MY CREATINE JOURNEY: A DIETITIAN’S CREATINE LOADING DIARY

I’m a Sports Dietitian. And I’ve been one for nearly 15 years. Athletes have come to me from all aspects of sports performance – either taking or having an interest in taking creatine. It has been a fast-trending supplement for decades, so nothing new here. But we’re learning more and more about its benefits. So, it was time. Time for me to try the super supplement. I’m a woman, in my 40’s. I’m into fitness (endurance mostly but trying to lift weights a bit more). I’m a mom of two school– age children. I’d like to maintain my weight, gain a bit of muscle, and become stronger.  

I’ll start with a loading phase. So of, 20gm of Creatine Monohydrate daily (four 5gm scoops throughout the day) for 5-7 days. The Ultimate Guide to Creatine Dosing is a great reference! This will saturate my creatine stores. After that first week, it’s time to maintain. I chose to use GNC’s PRO Performance Creatine Monohydrate because it’s just that – creatine monohydrate. Plus is Banned Substance Tested which means it’s Sports RD approved. So, Here here goes nothing…! 

My Creatine Loading Diary

Day 1

I’m an early riser. Exercising first thing in the morning is how I roll. If I don’t get up and go, I won’t. Or I’ll stress about it all day, struggle to mentally commit to it, and won’t enjoy my workout. 

I like to take a pre-workout or caffeinated beverage. I like to sit and slowly wake up, sipping on said fluid to help me hydrate and let the caffeine work it’s magic. 

Scoop 1 – This morning, I added a 5gm scoop of creatine monohydrate to my pre-workout. Did not taste a thing. Rode the bike (45 min endurance ride, zones 2 and 3). I was tired. I recently had surgery and am trying to get back into the swing of things. Not making excuses, but physically I’m not where I’d like to be. This was the first 45 min ride I’ve taken since December.  

Scoop 2 – mixed one scoop with 6oz of water and 2oz of apple juice. Chugged it. Didn’t want to let the creatine sit and settle. Again, I have zero experience with this. Just seemed the best option for me. Some GI issues, but typically need to go mid-day. Not overly concerned. 

Scoop 4 – with water alone. I take some meds/vitamins/medications in the evening, and a fish oil supplement in the evenings,  so this was a great way to get it all in. A little bit nauseous afterwards but was laying on the couch so likely contributed to it.

Day 2

Scoop 1 – went the pre-workout + creatine route again. Did a 20-minute walk + run on the treadmill and felt pretty good while running (granted my speed wasn’t super-fast). But I was comfortable at a slight incline (I usually run flat). 

Scoop 2 – heading into the office today. In a time crunch I like having a Total Lean® Lean Shake™ 25 Ready-to-Drink enroute. I mixed my creatine in there and couldn’t tell the difference.

Scoop 3 – one of the tasks when writing a blog posts is to try the products I’m writing about or reviewing and take photos. For today’s post-workout blog, I’m featuring both GNC’s creatine monohydrate and creatine HCl – which is ALL the rage on TikTok. I decided to try HCl as my 3rd dose of the day. I took pics of each with a quarter for reference. I was really excited about my creativity around that one When mixed with water, the HCl tasted like stomach acid – oof. I was having college flashbacks… Then, I tried mixing it with a BCAA product and I liked it better than the BCAA flavor on its own. I also tried mixing it with/ our GNC AMP Amplified Hydration product. I also grabbed some Creatine HCl 189 pills that I’ll give a go.  

Scoop 4 – back to the mono. Again with water and my nighttime meds. No issues of nausea tonight! 

Day 3

Scoop 1 – Morning routine once again with caffeine and creatine. Felt a bit more energized from the get-go. Did a 10 minute easy warm– up spin on the bike. I was at a higher resistance/cadence than I’d normally ride straight off the bat. Moving on to 20 min of HIIT. 30 sec on 10 sec off, 3 sets – the final set without out the break between. I was also able to do a 15 pound snatch which surprised me (I typically do 10 but was feeling good). I felt more recovered between sets which was encouraging. 

I’ll spare you the details on the rest of my loading phase. But by the end of day 3, I was over it. Did I feel bloated? Yep. More than anything I felt overly full – of water. When you’re chugging 8oz four times a day, plus eating meals… I wouldn’t expect otherwise. Did I dwell on the bloat? Negative. I knew it was a part of the process and I was confident that once the loading phase was over, the bloat would be too.  

The only negative I found during my loading phase and feeling full, was that it limited my abilities to eat all the foods. My husband (also loading) and I planned a nice dinner out and neither of else felt much like eating. Made for great leftovers though!

So, my advice to you, if you’re considering a loading phase – don’t plan on having a fancy meal or date night! Inquiring minds want to know… did I gain weight during my creatine load? I did. A couple pounds… but it was only temporary and things quickly got back to baseline. 

4 Weeks Later……

Performance wise, I’m feeling creatine’s effects. I have more power to push, especially during intense sprints while cycling or running. I want to say the efforts seem easier. I have more gas in the tank to push through efforts that would otherwise leave me breathless. Which obviously means I need to work harder – the point of adding creatine to your routine! 

When lifting weights, the longer I use creatine, the easier it is to recover between sets. I like to do circuits, HIIT training, EMOM’s, and AMRAP’s as part of my routine. Before creatine, my heart rate remained elevated, and the muscle group I had just worked would have preferred a few more moments rest before getting back to it.

Now, the 15-30 seconds between sets feel like an adequate amount of time to ready my muscles to tackle what came next. Feeling more recovered in these moments allow me to focus more on my form and lift heavier weights. My efforts are more efficient and training more effective. 

6 Weeks Later……

It’s been about a month and a half of consistent creatine use and I’ve started to notice physical changes. My body appears to be more toned and there is more definition to my arms, legs, and back.

There has also been an obvious shift in body composition – I’m leaner. I was not trying to lose weight as part of this process – and I haven’t! I’ve maintained weight throughout and have stuck to the same diet and exercise routine.  

8 Weeks Later……

It’s been about 2 months since I started my creatine journey. I have been consistent, for the most part. I’ve travelled a couple times which has impacted my exercise routine and left me, on more than one occasion, forgetting to take my daily dose!

I brought creatine pills and chews with me while on a business trip, and when vacationing. I’d say I remembered to take it only half the time. Without creatine in my kitchen cabinet, where I could see it, it wasn’t top of mind. 

A Note on Consistency – Does Skipping Creatine Doses Matter?

And if you’re wondering if skipping a few doses had an impact on how I felt after a short break – it did. And not in a good way! After a couple of days, my energy levels were back and I was on track again with my exercise and consistent creatine use.  

Another thing I’ve noticed these past few months is that I haven’t experienced as much muscle soreness after a heavy lift or when I’ve worked a set of muscles that don’t typically get the love and attention they deserve. Most notably after painting our basement and power washing the deck… if you know, you know. 

Before kids, I was running marathons. Getting back into long distance running (and running in general if I’m being honest), has been a struggle. A lot of it is in my head – I’m not fast enough, I’m slow and sluggish. I’m working to change this narrative and am focusing more on how I feel. I’ve noticed since taking creatine that I feel lighter on my feet. And although my pace isn’t where I’d like it to be, I FEEL better running. And the better I feel, the more likely I am to get outside and move, and that makes me happy. 

I cannot escape this creatine craze. It even bombards me on social media. Creatine for menopause? Sure, why not. Though additional research is required, it makes sense. As women age, we lose muscle mass. Strength training and consuming adequate protein can help to combat this issue. Creatine helps to support muscle energetics, contributes to building muscle, which protects the loss of lean mass. It supports your efforts in the gym, helping to make you stronger, which means more energy for chasing kids, grandkids, and fitness goals. From one peri-menopausal women to another, give it a try! 

Creatine Tips & Advice

Some tips I’ve learned through the process: 

1. I prefer creatine mixed INTO something vs just water alone. I like mixing mine with a pre-workout, hydration beverage, or protein.  Find helpful and tasty recipe ideas and inspo here.
2. It doesn’t matter the time of day I take creatine, so long as I take it. I’ve used it before a workout or after (on the days I’m not early to rise).  
3. Place creatine somewhere you’ll see it. I’ve got mine stored in our kitchen cabinet where the glasses are. Set a reminder for yourself on non-workout days… and while traveling! 
4. Have options! I’ve got both powder, pill, and chew form. Yes, I wrote a blog about the best creatine products, and I am stocked up. But having a creatine capsule or chew while traveling, or when I don’t have easy access to liquids for mixing, comes in handy! 
5. Sometimes you’ll feel icky. You need to drink plenty of fluids while taking creatine. Water and creatine in combination really like to hang out, especially in your belly! And depending on what you’ve had to eat, the time of day you’re taking creatine, you may feel meh. Call it bloat, call it feeling full – it happens!   

I’ve read the research and experienced the benefits firsthand – they’re accurate! If there’s one thing is for sure, creatines benefits extend well beyond the gym. So, will I recommend creatine to future clients, athletes, weekend warriors, men, and women… you bet! And I will indeed, continue drinking the creatine Kool aid.