Is it REALLY necessary to "cycle" creatine?

[Prime Rib]

C'mon guys, not like this stuff is roids. From what i've read about Creatine the past 6 yrs, it's pretty much just gasoline for the muscles to keep running hard in the gym. When you run out of gas, you go fill up again...EI: Take creatine every day and you don't run out of gas.

I really dont see the point in "cycling" it. Why not just keep a full supply in your muscles at all times? Is my logic ass backwards here? If so, straighten me out


Josh

 

[sausage]

The whole point of cycling it is that after about a month being on it you stop noticing gains cause your body becomes immune to it so by cycling off it and dropping the levels of creatine in your body back to normal the next time you jump on it you will notice gains again depending on how long you stay off for.Myself i like to stay off it for like at least 3 months.

 

[SuperbeastC&J]

i know 2 people who have had kidney problems because they didnt cycle it.

 

[Thaibox]

Your body adapts to the effects of creatine at a certain point.

 

[satchboogie]

Your body adapts to the effects of creatine at a certain point.

i'm gonna attempt to shed light on this issue of 'adaptation of foreign elements':

the body will adapt to steroids.. we all know that and that is why juice must be cycled.

the body will adapt to other drugs like painkillers, amphetamines, alcohol, etc etc etc.. and so higher doses will be a must and even then the body may not react... so far so good.

but i'm not sure that the body adpats to creatine.

i'll give an example...

vitamin b12, and vitamin c... you must consume them every day probably for the rest of your life if you wanna stay healthy. yet, the body doesnt adapt to that. it will digest and absorb the vitamins and make full use with each and every administration.

i dont believe that any studies can prove that the body adapts to creatine but i may be wrong.

again, i'm not sure about this one but my hypothesis may be valid.

expert opinion will surely be appreciated.

 

[Thaibox]

Okay, understood, however...

The beneficial effects of superfluous amounts of creatine supplementation will diminish over an extended period of time, based on a simple "shock theory."

I see what you're saying. Creatine does supply a "fuel" that should theoretically be utilized the same as a nutrient indefinately. But, decent anecdotal support of this is found when someone first uses creatine. The effects they experience are never simulated to the extent of that first time. It has been shown in studies that the effects will diminish over time.

After about 2 months of use, I stop using it and take a couple months off. At that point, I experience almost the same effects as the initial time.

 

[satchboogie]

nice one THAIBOX.

i'm on my first week of creatine. never done it before. now, i dont know what the fuck is goin on but 5 days into it and i'm already feeling a little puffy/bloated (which i dont mind as i'm pretty lean already)

good stuff so far. 4 weeks of that, then back to the real thing!