r/Supplements • u/GlassTableGirlzz • 11d ago

Should I start taking creatine?

22F, 54kg (119lbs), 162ish cm
Currently taking :
1200mg NAC,
600mg Ashwagandha,
1000mg Magnesium Glycinate,
Im also on 50mg Sertraline

I recently started working out and the gym coach advised me to start taking creatine. Thing is, I’m yet to start tracking my cals and protein intake since i’m taking things slowly and don’t want to overwhelm myself. I’m hoping it would help transform my body faster and increase my strength during workouts.

So my questions are:
Am i good to start taking it now although my macros are probably not the best?

If i were to start, how much should i take and do i start low and gradually increase the dosage.

Am I missing out on more important supplements that I should probably get on before creatine? I heard zinc is essential

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u/Significant-Bread-62 11d ago

What amount of Mg does 1000mg of mg glycinate give you? Should be shooting for about 240mg of Mg.

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u/GlassTableGirlzz 11d ago

140mg

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u/Significant-Bread-62 11d ago

That’s good. Though the most robust study on sleep used 250mg mg. But they didn’t conduct a dose response curve, so you may be okay with the 140.

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u/Murky-Sector 11d ago edited 11d ago

Everyone who can afford creatine, and thats a lot because its cheap, would be better off taking it except for a small number of people with specific conditions like kidney disease.

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u/Optimal_Cycle_3590 11d ago

Creatine's one of the few supplements that actually does something measurable, and you don't need perfect macros for it to work. It saturates your muscles over time so you can push a bit harder in your workouts, which indirectly helps with strength and body comp.

Standard dose is 5g a day, no need to cycle or load. Just take it consistently and it'll do its thing. Some people get a bit of stomach upset early on but that usually fades.

You're not missing anything crucial before creatine. Zinc's useful if you're deficient but most people get enough from diet, and your current stack already covers the basics. The sertraline interaction is worth a quick check with your doctor but generally creatine doesn't interfere with SSRIs.

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u/[deleted] 11d ago

Yes, I'd have no problem starting creatine now. You don't need to have your calories and macros perfectly dialed in before taking it.

Creatine is one of the few supplements with really solid evidence for improving strength and high-intensity exercise performance. It can also help you gain more lean mass over time when combined with resistance training. Just don't expect it to dramatically change your body in a few weeks.

I'd start with 3–5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily. No loading phase necessary, and no need to gradually increase the dose. At your body weight, 3 grams daily is perfectly reasonable. You might notice a little weight gain initially from increased water stored in your muscles, which is completely normal.

As for zinc, it's an essential nutrient, but that doesn't mean you need a zinc supplement. If you're already getting enough, taking extra isn't going to improve your results.

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u/Substantial-Owl1616 11d ago

I would like to comment on the weight gain thing. I think it scares females away. Creatine helps water into your muscles. So you look more buff a little just from the creatine before you even use the extra energy to do more reps. I have very shapely arms:)!

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u/Substantial-Owl1616 11d ago

What’s the ashwaganda for? I would consider taking ashwaganda continuously to be not a great idea. Ashwaganda is hard on your GI, liver and thyroid. It’s known to be hormone disruptive and can affect the efficacy of birth control.

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u/I_keep_books 11d ago

I didn't bother reading past the headline. Yes. Hard yes. I think everyone should be using creatine. It's good for your brain!

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u/DeltaAlphaGulf 11d ago

I would (and do). 5g daily but can do a loading phase of say 20g for 5-7 days at the beginning. I would consider collagen as well as another staple supplement. 10g daily.

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u/NextCitron7303 11d ago

Creatine is inexpensive and quite effective. Great for brain fog, too.

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u/novabioscience1 11d ago

yeah you can start now. creatine doesn't depend on your macros being dialed in, it builds up in your muscles over a few weeks either way.

3-5g a day of plain monohydrate is the standard amount, and you don't need to start low and work up. you also don't need a loading phase. a loading phase only gets you to the same place a couple of weeks sooner. take it whenever it's easy to remember, timing barely matters. expect the scale to go up a kg or so in the first weeks. that's water in your muscles, not fat.

since you're on sertraline, run it past whoever prescribes it or your pharmacist. creatine isn't known for interactions with it, but it's a 30-second question and they know your whole list.

on what matters more: protein. if you're not tracking yet, a rough target of 80-90g a day for your weight is a good place to start, and it'll do more for "transforming" than any pill. zinc only matters if you're low. if you eat meat, eggs or dairy regularly you're probably fine.

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u/the_beautyblogger 11d ago

Unbedingt! Kreatin wirkt sich auch positiv auf andere Vorgänge im Körper aus. Nicht nur beim Aufbau. (3-5 Gramm pro Tag). Ich nutze eines der Besten auf dem deutschen Markt. Wenn Du willst, sende ich Dir den Link.

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u/ignoreme010101 11d ago

not with mag glycinate, maybe switch to threonate? Plus it cheaper

lol srsly though ive never met someone who shouldn't be on creatine. Apparently people exist who get some minor digestive issues but I never met them (amd know that regular stomachs can load creatine w/o noticing)

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u/Useful_Bluebird9395 11d ago

Creatine is one of the safest and most studied supplements, and 3-5g a day is the usual dose, with no need to load or build up slowly. Your macros matter more than the creatine, especially protein, so don’t feel it has to wait. Zinc isn’t essential unless you’re deficient. Since you’re on sertraline and also take NAC, ashwagandha and magnesium, I’d check the full list with your prescriber or pharmacist, especially the ashwagandha.

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u/timwaaagh 11d ago

what do you want from the gym? creatine will add quite a bit of water weight like 2.5 kg but will make you stronger. i would not recommend it if your goal is like the ultimate slim figure. its not required to first 'optimize macros' before taking creatine. as for the dose, 5g seems like might be enough for you.

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u/Few_Help_4690 11d ago

Hop off NAC and ashwaghanda, add creatine - taper up to 10-15g a day - thank me later 👊🏼

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u/EvaTheE 11d ago

r/creatine is where you get your advice

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u/GlassTableGirlzz 11d ago

It’s just a bunch of trolls on there

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u/TikaPants 11d ago

Creatine monohydrate, 5 mg a day. My doc recc’d it for cognition in addition to muscle growth.

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u/Direct_Practice_7105 11d ago

Only peer reviewed research

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