Ringitup

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the last few decades and for good reason. [removed] The good thing about creatine is that there aren't many negative affects (that I can find) associated with it. Your body produces creatine on it's own for energy but a creatine supplement can give you that extra energy/explosiveness during certain activities. The benefits of creatine are better suited for those involved in explosive activities that require fast twitch muscles. These include weight lifting, football, baseball, certain track events, etc...

Creatine will not help those involved in aerobic activities. For instance, don't expect to have better times in the 5k run when on creatine. [removed]

I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

1.) This can probably be combined with question 4. Creatine can be taken in different ways. The supplement I'm taking now combines creatine with NO and I take about 3/4 of it 45 minutes before I work out and the remaining 1/4 during my workout. Some will also tell you to take it all after the workout. If you are taking it after your workouts then that's fine.

2.) Creatine will help you build muscle which is a plus for those trying to lose fat. But, some people will retain water when taking it. This gives muscle the "full" look. Creatine also helps you recover faster by fascilitating the delivery of nutrients to your muscles which is another reason water is stored in your muscles. You have to decide if you think creatine is worth taking though since you are limiting yourself to just 1 day a week of weight training.

3.) As stated before, creatine won't help aerobic activities. On days you aren't weight training, I believe many will tell you to take your serving of creatine in the morning on an empty stomach for maintenance purposes.

4.) I believe the recommended dose is 5 grams but I'm not positive on that.

5.) We've touched on this already. Yes, creatine can help you build lean muscle mass but I honestly don't think you'll see much results by working out 1 day a week. I notice a big difference when I'm on it but I'm also doing weight training 5-6 days a week. You seem to be going more for the cardio part of training with the occassional workout to keep your muscles toned. That's fine but I don't think creatine is well suited for that type of situation. Others can respond though and let you know what they think as these are mostly my opinions.