creatine, do you have to do the loading phase?

as above

I don't bother. I just take 5g a day of mono.

No need.

is that about a tea spoon

5g is a about a rounded teaspoon mate yes.

I heard the whole loading phase if a marketing plea by the supplement companies to get you to use more product, i stopped and the benefits were still the same. try it,

Although I have never loaded, and never thought it needed, MD in a recent issue, published a study that showed that the loading phase is actually beneficial and does make a difference.   Will try and dig it up if anyone wants to know more.

I did a literature review at uni on the effects of Cr on sprint performance.  Having compared the findings of the available literature, it seems that there is no significant difference in the change in performance levels when Cr is loaded in typical fashion (5g 4x daily for 5 days), or not loaded.  However, this is regarding the use of Cr as an ergogenic aid to sprint performance. 

My take on loading is here: http://articles.musclet...uk/article-creatine.aspx

Not really but theres no reason not to as far as I know, and its hardly expensive

James I took this from that link you posted:
 
"This is very controversial as there are researchers like Greenhaff, et al (1993), who show that it is beneficial to load, and others who show no benefit. The ones who show no benefit recommend 5g per day only for 6-7 weeks and claim that supplement companies advocate loading merely as a way of trying to sell more creatine. If you compare this to companies who advocate a 10g, 15g or eve 20g loading phase and maintenance of 5g per day, then the non-loading advocators are correct. However if you compare 5g per day to the example above you will use a lot more creatine over the few weeks by not loading; (Over a 52 day period using 5g per day throughout uses 260g in total; compared with just 166g in the above regimen).
To conclude, loading may/may not be necessary but, as it will save you money by loading, it makes sense to load."
 
I could possibly be being a div but surely the maths is wrong there?Somebody non loading for 6 weeks at 5gs would take 42x5gs =210gs.Somebody who would load for 5 days at 20 gs a day and then maintenance of 5 gs would take 5x20gs=100gs + 37x5gs=185gs so 285gs in total.Not trying to be a smart arse but just can't see how how you can use less creatine non loading than loading?

I think what they mean is people using a creatine cycle for example

10g per day week 1
5g per day week2-7
2g per day week8-12

will use less creatine than someone who did

5g per day week 1-12