All about Creatine (pt.3)

Part 3: How do I take it?
Based on science the most effective way to supplement with creatine is to start with a one week loading phase. You need to take .3 grams per kilogram of body weight for the first week. After this we can move to a maintenance phase of .1 grams per kilogram of body weight. To calculate your weight in kilos divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. With some minor calculations you should know about how much creatine you need to consume daily now. You want to split these doses up to make sure you are utilizing all of the creatine that you consume. I suggest no more than 5 grams in one serving, otherwise you might lose some of it in your urine. The best times to ingest on training days is thirty minutes before your workout and 4 to 6 hours post workout. Some people feel that a creatine cycle is necessary, but no concrete evidence has proved this claim. If you do wish to cycle then it should look like this. Load for one week, maintenance for 4 weeks, then recover with no creatine for 3 weeks before returning to loading. One important thing over looked by many creatine users is the need to ingest it with a hgih-glycemic sugar based drink. Creatine is absorbed up to 60% more effective when ingested with a sugary drink. You want to stay away from acidic juices like orange juice because the acid can degrade the creatine. Most juices contain fructose which is not a fast sugar. Make sure to look for a drink with maltose, glucose, or dextrose and aim for around 6-8 ounces.