Do Your Muscles Need a ‘Creatine Washout?’ It Depends.

CREATINE IS THE prom king of social media—everyone’s talking about it. And not always nice things, either. Because for all the (very warranted) complements about how creatine can help you grow stronger, there’s also some (baseless) behind-the-back whispers about how it can make your hair fall out, poison you with heavy metals, and yes even kill you.Between this polarization, there’s the seemingly reasonable personal stance of Andrew Huberman, PhD: Take creatine, but also take a creatine break.Just in case you’re unfamiliar, a Huberman is a neuroscientist and associate professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. And he only hosts one of the most popular health podcasts of all time, Huberman Lab. When Huberman says anything about anything, people listen.So when Huberman posted that he does a “creatine washout” every four months “just to see what effect it continues to have over time,” you have to wonder.What is a ‘creatine washout’ phase?IT’S THE TIME period after you stop supplementing with creatine. The term is used frequently in scientific research that assesses the effects of creatine supplementation, often in athletic performance studies.But, admittedly, there aren’t that many studies that look at the creatine washout phase itself. The most recent goes all the way back to 2004: “Effects of repeated creatine supplementation on muscle, plasma, and urine creative levels.”In that study researchers found that levels of muscle phosphocreatine—that’s the amount of creatine stored within muscle cells—did not return to pre-supplementation baselines even after a 30-day washout period.Since that 2004 study, there hasn’t been any supportive—or contradictory—science, but the lead author says the findings hold up more than 20 years later.“Four to six weeks is a typical response and depends on dietary creatine, response to supplement, etc.,” says Eric Rawson, PhD, FACSM, Chair of the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science at Messiah University, and a co-author of the 2004 washout study.Should you occasionally do a creatine ‘washout’?MAYBE, BUT NOT for reasons you might think.“Questions about creatine washout and/or cycling supplementation are best handled from both physiological and behavioral perspectives,” says Rawson. “When I am asked about washout and cycling, I always ask people if they have similar concerns about their multivitamin. Or their calcium supplements. Or whey protein.”Meaning, do you have the same washout concerns about creatine as you do your other supplements? Probably not.“There appears to be a lingering concern about long-term creatine supplementation that is not supported by data.”That said, Rawson says that some people, including many athletes, can feel overwhelmed by demands of maintaining their fitness edge—to the point where it’s good to take a break for mental health.“Taking an off-season break from some of the usual routines, which includes, training, meal frequency, macro-nutrient intake goals, and the daily dietary supplement routine, can provide a break and perhaps some relief from the usual routine,” he says.How long a break is sort of up to you and your long-term goals. But let your body and brain be the judge of that—not whatever you hear on social.Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men's Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men's Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.