Is Creatine Worth It ?
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.0 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that most people probably don't even get the benefits of creatine and you have laid out why nicely.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »I've been bulking since October, taking creatine monohydrate the whole time. I gained an initial 6ish lbs that first month and averaged 2 lbs each thereafter. I'm 5'5"ish, currently 137 lbs, goal is to bulk up to 145. I want to be in this for the long haul, but I'm wondering if the creatine is worth it. I feel like all my weight gain is in my belly (it's not, I've been measuring and am growing everywhere.. but I just feel so bloated all the time). Am I really getting anything out of taking creatine?
Try Creatine HCl which is made by Concrete in capsule form, I like it better than the monohydrate.1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that most people probably don't even get the benefits of creatine and you have laid out why nicely.
Haha, sorry about that. I tend to "skim" and miss some comments.
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JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that most people probably don't even get the benefits of creatine and you have laid out why nicely.
Haha, sorry about that. I tend to "skim" and miss some comments.
No worries lol I don't expect people to read everything.I just mentioned it because we both see the same things there. If a person is not pushing the limits than something that adds a bit too those limits isn't going to help.1 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.
Regarding volume. From my understanding, it allows for more available energy, which allows to you complete more reps that weren't previously able to be achieved (i.e., plateaued on a specific lift). I know Layne Norton had a piece on it, but it's been a year since I saw the video but Ill see if I can find it again. So if you were doing 3 sets of 5 and your volume looked like 5, 3,2. You could theoretically get additional available energy to allow for hit all reps.
I plan on retesting this theory once I start to plateau on my big lifts again.1 -
JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »JAYxMSxPES wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Back to my original question... works for what? Is it just for recovery, or will it increase muscle gain, assuming diet and lifting are on point?
Indirectly, it supports muscle building by allowing you to increase lifting volume.
Just curious where does the "increased" lifting volume come into play? Is it because of the improved ATP recover in-between sets can allow lifters to basically add sets at a greater intensity? If you're talking about anything that involves longer sets and the aerobic energy system taking over, I don't believe that's true because that's just not what ATP does.
My understanding is that it increases the phosphocreatine stores in the cells to increase anarobic work capacity, but that would be for very short sets, under 8 reps most likely. The recovery of ATP faster would also make sense but then again most people don't seem to train that intensely.
Yeah, I agree that it increases anaerobic work capacity. I was just trying to understand how "volume" was being defined here because it can mean many things. For instance, are we talking 5 x 3 at 85% TM and maybe going 7 x 3 at 85% TM as increased volume or 3 x 10 to 5 x 10 at something like 55% / 60%, which is a different training stimulus altogether.
Depending on how those 8 reps are being done, ATP may or may not be relevant. An all-out PR set where you're cranking reps with something heavy, yeah probably. More controlled sets of 8 where you're trying to feel the muscle and have a more controlled tempo... maybe, debatable.
Regarding volume. From my understanding, it allows for more available energy, which allows to you complete more reps that weren't previously able to be achieved (i.e., plateaued on a specific lift). I know Layne Norton had a piece on it, but it's been a year since I saw the video but Ill see if I can find it again. So if you were doing 3 sets of 5 and your volume looked like 5, 3,2. You could theoretically get additional available energy to allow for hit all reps.
I plan on retesting this theory once I start to plateau on my big lifts again.
Okay, that makes sense for sure.0 -
https://youtu.be/IR5jW9iNNiw
While this is about supplements in general, Jeff Nippard discusses creatine as part of his top 5 supplements.1 -
I like Jeff's stuff, and with a degree in Biochem he has a good background. I'm pretty much a non-responder as far as I can tell, and that's 1/3 of people.0
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »I like Jeff's stuff, and with a degree in Biochem he has a good background. I'm pretty much a non-responder as far as I can tell, and that's 1/3 of people.
So, in the end, I'm better safe than sorry to continue to take it. I'm only 3 months into this bulk and I want to try to go at least 7 months.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »I like Jeff's stuff, and with a degree in Biochem he has a good background. I'm pretty much a non-responder as far as I can tell, and that's 1/3 of people.
So, in the end, I'm better safe than sorry to continue to take it. I'm only 3 months into this bulk and I want to try to go at least 7 months.
I think either way there isn't really going to be enough of a difference for you to worry. So it really comes down to the psychological factor the way I see. Take it if it makes you feel more comfortable/confident or discontinue use if you prefer not to deal with the physical effects that have had you concerned.
Good luck on your bulk and keep us posted. When you are in doubt you can always post here or add some of us as friends for support (e.g. @sardelsa who is currently on a bulk as well) and to draw on our experience if you like. In the end, your bulk will really depend on your ability to stay consistent with your workout and diet and the creatine will only be a small footnote.
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@Davidsdottir you’re awesome. Keep up the great work.0
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Thank you, @KUzzanti !0
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I'm in the 4th week of a clean bulk. my first bulk ever. I take a pre workout, protein shakes, and now ive added creatine. I've noticed a slight bloat but nothing terrible. I've also noticed a much better pump and that alone makes it worth it to me. I wouldn't say its making a huge difference but nothing is going to. every better decision is going to make me slightly better. I'm okay with that.1
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