In the first few seconds of an exercise, or during an intense moment during normal exercise (such as the momentum in the pole vault), ATP that is stored in the muscles is used. Enzymes then break down the creatine phosphate to replenish the ATP supply. This gives you a few more seconds of energy. Some people practice creatine loading to boost recovery during short-term, high-intensity exercise.

Endurance athletes should not load creatine, as doing so builds up fluid in the muscles which will ultimately impair their performance during the endurance event.

Creatine loading is designed to increase the creatine content of the muscles by 20%. You should spend a week loading and then the rest of the time stick with a maintenance dose. Creatine that you take in excess of what your muscles can hold will be excreted in the urine.

During the loading period, take four times the daily amount of creatine, or about 20g per day. Divide it into 4 equal doses of 5 grams each. Since carbohydrates are needed to deliver the creatine to the muscles, it is recommended that you take the creatine along with a high GI (glycemic index) food, such as pasta or baked potatoes. This will increase insulin in the blood, which will open the cell walls to allow nutrients to enter.

Take your dose one hour before a training session. It is important that you drink plenty of water when you are charging. After a week your muscles should contain the maximum amount of creatine and then you can switch to the maintenance dose.

Several other notes:

1. Caffeine nullifies the effect of creatine loading, so avoid it
2. You may experience bloating, gas, diarrhea. If this happens, reduce the dose you are taking.
3. Experiment with creatine loading before a hard training cycle. Do not creatine load for the first time right before a major competition.