I have a friend who is trying to lose weight. He has been successful so far building muscle and developing some never before seen definition. He wants to reap the benefits of creatine in his supplement arsenal. With so many conflicting views out there im unsure how to advise him. Should he skip a loading phase, take a certain type or avoid it altogether? Oh and by the way he is 6' 4'' 330 lbs but just a big guy, not fat.
There's no need for a loading phase. 3-5g per day is a good amount, but he's a big guy, so 5g should be a good dose.
Creatine isn't really going to help with fat loss, but it is still useful during a cut, since it can help increase (or at least preserve during a cut) strength and LBM.
Creatine has been shown to increase muscle strength and lean body mass (very well known around here), but has also been shown to prevent reductions in max bench press and squat during an overreaching phase and following taper, as well as increase bench press and lean body mass by more than placebo after the 6 weeks.
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This is potentially valuable during a cut.
I wouldn't worry about water retention/bloating from creatine either (creatine monohydrate, MCC, and/or HCL, just don't take CEE), as the water retention is really intracellular (good) and not extracellular (bad).
I'd stick with 5g creatine monohydrate, as it's VERY well researched. MCC, creatine HCL, and creatine anhydrous should also be fine if dosed properly.
Also, one a related note, some products (such as CreMax XT) contain the full dose of creatine and betaine anhydrous. Betaine anhydrous has also been shown to increase lean body mass, reps performed on squats, vertical jump and bench and squat force.
Why I mention it here though, besides these benefits being useful during a bulk and a cut, is that betaine has also been shown to reduce fat. One study noted an increase of 5.29lbs LBM compared to a 0.66lb increase with placebo AND a 6.39lb reduction in fat mass, compared to an increase of 0.66lbs of fat mass with placebo.
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I'd recommend creatine and betaine during a bulk, recomp, and cut. With CreMax XT, you also get some taurine (which can benefit endurance and even slightly increase fat oxidation), alanylglutamine (which can help reduce fatigue), glycerol (to help with pumps), and a few other goodies.
