I have started taking creatine 2 days ago (10 mg a day as an easy loading). Today was the first session since I started taking it and I experience foot cramps during warmups for the squat. The cramps were bad enough that I could not continue to the worksets.
I know that creatine retains water in muscles, but not sure if this increases or decreases the chances of cramping. I have had feet cramps during training in the past, but never during warmups. I am thinking if I need to stop loading or perhaps stop taking it altogeather?
In the past I have linked my cramps to coffee but they have mostly disappeared in the last 3-4 weeks and the only change now is the introduction of creatine.
Cramps and creatine is one of those old wives’ tales in that mechanistically, no creatine does not/cannot cause cramps. On the other hand, there are some case reports of this happening in various places of the body, though the overall incidence is low.
Thank you, Jordan. I was mainly loading in the hopes to see if I am a responder to creatine or not. So far it caused my GI distress and diarrhea (which now that I think about it, might have been the real reason for cramps?). I have stopped loading and will see the progress now.
I just wanted to make a follow up on this in case somebody reads this thread with a similar issue. As Jordan recommended, I stopped loading creatine and resumed regular 1 tsp a day. It is the second week of maintenance dosing and I experience no cramps and no GI distress.