When you stop taking creatine, your serum levels of creatine will start to drop, returning to baseline levels after around four weeks.[1][2][3] This length of time may vary slightly between individuals.[4] Assuming a daily creatinine elimination rate of 14.6 mmol/day,[5][3] the upper limit for serum creatine to return to baseline levels after stopping supplementation should be around six weeks.
References
- ^Febbraio MA, Flanagan TR, Snow RJ, Zhao S, Carey MFEffect of creatine supplementation on intramuscular TCr, metabolism and performance during intermittent, supramaximal exercise in humans.Acta Physiol Scand.(1995-Dec)
- ^Hultman E, Söderlund K, Timmons JA, Cederblad G, Greenhaff PLMuscle creatine loading in menJ Appl Physiol (1985).(1996 Jul)
- ^Preen D, Dawson B, Goodman C, Beilby J, Ching SCreatine supplementation: a comparison of loading and maintenance protocols on creatine uptake by human skeletal muscle.Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab.(2003-Mar)
- ^Rawson ES, Persky AM, Price TB, Clarkson PMEffects of repeated creatine supplementation on muscle, plasma, and urine creatine levels.J Strength Cond Res.(2004-Feb)
- ^Brosnan JT, da Silva RP, Brosnan METhe metabolic burden of creatine synthesisAmino Acids.(2011 May)