For those taking Creatine

Mad_Dog_Muscle

Do you have a favorite..... if so.... why?

onefitdiva

I am usually the one who shows up with a stupid question, why stop now.......Does creatine make you retain water? I have been reading that is how it works. Is that wrong?

Mad_Dog_Muscle

LOL... you never ask dumb questions! :-)....... I have heard the same thing, that it will cause you to retain water! there is so much conflicting info out there, as I am sure there will be for this too. I currently do not take it, but curious to see what others have to say.

onefitdiva

I am curious too!

dobenjam

Took it in Highschool and got big fast. I'm not sure if you retain water with it, but I know it works. I think got two different kinds from walmart at the time. One pill and one powder. I mixed the powder with a protein shake and 1 egg in the morning (had weight training first thing), then took pills before practice. I know it doesn't answer your question but I think any kind would work though some may work better than others.

Mad_Dog_Muscle

Took it in Highschool and got big fast. I'm not sure if you retain water with it, but I know it works. I think got two different kinds from walmart at the time. One pill and one powder. I mixed the powder with a protein shake and 1 egg in the morning (had weight training first thing), then took pills before practice. I know it doesn't answer your question but I think any kind would work though some may work better than others.

Thanks bud, appreciate the response. Not sure if the answer will ever come, but hopefully I will get more feedback to the question from others. Always good to get other perspective. I'd like to get bigger, but not hold in too much water and feel bloated all the time.

Acg67

Do you have a favorite..... if so.... why?

Plain creapure creatine mono.

Acg67

Took it in Highschool and got big fast. I'm not sure if you retain water with it, but I know it works. I think got two different kinds from walmart at the time. One pill and one powder. I mixed the powder with a protein shake and 1 egg in the morning (had weight training first thing), then took pills before practice. I know it doesn't answer your question but I think any kind would work though some may work better than others.

Thanks bud, appreciate the response. Not sure if the answer will ever come, but hopefully I will get more feedback to the question from others. Always good to get other perspective. I'd like to get bigger, but not hold in too much water and feel bloated all the time.

If you're apt to retain water or bloat on plain mono, look into MCC (Magnesium Creatine Chelate) Inevitably someone will mention kre alk, but that stuff is garbarge

ashtonvv

My brother takes creatine when he wants to bulk up faster, he doesn't use it long-term or regularily but it works for him. He is extremely active he is at the gym every night, and has on and off ice training for hockey. He has Chrones disease, and his doctors know he takes it, so I would assume it's safe as long as you aren't abusing it. He takes the powder form and mixes it in his protein.

Acg67

I am usually the one who shows up with a stupid question, why stop now.......Does creatine make you retain water? I have been reading that is how it works. Is that wrong?

After creatine enters the body (or after it is produced by the body) it firsts binds with a phosphate molecule to form Creatine phosphate. Now here is where I'm going to lay a bit of biochemistry on you so I'll do my best to keep it simple. ATP (Adenine Tri-Phosphate) IS the body's energy source. When your body oxidizes carbs, protein, or fat it is doing this process in order to produce ATP. ATP is responsible for driving almost every body process there is. Hell ATP is even involved in creating ATP. ATP works like this... Energy is needed to drive bodily process. ATP provides this energy by hydrolyzing a phosphate group.

When a phosphate group is hydrolyzed, energy in the form of heat is given off and this energy is used to drive whatever process is being performed, for example muscle contraction. Because one phosphate has been lost from the ATP it is now called ADP (adenine Di-phosphate). The reaction is as follows ATP (hydrolysis)=ADP + Energy. Now you have free ADP as a product from the ATP hydrolysis. ADP is pretty much useless in the body unless it is converted back into ATP. Now this is where creatine comes into play. The phosphate bound creatine donates it's phosphate group to the ADP to re-form ATP! I assume you see where this is going now. By allowing you to return ADP to ATP creatine will increase your ATP stores, thus allowing you to train harder and longer.Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Another benefit of creatine is that creatine itself is a fuel source. In fact your body's first choice of energy when performing anaerobic activity (such as weightlifting) is your creatine phosphate stores. By supplementing with creatine phosphate you will increase these stores, thus giving you more energy for your workouts. There is another anabolic property that creatine holds and this is it's ability to hydrate muscle cells.1 When muscle cells are hydrated a few things happen. The most notable being an increase in protein synthesis. The second being an increase of ions into the cell. Since the cell is holding more water, it can also hold more ions since the ions will follow water into the cell in order to keep the concentration the same. When more ions are present in muscle cells (the most important being nitrogen) muscle protein synthesis also increases.

Mad_Dog_Muscle

I am usually the one who shows up with a stupid question, why stop now.......Does creatine make you retain water? I have been reading that is how it works. Is that wrong?

After creatine enters the body (or after it is produced by the body) it firsts binds with a phosphate molecule to form Creatine phosphate. Now here is where I'm going to lay a bit of biochemistry on you so I'll do my best to keep it simple. ATP (Adenine Tri-Phosphate) IS the body's energy source. When your body oxidizes carbs, protein, or fat it is doing this process in order to produce ATP. ATP is responsible for driving almost every body process there is. Hell ATP is even involved in creating ATP. ATP works like this... Energy is needed to drive bodily process. ATP provides this energy by hydrolyzing a phosphate group.

When a phosphate group is hydrolyzed, energy in the form of heat is given off and this energy is used to drive whatever process is being performed, for example muscle contraction. Because one phosphate has been lost from the ATP it is now called ADP (adenine Di-phosphate). The reaction is as follows ATP (hydrolysis)=ADP + Energy. Now you have free ADP as a product from the ATP hydrolysis. ADP is pretty much useless in the body unless it is converted back into ATP. Now this is where creatine comes into play. The phosphate bound creatine donates it's phosphate group to the ADP to re-form ATP! I assume you see where this is going now. By allowing you to return ADP to ATP creatine will increase your ATP stores, thus allowing you to train harder and longer.Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Another benefit of creatine is that creatine itself is a fuel source. In fact your body's first choice of energy when performing anaerobic activity (such as weightlifting) is your creatine phosphate stores. By supplementing with creatine phosphate you will increase these stores, thus giving you more energy for your workouts. There is another anabolic property that creatine holds and this is it's ability to hydrate muscle cells.1 When muscle cells are hydrated a few things happen. The most notable being an increase in protein synthesis. The second being an increase of ions into the cell. Since the cell is holding more water, it can also hold more ions since the ions will follow water into the cell in order to keep the concentration the same. When more ions are present in muscle cells (the most important being nitrogen) muscle protein synthesis also increases.

Thanks.... really appreciate this!

tangal88

I take Optimal Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder (unflavored) - I like it, because it is tasteless. So I can easily add it to protein shakes, Oatmeal, My workout drink - whatever. I have even taken a teaspoon full straight up dry, no flavor at all, weird.
Its Creatine Monohydrate

I noted a slight water gain, but nothing to panic over. I did not have puffiness or bloating etc. It (water gain) did not negatively impact my overall body composition improvement. For me, it does seem to help my muscle development, and lifting gains, compared to when I do not use it.

Scale weight means nothing really, toward my goals overall. Its one tool, but a limited one.

I am basing goals on how I look, feel, body fat changes, muscle definition changes, inch loss.

UponThisRock

I take Optimal Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder (unflavored) - I like it, because it is tasteless. So I can easily add it to protein shakes, Oatmeal, My workout drink - whatever. I have even taken a teaspoon full straight up dry, no flavor at all, weird.
Its Creatine Monohydrate

I noted a slight water gain, but nothing to panic over. I did not have puffiness or bloating etc.

Scale weight means nothing really, toward my goals overall. Its one tool, but a limited one.

I am basing goals on how I look, feel, body fat changes, muscle definition changes, inch loss.

^^^And It's about the cheapest out there, if you buy the 2,000g tubs.

tangal88

thanks Rock, I need to look into that

sportsforfun

I agree on the Optimal Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder. Same product for the cheapest price.

elizabethblake

Does the timing matter? Should it be taken pre-workout? I've typically used it post-workout, mixed in my afternoon cup of green tea.

onefitdiva

I just ordered Kre-A-Fem from Bodybuilding.com, I will try this one first and see how it goes, if not I have this bookmarked to try the other suggestions. Thanks!

RonSwanson66

Does the timing matter? Should it be taken pre-workout? I've typically used it post-workout, mixed in my afternoon cup of green tea.

No, timing doesn't matter. Creatine doesn't have an acute effect, it's effectiveness comes after the body reaches saturation levels (a few weeks).

Acg67

I just ordered Kre-A-Fem from Bodybuilding.com, I will try this one first and see how it goes, if not I have this bookmarked to try the other suggestions. Thanks!

Kre-Alk is just creatine mono with baking soda added, it has been shown to be less effective then regular creatine mono, despite all the marketing around how awesome it is

Mad_Dog_Muscle

I take Optimal Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder (unflavored) - I like it, because it is tasteless. So I can easily add it to protein shakes, Oatmeal, My workout drink - whatever. I have even taken a teaspoon full straight up dry, no flavor at all, weird.
Its Creatine Monohydrate

I noted a slight water gain, but nothing to panic over. I did not have puffiness or bloating etc.

Scale weight means nothing really, toward my goals overall. Its one tool, but a limited one.

I am basing goals on how I look, feel, body fat changes, muscle definition changes, inch loss.

^^^And It's about the cheapest out there, if you buy the 2,000g tubs.

I think I have been missing the boat on Optimal Nutrition products! I hear nothing but positive reviews. I have never heard any complaints! Thanks for the feedback!