Creatine before or after workout &how much?

Question

I have been taking creatine monohydrate for like 10 days and I already gone through the "packing" (or what ever) stage. Now I am taking even better, Cell-Tech Hardcore. It says to take it after workouts. But it would seem better to take it before. And should I "pack" with this new stuff?

It also says to take one serving which is 10 grams.

Answer 1

No, if you haven't stopped taking creatine, then you shouldn't need to go through the loading phase again.

The reason to take it after your workout is that it has a carbohydrate blend which is intended to spike your blood sugar. This causes an insulin reaction and causes the creatine to get absorbed very quickly into your system.

Yes, 5 to 10 grams is about the proper size dose of actual creatine. It actually can be calculated a bit more specifically depending upon what your lean muscle weight is. If I recall it is supposed to be about 1 gram of creatine per 20 pounds of lean muscle weight. So 10 grams for a person carrying 200 pounds of lean muscle would be correct. You would have to calculate based on what your actual body weight is minus the percent of body fat you are carrying.

You should take this right after the last set of your workout. Some will mix a scoop of whey protein isolate in at this time as well. You should eat a small meal of solid food about an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours later as well. Your body is set up to need nutrition right after a heavy workout. So start with the dose of creatine, carbohydrates and whey protein isolate right after your last exercise set as a liquid meal. Some will do a 2nd liquid protein meal about 1/2 an hour later. The solid meal comes last but should be finished 3 hours after your workout.