Quitting creatine monohydrate raises many questions. Among them, do you lose muscle when you stop taking creatine? No, because this dietary supplement, a best-seller in weight rooms, does not directly produce muscle.
Let's take a look at the benefits of this white powder and its so-called ergogenic effects. What impact does this naturally produced substance, which is also found in our food, have on your figure? What happens after you take it, and when you stop?
Consumers may be puzzled by the drop in performance, energy and volume, but here's how to reassure them. Beyond the impact of creatine consumption, find out how tooptimize it for sports performance.
Contents
Creatine's role in muscle growth
How does creatine work in the body?
Creatine acts as an energy reserve in the body.
Initially, creatine is a natural substance produced by the body:
- thanks to amino acids in the kidneys, liver and pancreas for muscle creatine;
- thanks to nervous system enzymes for brain creatine.
Our dietary intake, particularly animal proteins, also provides creatine, but only at muscle level.
In proportion, for a 70kg adult male, the body contains around 120g of creatine, 95%of which is stored in skeletal muscle¹. Two-thirds of this becomes creatine phosphate (CrP), and the rest circulates in free form.
Once ingested, it passes into the bloodstream and reaches the muscles. It is here that phosphocreatine is transformed into an energy reserve.
How long does creatine remain in the body?
After stopping supplementation, creatine remains in the body for around 4 to 6 weeks before muscle levels return to normal.
The first week sees the most rapid drop, then levels gradually decline. Every day, the body eliminates around 1-2% of its creatine in the form of creatinine via the kidneys.
This gradual elimination explains why performance effects do not disappear immediately after supplementation is stopped, providing a transition period during which benefits gradually diminish.
Creatine's impact on muscle mass and strength
The advantage of creatine is its almost immediate availability at the very start of physical effort. When physical effort gets off to an intense start, the breakdown of phosphocreatine releases adenosine triphosphate (ATP), our energy source.
The more muscle creatine you have, the more energy your body can provide for short, intense workouts. That's why we say its action on muscles is indirect.
No, creatine doesn't give you more muscle or miraculously make you dry out. It gives you the physical capacity to multiply your sports sessions, which in turn will help you gain muscle or increase your calorie deficit. Not the point!
The good news is that its benefits are scientifically proven²:
- between 15 and 40% higher muscle creatine and phosphocreatine concentration thanks to supplementation;
- improvement in anaerobic exercise capacities, such as short, intense efforts;
- increased training potential leading to gains in strength, power and muscle mass.
It makes you want to continue taking creatine, but what if you stop?
The effects of stopping creatine on the body
There is a plethora of studies on the effects of creatine, while those on stopping supplementation are rare. So we're still very much on the logic of stopping the effects, because if you stop taking it, you lose the recognized benefits?
Let's take a look at the details...
Do you lose muscle when you stop taking creatine?
This is THE main concern of people on creatine who are thinking of stopping. Do you lose muscle when you stop taking creatine?
Good news: no! No sudden muscle wasting is to be expected after stopping.
A study on the effect of stopping creatine supplementation in elderly men³ concluded that there was no effect on strength, endurance or lean body mass levels. Note that this research protocol maintained resistance training for the duration of the analysis.
This is just to remind you that creatine alone doesn't work miracles.
If a reduction in strength or power is felt, it's more likely to be linked to the body's reduced energy availability.
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Any physical changes after quitting?
On a scientific level, we know that hydration plays a role in theabsorption of creatine into the muscles, as it binds to a sodium-dependent transporter. We also know that water is absorbed along with creatine into the muscle, resulting in an increase in intramuscular water volume.
This is why we often hear of a water retention effect.
When you stop taking creatine, you can imagine the opposite effect: a slight weight loss, linked to the reduction in water retention. In fact, this is what some muscle-building athletes say. This could explain the sensation of smaller muscles, even when muscle mass remains intact.
A drop in energy metabolism?
It can be assumed that the energy reserves boosted by creatine supplementation diminish when the treatment is stopped.
If this doesn't impact muscle levels, it does impact the subject's ability to maintain a high level of physical training. Fatigue could be felt more quickly, slowing down the athlete's ability to perform.
Psychological effects of stopping creatine?
We know that creatine has a real impact on the brain. A good level of brain creatine supports various cognitive functions such as memory,attention, decision-making and perception, all of which play a role in sports performance. A growing body of research and clinical trials suggests that creatine helps improve cognitive performance⁴.
It is also thought to help maintain the brain's neurochemical balance and influence the functioning of neurotransmitters linked tomood regulation. That's why some research into depression is focusing on creatine, but it's still in its early stages.
However, there is no evidence to date that stopping a course of treatment has the opposite psychological effects to those described here, especially for people who are not creatine-deficient to begin with.
On the body's natural production of creatine?
Our favorite white powder is synthesized by the body, but since it has an unfailing capacity to adapt, it adjusts its quantities to dietary intake.
As a result, prolonged use of creatine significantly reduces natural production¹. The risk - and this is the question many athletes ask themselves about the impact of continuous creatine intake - isirreversibility.
For the moment, there is no evidence that the reduction in endogenous synthesis continues after interruption. Scientists remain very cautious, however, as the impact on certain body enzymes may remain irreversible in other similar situations. This is the case with some people who have stopped drinking cow's milk, and whose bodies have changed as a result, and can no longer tolerate the intake of the product afterwards.
What you really lose after stopping creatine
You may decide to take creatine monohydrate and then stop for several reasons:
- because we're finishing a cure;
- because you've achieved your sporting goals;
- economic constraints or convenience;
- by a change of perception in our sports project.
But what do we really lose?
What technically decreases is the level of muscle creatine.
Andrew Hamilton⁵ states that muscle creatine accumulation occurs in the first two days of loading and is saturated after 5 days, for 4 doses of 5 g, i.e. 20 g/day. If ingestion is stopped after the loading phase, baseline levels return after 4 weeks.
Faced with this reduction, a drop in the ability to deliver intense effort can therefore be felt.
Our advice for minimizing the effects of stopping creatine
The best way to maximize the effects of creatine and minimize the impact of stopping it is to work in cycles.
Most sportsmen and women take cures, and their feedback seems to encourage this practice.
Firstly, it avoids any physiological adaptations that might occur, as with any continuous intake of a substance.
Secondly, it provides ergogenic effects during the intake phase and the opportunity to stabilize performance during the rest period. Ideally, creatine should be taken over a 5-week period, with the same break before the next course of treatment.
This step-by-step approach optimizes creatine intake without any undesirable long-term effects.
Caution must be exercised with regard to the type of substance purchased: without pure creatine, labelled as Creapure®creatine, there are real risks of contamination. And that's not without danger to your health.
Conclusion
Don't worry when you stop taking your creatine. No, you don't lose muscle when you stop taking your supplements. With regular, appropriate training and a balanced diet, results will be little affected by stopping the treatment.
Some people experience reduced strength, but this is associated with lower muscle creatine levels, and therefore a lower level of energy reserves.
This period without creatine monohydrate is an opportunity to promote recovery and stabilize your progress without supplements, before making further progress in the next cycle. The principle of cures remains the best method for optimizing the benefits of creatine while preserving long-term health . In short, with the right sporting strategy and a balanced diet, you can stay on top of your game both during and after a course of treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Can 10g of creatine be consumed daily?
Consuming 10g of creatine per day is generally safe for a healthy person, but offers few advantages over the standard recommended dose of 3-5g per day. Research shows that much higher doses (up to 30g/day over long periods) have not caused significant adverse effects. However, there are several drawbacks to this excessive consumption:
- Financial waste - the surplus is simply eliminated by the kidneys
- Increased risk of digestive disorders (bloating, diarrhea)
- No additional performance benefits once muscles are saturated
Only very tall athletes (>100kg) could possibly justify a dose slightly higher than 5g, due to their greater muscle mass. In short, although not dangerous, a daily dose of 10g represents an unnecessary extra cost for the majority of users.
Is creatine doping?
No, creatine is not considered a doping product. It is a safe, well-documented ergogenic supplement authorized by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and does not appear on any list of banned substances. Although it promotes muscle development, its effects remain moderate and do not alter the hormonal profile like steroids.
Some confusion exists, often due to its visible efficacy or its association with bodybuilding, but creatine does not alter sporting fairness. Provided it is consumed at recommended doses and in pure form (e.g. Creapure®), it is safe and legal.
