase still delivers the same long-term benefits, making it a simpler option for most people.
Ceatine is a compound of three amino acids (arginine, glycine, and methionine) that’s used to boost energy levels during workouts. But research shows that it may be tied to other health perks, including injury recovery and chronic disease management, preservation of bone mineral density, reduced inflammation, and lower fall risk in older adults—as well as improvements in short-term memory, cognitive function, and processing speed. If you're just starting to take creatine, you may have been told that you need to do a creatine loading phase—but is this really necessary?
What Is a Creatine Loading Phase?
Whether it’s with creatine or another dietary supplement, a “loading phase” refers to a period during which you take a larger dose of the supplement before lowering it to a maintenance dose. The idea is that by front-loading the supplement, you’ll begin to feel its benefits more quickly than if you started with a maintenance dose alone. With creatine specifically, a loading phase can saturate muscle creatine stores faster.
While a typical maintenance creatine dose is typically between 3 and 5 grams per day, a creatine loading dose could be as high as between 20 and 25 grams per day for five to seven days.
What Happens in Your Body During a Loading Phase
A creatine loading phase saturates your muscle phosphocreatine stores, helping your body reap the full benefits of this compound early. However, doing a loading phase will likely cause your body to retain more water than during a maintenance phase.
Creatine is an osmotically active compound, so it can increase both intracellular, extracellular, and total body water concentration. Drastically increasing creatine intake may be accompanied by bloating or weight gain of up to 2% of body weight due to water retention.
Pros of a Loading Phase
Studies examining the benefits of creatine loading have found encouraging results.
A 2021 study found that a seven-day loading phase of 0.3 grams per kilogram per day (approximately 27 grams of creatine for a 200-pound person) increased work and power output in individuals.
A loading phase of creatine was also positively associated with significantly higher brain creatine concentrations.
Ultimately, a loading phase may help you experience the benefits of creatine more quickly, such as increased muscle strength, performance, and endurance. This could be particularly beneficial for those with short-term goals approaching, such as a race or other athletic event.
Cons or Downsides
Rapidly increasing creatine intake with a loading phase can lead to water retention and resulting weight gain, and gastrointestinal (GI) distress like generalized discomfort, bloating, gas, diarrhea, or nausea.
Although some studies have found creatine loading phases beneficial, others have reported similar performance outcomes in individuals who started with maintenance doses without a loading phase.
Additionally, the kidneys filter and excrete creatinine (and some creatine) in urine. So, while research has not found it to negatively affect renal function or overall kidney health, there is conversation about the potential long-term effects (many years and decades) of taking excess creatine, particularly in people with pre-existing kidney disease. More research is needed.
Is Loading Right For You?
While research has shown some benefit to a loading dose of creatine, you won’t miss out on the long-term benefits of creatine if you just start with a maintenance dose.
Loading phases may be helpful for those looking to reap creatine’s benefits on a tighter timeline, like athletes preparing for a race or competition. However, given the potential for water retention, weight gain, and gastrointestinal side effects associated with loading phases, it may be better to skip for general users, those just starting a fitness routine, or individuals with sensitive stomachs or pre-existing gastrointestinal concerns.
When shopping for any dietary supplement—creatine included—it’s important to choose a third-party tested product, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate or test dietary supplements for purity, safety, and efficacy. When shopping for creatine supplements, look for verification from reputable organizations like the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and National Science Foundation (NSF).
