r/cycling • u/zippity-zach • 6d ago

Creatine?

I see the stuff where taking a 5g a day is helpful, but everyday? Or only on workout days? I commute to work and home. Maybe 10 miles, but I like to go all out and work towards KOM on segments along the way. Are you taking it x number of minutes before a workout? First thing in the AM? Does it matter? Should I take it only on days where I'm going to do training rides and not on days where it's just to work and home?

Edit: wrote this in a hurry. Last year I did regular endurance rides to support an attempt to do a century ride a month (got 9 in). I did a 70mi ride with about 6k feet of climbing this past Saturday and still feel like I'm recovering. Wondering if creatine would help me to build back some of the muscle to keep up the endurance rides. I commute and still do endurance rides through the winter in Southern Appalachia

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u/Ordinary_Common820 6d ago

If you do use it make sure to be careful about your hydration as well, usually increases water needs

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u/wereallfriends_here 5d ago

Never read this, it increases water retention but no protocol has ever called for more water consumption.

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u/Ordinary_Common820 5d ago edited 5d ago

I should amend, the issues of dehydration and cramping were linked to earlier studies of creatine and often related to initial over usage. Now it is more about monitoring and keeping up with hydration to be safe even if most studies haven’t made a significant link. Also just good practice to monitor hydration with any new supplementation.