Creatine "loading" involves a short-term, high-dose regimen, like 5g taken four times daily for five-7days. Although opinions vary, this practice has scientific backing. Creatine serves as a rapid energy source for the phosphagen energy system during brief, intense activities like weightlifting, lasting about 8-10 seconds. Loading saturates muscle creatine stores, enhancing training benefits.
Research dating back to the 1990s, shows a 1020-40% muscle creatine increase after six days at 20g/day (Greenhaff, P.L., Bodin, K., Soderlund, K., & Hultman, E. (1994). Effect of oral creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle phosphocreatine resynthesis. American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism, 266(5), E725–E730.). Subsequent studies aimed to shorten loading periods, with a 2009 study revealing significant performance improvements after a 5-day creatine loading phase. Most researchers agree that creatine loading is an effective strategy to maximize its benefits. Following loading, a daily 3-5g dose maintains full muscle cell capacity.
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