Creatine

rf1583
rf1583 Posts: 65
in Food and Nutrition
Do you recommend it and if so, what brands would you suggest?

Replies

  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
    In for responses.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,043 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Do you recommend it and if so, what brands would you suggest?

    Allmax mono
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I agree!!

    It is beneficial for strength and size on a proper nutrition and workout program. As far as brands, personally I don't see any difference, anything monohydrate. The recommendation are pretty much all the same. Load the first week, (3-4 times daily), then once daily after the loading phase. Drink LOTS of water!! Listen to your body, I know from experience it's sometimes not for everyone, some people can experience some mild side effects. I haven't personally.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Red Meat!!!!:happy:
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    I do use creatine, but the more I read the more it seems unnecessary for anyone with plenty of meat in their diet. Vegetarians and anyone with very little meat in their diet would probably benefit most.

    I keep using it because I bought a big tub, but once it's done I'll probably drop it.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I went through a tub of it once, but there's some (very thin, but still extant) evidence that it can potentially contribute to male pattern baldness.

    I have a full healthy head of hair and want to keep it that way. Any small, theoretical benefit in terms of gym performance isn't worth the risk to me.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    I went through a tub of it once, but there's some (very thin, but still extant) evidence that it can potentially contribute to male pattern baldness.

    This is not a concern for me ;)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I went through a tub of it once, but there's some (very thin, but still extant) evidence that it can potentially contribute to male pattern baldness.

    This is not a concern for me ;)

    I'm not sure if I should consider you lucky or not..
  • rf1583
    rf1583 Posts: 65
    I'm eating to gain. I've gained 2lbs in the past month so I'm doing well and I can see muscles coming in hat I never had. I meticulously weigh and log my foods and I was wondering about whether creatine would help. I eat chicken, fish, turkey meat or red meat in my dinners every week. Red meat maybe only once or twice a week. Would I need to eat more than that to not need to take creatine? If I try it, just any creatine monohydrate is sufficient?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Creatine probably wouldn't help you much, but it probably won't hurt either. It may make you gain a little bit of water weight. It may help you get another rep or two out of a set of heavy weights. That's about it.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm eating to gain. I've gained 2lbs in the past month so I'm doing well and I can see muscles coming in hat I never had. I meticulously weigh and log my foods and I was wondering about whether creatine would help. I eat chicken, fish, turkey meat or red meat in my dinners every week. Red meat maybe only once or twice a week. Would I need to eat more than that to not need to take creatine? If I try it, just any creatine monohydrate is sufficient?

    You would need lbs of red meat a day to saturate your muscles
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/
  • MagJam2004
    MagJam2004 Posts: 651 Member
    http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/

    I was just about to post this.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
    Whatever creatine monohydrate is cheapest. I buy Optimum Nutrition. Name recognition, solid protein powder, so I go with them. Not really the cheapest, but close to it.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Why is this?

    I'm not trying to start MFP drama, I just want to know bc I was considering it but my main goal is to lose body fat. Is it because of the whole water-weight/water retention thing?

    thank in advance for your time.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Why is this?

    I'm not trying to start MFP drama, I just want to know bc I was considering it but my main goal is to lose body fat. Is it because of the whole water-weight/water retention thing?

    thank in advance for your time.

    I think the point was more that it is not required in order to lose weight, rather than it being specifically deleterious to the attempt.

    It will cause some water retention, but certainly won't stop you losing fat or cause you to gain any. The only issue may be psychological, if you can't handle seeing the scale rise a couple of pounds from water weight.
  • rf1583
    rf1583 Posts: 65
    http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/

    Thanks for the link. I think I'll give it a try and see how and if it works for me.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Why is this?

    I'm not trying to start MFP drama, I just want to know bc I was considering it but my main goal is to lose body fat. Is it because of the whole water-weight/water retention thing?

    thank in advance for your time.

    I was wondering the same. Is it beneficial for those wanting to lose weight but retain as much muscle as possible through heavy, progressive loading lifting? I realize eating protein will do this but since creatine is made up of the amino acids glutamine and arginine (amino acids found in many proteins though not included in the list of essential amino acids) shouldn't it have a similar effect for muscle retention?

    Non essential amino acid metabolism is not an area I'm well educated in, at all really.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    Creatine is well studied and is legit. But if you're trying to lose weight, you don't need it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Why is this?

    I'm not trying to start MFP drama, I just want to know bc I was considering it but my main goal is to lose body fat. Is it because of the whole water-weight/water retention thing?

    thank in advance for your time.

    I think the point was more that it is not required in order to lose weight, rather than it being specifically deleterious to the attempt.

    It will cause some water retention, but certainly won't stop you losing fat or cause you to gain any. The only issue may be psychological, if you can't handle seeing the scale rise a couple of pounds from water weight.
    That makes sense. Thank you.
  • cjdecz
    cjdecz Posts: 30 Member
    Thought you might find this helpful, Creatine 101 by Dr. Jim Stoppani (Exercise Physiologist, and Biochemist)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHczpmRJL0o
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    I think you basically need like most of your protein from steak to even come close to what you get from supplements.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    Optimum micronized creatine powder. Basically straight-up creatine monohydrate.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Optimum micronized creatine powder. Basically straight-up creatine monohydrate.

    That's what I use. Good price, mixes well, and a generally well respected brand you can trust.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    It really is a supplement that's in the "not really gonna hurt anything, may help, but may not do anything" boat.

    That's better than a lot of crap in other stuff...
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I went through a tub of it once, but there's some (very thin, but still extant) evidence that it can potentially contribute to male pattern baldness.

    I have a full healthy head of hair and want to keep it that way. Any small, theoretical benefit in terms of gym performance isn't worth the risk to me.

    That explains it...
  • la_te_ra_lus
    la_te_ra_lus Posts: 243 Member
    Been taking creatine mono since 06 during bulks and cuts.. I buy the vitaminshoppe brand creatine for 20 bucks for 181 servings. Just take 5 grams/tablespoon daily. No need to load as you eventually saturate your muscle cells with creatine by the end of the month.

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