Creatine 101

Hey guys, so i tried Creatine in my first year of gyming but i didn't feel like it was doing much so i stopped, but now after a little more experience, and proper routine i thought i'd try it again but i got a few questions.

1) Once i'm done with the loading phases when should i take it, before or after and is 5 grams enough, i've read in some places you should take 10.

2) Also i gym late during the day, either at 5 or at 7. Is it still fine to take it at this time of the day?

3) and lastly i've read in some places you must take it with some kind of 'transport system', something glucose based if I understand correctly. I've heard some people say you must take it with fruit juice so you dont just piss it out and i understand this is because of the fructose in it. So i've been taking it with dextrose. Is this right or even necessary? and if so what sort of quantity should i be looking at?

Shot alot for the help

ok i dunno what happened but for some reason thsi wasn't posted under the topic i intended for it to be.... :oops:

I always take 5g about 30 mins before I train with about 1/2 glass of Energade (dextrose and water is also fine for this purpose), and another 5g in my post workout shake. To be honest I've been on the stuff for about 2 1/2 years now and I haven't seen much of a difference, maybe a slight strength increase when I'm on (I take a break every few months) but I suspect this is a placebo effect.

It doesnt matter when you take creatine, it is build up in your muscles and works from there, hence the loading phase. U can even skip the loading phase, it will just take longer to work.

It does need a delivering mechanism, dextrose is perfect for this. I throw it in my post workout shake as I am already having a lot of dextrose in there to stop catabolism and help with delivering the aminos from the whey, now creatine is delivered as well.

Sweet stuff like dextrose or fructose spikes your blood glucose, which leads to your body secreting insulin to absorb this (normally turned to fat, and thats why chocolates are bad ) now you have creatine there as well, so the creatine is absorbed as well....

5 or 10 grams is fine, both are preached, it doesnt matter, u can only have a certain amount in your body, the rest is just not absorbed. And obviously it depends on how big u are and how hard u train. I aim for 10, but forget the second dose most of the time.