Do You Need to Cycle Creatine?
No. Full stop. This advice comes from 1990s bodybuilding forums, not science. Studies show continuous use is safe for years. Maybe decades. Your body doesn't "get used to it."
Where This Myth Came From
The cycling thing came from steroid protocols. With steroids, you actually need to cycle because they suppress your natural hormone production. Guys in the 90s figured "creatine = muscle supplement = must work like steroids." It doesn't. Creatine is just... not a hormone.
The Numbers
How much scientific truth is there?
How much is just marketing?
Marketing vs Reality
What Marketing Says
- "Cycle 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off for best results"
- "Your body adapts if you don't cycle"
- "Give your kidneys a break"
- "Receptors get desensitized" (creatine doesn't even work via receptors lol)
What Science Says
- We have studies running 5 years of continuous creatine use. No problems.
- Creatine doesn't work through "receptors" that can desensitize. That's not how it works.
- Your muscles just fill up with creatine and stay that way. That's... the goal.
- Healthy kidneys don't need a "break." They filter creatine just fine.
Reality Check
Your body makes creatine naturally. Taking more just tops off the tank. When you stop, your levels go back to normal. No suppression, no adaptation, no receptors getting tired. The cycling advice has been floating around gyms for 30 years with zero scientific support.
What To Do Instead
- 1Just take 3-5g daily. That's it. Forever if you want.
- 2Loading phase? Optional. 20g/day for a week saturates faster, but 5g/day gets you there in 3-4 weeks anyway.
- 3Skip the fancy forms. Creatine monohydrate works great and costs nothing.
- 4Timing doesn't matter either. Take it whenever you'll remember.
The Exception
Pre-existing kidney disease? Talk to a doctor about anything you take. But creatine isn't uniquely hard on kidneys. That's another gym myth.
The Bottom Line
Take 5g daily. Don't cycle. Don't overthink it. Creatine is the most studied supplement in existence and this really is that simple.
Related Supplements
But Wait...
Creatine pulls water into muscle cells. Stop taking it, lose that water. Your actual muscle tissue is still there. It just looks a bit flatter without the water.
More Myths to Bust
About this information: Our recommendations draw from peer-reviewed clinical trials, systematic reviews, and the same medical databases your doctor uses. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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