The simple answer is no.
The reason is that creatine is actually just an immediate energy substrate. essentially all glucose is converted to CP, which is the final stage before ATP. CP cannot readily Be stored up. Only in small amounts and when it ia stored, a lot of water gets stored with it, hence the weight gain. The true benefits for this supplement lie in the preworkout stages. Not for maintenance brother.
no its not don't do that extend your cycle out to keep gains
Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids: glycine, arginine, and methionine. That's it! So it definitely always helps, although some people just dont like it. Some creatine supplements come with caffeine in them which is the part of it that I don't like, it makes me nervous. That being said I would cycle it kind of like what you do with steroids. It is not necessary to do so, but it can help. Your body has an internal equilibrium which you can swing in your favor for a period of time, but over time that equilibrium will eventually swing back.
Which basically means that taking excess creatine for a short period of time (4-8 weeks) may temporarily increase your creatine phosphate stores, but after a while your body's feedback mechanisms will likely bring the levels back down to normal. This mechanism may be to decrease your body's own production of creatine or to downgrade the number of receptors that admit creatine into the cell. Taking time off from creatine can help bring your body's equilibrium back into a state wherein taking excess creatine will be beneficial again.
I did notice a couple of other people and SR's said you can do it on and off cycle and 8 do agree, as long as you cycle it so to speak. As with anything, your body gets used to things and they become less effective unless you trick your body and change things up. You also want to give your body time to make it's own creatine because while you are supplementing with creatine your body will not make it. I hope this helps
I'm not to sure about it helping you keep gains, It will help you keep the water retention but a far as muscle mass, Imo I dont think it does much. That being said, something that works for one person, might not work for another person! That's the crazy thing about all these supplements and steroids. And everybody has the Bro mentality. That is to say, my "bro" did it, so it should work for me too....lol