Question 1

How much of a difference will creatine make in my training?

Accepted Answer

After about a week of use, the first things you’re going to notice are increased strength and anaerobic endurance and reduced muscle soreness.

In terms of muscle gain, creatine’s effects are subtler and noticeable over time.

The reason for this is the more weight you can push in your workouts and the faster you recover, the more muscle you’re going to build over the long term.

Question 2

Will I lose my gains when I stop taking creatine?

Accepted Answer

No.

Research shows that whatever muscle you gain while taking creatine, you keep when you stop taking it. [1]

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15263100

Question 3

Is creatine a steroid?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not.

Creatine is made up of three amino acids (L-arginine, L-glycine, and L-methionine), bears no resemblance to steroids, and works completely differently in the body.

Question 4

Is creatine safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched molecules in all of sports supplementation, and studies show there are no adverse effects in healthy adults.[1][2]

Question 5

Is Recharge for men and women?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Creatine helps both genders equally.

Many women shy away from creatine because they fear getting “bulky” or are afraid of water retention and bloating. Well, weightlifting and creatine don’t make women bulky, and bloating from creatine is basically a non-issue these days thanks to modern processing methods.

Question 6

Is creatine bad for your kidney?

Accepted Answer

No.

Research shows that creatine doesn’t harm the kidneys in healthy adults, even when combined with a high-protein diet. [1]

The confusion about creatine’s supposed effects on the kidneys usually arises from its waste product, creatinine, which is also a diagnostic criterion for kidney problems.

A person supplementing with creatine is going to have higher-than-normal creatinine levels, which creates a “false positive” for kidney dysfunction.[2]

Furthermore, even if you have impaired kidney function, you’re unlikely to experience any problems.

In one study conducted by scientists at the University of São Paulo, 20 grams of creatine per day caused no harm to someone with one slightly damaged kidney. [3]

(That said, if you have any kidney issues, check with your doctor before starting supplementing with creatine.)

Question 7

Does creatine make you bloated?

Accepted Answer

Probably not.

Bloating was a long-standing issue with creatine supplementation, but as processing methods have greatly improved, this is much less of a problem now than it once was.

Question 8

Do I need to cycle creatine?

Accepted Answer

No.

Creatine isn’t a steroid and doesn’t impact your endocrine system. Thus, it doesn’t need to be cycled.

In fact, cycling creatine would be counter-productive as each time you stopped taking it for an extended period of time and then resumed use, you would have to wait for it to accumulate in your muscles before you would feel it working again.

Question 9

Do I need to “load” creatine?

Accepted Answer

You don’t have to load creatine if you’re just starting with supplementation , but it does cause the creatine to accumulate faster in the muscles and thus the benefits to “kick in” faster.

The standard loading protocol found in the scientific literature is 20 grams per day for 5 to 7 days, followed by a maintenance dosage of 5 grams per day.[1]

In the case of Recharge, that would be 4 servings per day for the first 5 to 7 days followed by 1 serving per day.

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15707376

Question 10

Should I use creatine when I’m dieting for fat loss or only when I’m dieting for muscle growth?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that you take creatine both when cutting and bulking.

Supplementing with creatine while in a calorie deficit is smart because it helps you retain your muscle and strength, which is vital for improving your overall body composition.[1]

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11194113

Question 11

Which form of creatine is the best?

Accepted Answer

Creatine monohydrate is the form used in the vast majority of studies done and is a proven winner.

You’ve probably noticed, though, that the marketing machines of supplement companies are constantly pumping up fancy-sounding stuff like creatine citrate, creatine ethyl ester, liquid creatine, creatine nitrate, buffered creatine, creatine hydrochloride, and others.

These variations are certainly more expensive than creatine monohydrate, but studies show they’re no more effective.

Question 12

Does creatine cause baldness?

Accepted Answer

Creatine may increase dihydrotestosterone levels, which can increase the rate of balding in men with male pattern baldness. [1]

More research is needed to confirm these effects, however.

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19741313

Question 13

Does creatine cause cramping?

Accepted Answer

No.

In fact, research done with collegiate football players showed that creatine users experienced less cramping than non-users. [1]

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14608430

Question 14

Recharge seems a bit expensive for a creatine product. What gives?

Accepted Answer

Recharge would absolutely be overpriced if it were only creatine monohydrate.

It contains two other ingredients that make it much more than a simple creatine formulation, however. It’s a post-workout recovery supplement.

These ingredients are corosolic acid and L-carnitine L-tartrate, and we’ve included them because they’re proven to help speed up muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness.

Question 15

What does “clinically effective dosages” mean, anyway? Isn’t it just marketing lingo?

Accepted Answer

When we set out to determine dosages of ingredients, we turn to the scientific literature.

Specifically, we review every well-designed, well-executed, peer-reviewed study we can find on the molecule and find the dosage that confers the maximum benefits with the minimum side effects.

These dosages are known as “clinically effective dosages” because they are backed by scientific studies that demonstrated they produce the desired effects.

Question 16

Should I take Recharge every day?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

For best results, you want to take creatine everyday, including your rest days.

Question 17

Recharge is too sweet/strong tasting for me. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

If you increase the amount of water you’re using, you should find an amount that works for you.

(Most people like 8 to 10 ounces.)

Also, we have tweaked Recharge's flavor profile several times since releasing it based on customer feedback, so please do let us know if you don’t like it.

It helps us improve!

Question 18

What does the Prop65 warning on the label mean?

Accepted Answer

You don’t need to be worried! The product is perfectly safe. :)

That label is there because of California's Proposition 65 requirements. This is a law that requires products to have a warning label if they contain any of 900 chemicals (even in trace amounts).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already set safe levels for these chemicals, but Prop 65 goes beyond those requirements.

For example, their requirements for lead (0.5 PPM) are FAR below federal standards (10 PPM). In fact, many foods have higher natural lead content than Prop 65 regulations—just two servings of tuna per day puts[1] you well over the limit. So, just because a product bears the Prop 65 label doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.

1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222504258_Mercury_cadmium_and_lead_content_of_canned_Tuna_fish

Question 19

Is Recharge gluten-free?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 20

Is Recharge vegetarian friendly?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 21

Is Recharge vegan friendly?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Recharge | Post-Workout