Creatine helps supply energy to muscles during high-intensity exercise and is commonly used to boost performance and muscle mass. However, determining the most effective creatine supplementation protocol has proven challenging. A recent study found that combining creatine with dextrose for five days rapidly increases muscle total creatine, with continued consumption maintaining this high level.

Researchers provided healthy young men with one of four creatine supplementation protocols: Group 1: Four doses of 5 grams of creatine daily for five days, followed by 5 grams daily for 28 days.
Group 2: Four doses of 5 grams of creatine plus 95 grams of dextrose daily for five days. Group 3: Split from Group 2 after the initial five days:
Group 3A: 5 grams of creatine daily for 28 days.
Group 3B: 5 grams of creatine plus 95 grams of dextrose daily for 28 days. Group 4: Four doses of 5 grams of creatine with 14 grams of protein, 7 grams of phenylalanine, 7 grams of leucine, and 57 grams of dextrose daily for five days, followed by a single daily dose of the same combination for the next 28 days.
The researchers collected muscle biopsies from the participants at baseline, after five days, and after 33 days.

They found that muscle total creatine increased in Groups 1, 2, and 4 after five days. The largest increase occurred in Group 2, reaching an average maximum of 150 mmol/kg. However, after 33 days:
Group 1 total creatine increased further to approximately 150 mmol/kg.
Group 3A showed a tendency to decline.
Group 3B remained unchanged from the level observed at five days.
Group 4 remained unchanged from the level observed at five days and was lower than Group 1. Creatine transporter gene expression changed slightly in all groups. However, the more creatine levels increased after five days, the smaller the change in this gene’s activity.

These findings suggest that combining creatine with dextrose for five days rapidly increases total muscle creatine. Continued consumption of creatine with dextrose helps maintain this high level. While ingesting creatine alone also boosts total muscle creatine, it takes longer to reach levels similar to those in combination with dextrose. Learn more about creatine in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.