Creatine has long been one of the most popular supplements in the fitness world. Ask any bodybuilder or athlete, and they’ll probably tell you they’ve been using it for years to build strength and get more out of their training.

But in recent years, creatine’s popularity has become more widespread, not just because studies suggest taking creatine (the recommended dose is 3-5 g a day) can support strength, performance and muscle gains, but because early research indicates there could be benefits ranging from improved cognitive function to reduced brain fog.

The evidence behind creatine is pretty convincing, especially if you’re into strength training. A 2022 meta-analysis of 35 studies involving almost 1,200 adults found that people who took creatine alongside resistance training gained, on average, 1.1kg of lean muscle compared with those who didn’t.

So when 45-year-old certified personal trainer and Studio Define Fitness co-founder Sarah Borello announced she was ditching creatine for two weeks after taking it every day for 18 months, we were intrigued. Would she actually notice a difference? Or would it all be in her head?

What happened when Sarah Borello stopped taking creatine?

Turns out, two weeks was more than enough time for Borello to notice a few changes. According to her, she experienced:

  • Less energy in her day-to-day life
  • Weakness in the gym during heavy lifting sessions
  • Reduced mental sharpness
  • More muscle soreness
  • Muscles that looked visibly less full
  • No reduction in bloating

Two weeks without creatine was enough for Borello to make up her mind about how much she values the supplement. She’s since added creatine straight back into her routine, taking 5g before workouts (mixed into a protein coffee) and another 5g afterwards with a post-workout refuel of yoghurt and berries. For Borello, the experiment reinforced just how much of a difference creatine was making to her training, recovery and everyday energy.

What the science says about stopping creatine

It’s important to remember that Borello’s experience is just that: one person’s experience. But it does raise an interesting question: what actually happens when you stop taking creatine?

Research suggests that the levels of creatine you build up when taking supplements don’t just disappear overnight. Instead, creatine stores decrease slowly – with one 2017 study reporting that it takes four to six weeks for elevated creatine stores in the muscle to return to their baseline level.

Does stopping creatine make you lose muscle?

Not necessarily. While your muscles may look slightly less full as creatine stores fall, that doesn’t mean you’ve actually lost any muscle gains. Any reduction in muscle fullness is largely due to changes in water stored within the muscle (creatine draws water into the muscle cells, making them appear larger), rather than a sudden loss of muscle tissue.

If you continue strength training and eat enough protein, you’re unlikely to lose significant muscle over just a couple of weeks.

There’s research to back this up, too. A study, published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, analysed the effects of 12 weeks of creatine supplementation on trained individuals, before the participants stopped supplementing. The study found stopping creatine had no effect on the rate of strength, endurance, and loss of lean tissue mass with 12 weeks of reduced-volume training.

It’s worth noting the study was small and only included older men, so we can’t assume the same would happen in younger people or women. But it does suggest your gains don’t just vanish the minute you forget to hit subscribe on your creatine supplements.

Should you stop taking creatine?

As ever, this is something only you can decide.

But it’s reassuring to know that creatine is one of the most researched supplements out there – with studies showing taking creatine can improve high-intensity exercise performance by around 10-20%.

Research has also consistently found it to be safe for healthy adults when taken at recommended doses, and studies using higher intakes (up to 30g a day for five years) have reported no serious adverse effects.

If you’re healthy and strength training regularly, there’s no evidence to suggest you need to stop taking it. And, if Sarah Borello’s two-week experiment is anything to go by, you might end up missing it more than you expected.