Creatine
Cycle
Based on the information provided here, I propose
the following cycle. The length of an ideal cycle would be relatively short.
Many studies suggest that the main response to creatine supplementation occurs
during the first week, with subsequent weeks of supplementation rendering no
significant increase of performance or mass.
Research is very limited with regard to extended
cycles at high doses, however. The cessation of ergogenic effects seems to
correlate to the end of the "loading" phase. It is therefore suggested that an
extended loading phase may prolong the ergogenic effects. It is also important
to cycle off of the product for a prolonged period of time, due to the high dose
of the cycle and the potential for contaminants in the product.
Guidelines
An ideal cycle would
contain the following:
- Duration of a few weeks
- An average dose more equivocal to a "loading" phase than a "maintenance
phase"
- A larger dose for potential responders who lack natural, dietary creatine
- A smaller dose for potential non-responders with a significant amount of
existing dietary creatine intake
- A training protocol that emphasizes all phases of muscular energetics to
take advantage of the ATP-CP, glycolytic, and oxidative effects of creatine
supplementation (HIIT is ideal for cardiovascular exercise when
supplementing creatine, due to the repeated bouts of high intensity work)
- A training protocol that incorporates negatives in order to stimulate
satellite cell fusion, as per Dr. Hatfield's theory of holistic training
- A training protocol that emphasizes repeated bouts of work per the
results of creatine studies
- A nutrition protocol tailored to reduce post-workout cortisol levels,
which would involve a post-workout shake and possible glutamine
supplementation
- A nutrition protocol that takes advantage of carb-load (super
compensation) near the end of the cycle
From these guidelines, the following cycle can be
extrapolated.
Supplement Cycle
First, the cycle will be short, only 4 weeks in
duration. It will involve a rapid "ramp-up" with a corresponding "ramp-down" of creatine and incorporate glutamine supplementation.
Nutrition will be
manipulated to favor hypertrophy during the first 3 weeks, then take advantage
of super compensation and unloading for the final week.
- First, determine a baseline creatine dose.
- For the average individual, this is proposed to be 0.3 g / kg lean mass.
- For vegetarians, consider 0.4 g / kg lean mass.
- For those with predominant protein (35% of total calories or higher) in
the diet, and those who consume at least 1 portion of red meat daily,
consider 0.2 g / kg lean mass.
- A discussion of glutamine is outside the scope of this article. The
proposed dose is 0.3 g / kg lean mass.
An example individual weighs 180 pounds at 12%
body fat. Lean mass is determined to be 158 pounds, or 72 kg. The individual has
predominant protein in their diet and consumes red meat frequently. Therefore,
the baseline creatine dose is computed to be 72 kg * 0.2 g / kg = 14 grams.
Glutamine dose is set at 72 kg * 0.3 g / kg = 22 grams.
Glutamine will be
divided into 3 doses: pre-workout, post-workout, and pre-bedtime. This equates
to 7 grams pre-workout, 7 grams post-workout, and 8 grams pre-bedtime.
Creatine will be "ramped up". The first week will
be 50% of the baseline. Second week is 100% of the baseline, and third week is
150% of the baseline. The unloading week is 50% of the baseline. The creatine
will be consumed post-workout (75%) and pre-bedtime (25%). To summarize dosing:
Week 1:
Creatine: 5g post-workout, 2g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 2:
Creatine: 11g post-workout, 3g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 3:
Creatine: 16g post-workout, 5g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 4:
Creatine: 5g post-workout, 2g before bed.
Glutamine: 7g pre-workout, 7g post-workout, 8g before bed.
Week 5:
All supplementation ceases (cycle is complete).
Nutrition Cycle
As indicated earlier, a post-workout shake is
important to replenish intramuscular glycogen and aid with recovery. It has been
suggested by several studies that a post-workout shake may decrease cortisol
levels. While it has also been noted that ingestion of food can lower
growth
hormone levels, this effect is minor compared to the potential benefits of a
post-workout shake. I recommend 50% of lean weight (pounds) in grams
carbohydrate, 1/3 of carbohydrate in grams of protein, and � protein in grams of
fat. For the test case, the post-workout shake would be:
Carbohydrate: 80 grams
Protein: 27 grams
Fat: 14 grams*
* Healthy, unsaturated fats, or
medium chain triglycerides
This equates to 544 kcal of energy. Post-workout
shakes should be consumed immediately subsequent to bouts of resistance training
exercise.
The subject should be in a hypo caloric state
throughout the cycle (taking in more calories than expended to induce muscle
growth). This would preferably involve a zigzag of calories, with higher calorie
days coinciding with resistance training. Protein intake should be considerable
to accommodate increases in muscle mass. Nutrition requirements vary widely from
individual to individual, so no example menu is provided.
One important factor for consideration is the
super compensation phase. After the third (highest) week of the cycle, a period
of low carbohydrate intake should ensue. This period should last approximately
three (3) days. The purpose of this period is to deplete muscle glycogen stores.
The third day will consist of an "unloading" workout; a full-body regimen
designed to fully deplete intramuscular glycogen. Protein should be increased
while carbohydrate is reduced to maintain consistent overall caloric intake.
After the unloading workout, carbohydrate will be increased to 150% of the
original levels and protein reduced slightly to allow super compensation. This
period will last 2 days, and then the diet will resume to normal.
If a typical intake were 200 grams of protein and
200 grams of carbs, this would shift to 325 grams of protein and 75 grams of
carbohydrate during the carb-depletion phase (as an example). During the super
compensation phase, the subject would consume 100 grams of protein and 300 grams
of carbohydrate.
Training Cycle
In order to take advantage of various systems of
muscular energetics, a holistic approach is recommended. This approach would
involve a series of "mega-sets" (Dr. Fred Hatfield's "Holistic sets" or "ABC
training") designed to recruit a broad spectrum of muscle fiber types for each
muscle group. An example mega-set for chest might be:
6 reps 90% intensity - explosive
10 reps 70% intensity - moderate
40 reps 55% intensity - slow
Intensity is expressed as a percentage of one rep
max. If the subject can bench 200 pounds for a single rep, then the mega-set
would be:
6 reps at 180 pounds - explosive tempo
(accelerate as quickly as possible)
10 reps at 140 pounds - steady tempo (1 second down, 1 second up)
40 reps at 110 pounds - slow tempo (3 seconds down, 2 seconds up).
The mega-set is performed with minimal rest -
only enough time to strip the weight between mini-sets. After a mega-set, rest
no more than 1 minute and repeat the mega-set for a total of three (3) times.
Note that these reps are general guidelines. A person with predominantly
slow-twitch (endurance) fiber in their chest would have higher reps and may only
perform 2 sets, as opposed to another individual with explosive fiber in their
chest.
Holistic sets are very taxing on the central
nervous system. For this reason, a moderate workout should be used to extend
recovery while preventing atrophy. An example schedule for this program:
Week 1
Monday - Chest/Back (row) holistic
Tuesday - HIIT exercise
Wednesday - Legs moderate
Thursday - HIIT exercise
Friday - Shoulders/Back (pull-down) holistic
Saturday - Moderate cardio
Sunday - ** rest **
Week 2
Monday - Chest/Back moderate + triceps
Tuesday - HIIT exercise
Wednesday - Legs holistic
Thursday - HIIT exercise
Friday - Shoulders/Back moderate + biceps + traps
Saturday - Moderate cardio
Sunday - ** rest **
Week 3
Monday - Chest/Back (row) holistic
Tuesday - HIIT exercise
Wednesday - Legs moderate
Thursday - HIIT exercise
Friday - Shoulders/Back (pull-down) holistic
Saturday - Moderate cardio
Sunday - ** rest ** (begin low carb phase)
Week 4
Monday - HIIT exercise
Tuesday - Unload routine (full body workout)
Wednesday - Moderate cardio (begin high carb phase)
Thursday - Moderate cardio
Friday - ** rest ** (return to normal diet)
Saturday - ** rest **
Sunday - ** rest - end of cycle **
The "unload routine" should contain mostly
multi-joint, compound movements, such as squats, dead-lifts, bench press, clean
and press, wide-grip pull-ups, and bent-over rows. Multiple sets of higher reps
(15 - 20) should be performed in superset fashion with minimal rest. The final
rest period prior to the end of cycle will allow recovery while in a super
compensated state. This could lead to significant hypertrophy.
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