Ya I wouldnt worry too much about the whole loading phase. Its kind of an old school tactic that just isnt necessary.
And yes creatine makes you hold water though it does increase strength which leads to lean muscle gains. All in all it is a great supplement.
Anyone remember when this stuff first hit the market in the mid 90s and they were charging 70 dollars for 500 grams? Bill Phillips sure did capitalize on this stuff!
Indeed!!!
Now you can get that much (if not more) for $20 or less, and get a free T-Shirt to boot. In fact, I just saw a 300-gram bottle of Prolab creatine on the clearance table at Vitamin Shoppe for $5.
Loading is "old-school" but it works. What I've found is the phenomenal results you get from loading usually occurs with first-time users. As I've said on multiple occasions, the first time I loaded with creatine (it was EAS' Phosphagen HP), I put on 7 lb. in a week and 12 lb. in two-and-a-half weeks.
Other posters who initially loaded with creatine have experienced similar results.
