Plan creatine loading and maintenance.
Creatine dosing is proportional to lean mass, so it is expressed per kilogram of body weight. The classic protocol saturates muscle stores with roughly 0.3 g/kg per day for five days — commonly split into four smaller doses to limit stomach upset — then holds saturation with about 0.03 g/kg per day. Skipping the loading phase reaches the same saturation on the maintenance dose alone, just over three to four weeks instead of five days.
Creatine dosing by body mass
Loading per day = weight kg x 0.3; maintenance per day = weight kg x 0.03; loading total = loading per day x loading days
These figures are population-average estimates for general planning only and are not medical or dietetic advice. Individual energy and nutrient needs vary widely with body composition, activity, medication and health status. Consult a qualified health professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to what you eat, and especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are under 18, or have a medical condition or a history of disordered eating.
No. Taking the maintenance dose alone reaches the same muscle saturation in about three to four weeks. Loading just gets you there in under a week, at the cost of more gastrointestinal discomfort and a faster water-weight gain.
Yes. A 22 g loading day taken in one go frequently causes bloating and diarrhoea. Four servings of roughly 5 g spread through the day is far better tolerated and absorbs just as well.
It is the maintenance requirement for 30 days. Add the loading phase total to the first month if you plan to load, then divide by the tub size to work out how long a container lasts.