Any creatine users here? :)

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believetoachieve
believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
in Food and Nutrition
On the advice of a couple professionals, I've added a creatine supplement to my diet. Who else here uses it? Have you experienced any side effects? It warns of potential "gastrointestinal" side effects - did this happen to you? What kind of results did you get? (I'm doing this alongside a controlled diet, and personal-trainer supervised fitness regimen of 5x week). I'm curious to see both male and female responses!! :heart:



Ps, I'm gonna just put this out there right now - if you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing lol. This ISN'T a "diet pill" and is not being used as such.

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  • fairyjester
    fairyjester Posts: 50
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    curious as i have never used it , what is its benefits?
  • fairyjester
    fairyjester Posts: 50
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    well never used it except that it was in my Rockstars i used to drink.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Creatine is good for supplementing the creatine phospate ATP system for increasing performance during explosive activities. It's great for sprinters and athletes who need explosive power. I don't personally use it because that isn't the type of training I do, but I hope it helps you achieve your goals.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    It improves muscle mass and provides energy to cells. It's mostly used for building lean muscle and associated benefits. I'm using it for athletic purposes - improvements in my weight lifting, running & athletics. :smile:

    Edit: I've heard rockstar is baaaad! Not sure how true that is, but be careful!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    This reply basically serves as a bump, because I am probably going to start using creatine soon, and would like to hear what others say here. My plan is to introduce it after hitting my fat burn goal, as an extra boost while working toward my muscle-building goal.

    One thing I seem to remember reading (sorry, can't find the reference right now), is that when you first start taking it, you should aim to take pretty big doses so you become saturated with it. And when you do this, you will likely see a higher scale weight due to muscles holding water. So, if you see the scale go up, hopefully you won't get alarmed.

    I am still yet to do my full research on it, but when I do, I can send anything interesting I find your way.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    Thanks Taso :)

    Muscle building will help with your fat burning, you might consider starting it earlier rather than later! I'm taking a pill-form, it seemed to be easiest. It recommends a steady-dose, though I'll have to see how that works for me (to be honest, I'm nervous about any tummy troubles!).

    As for weight... as long as my volume is improving, it's all good. I don't care if I'm 250lbs, as long as I'm a healthy size and fitness level! (Ok fine, maybe 250lbs is a bit much!). :laugh:
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    I've taken it in the past, but I wasn't consistent enough with it to notice any results.

    I ran out of it a few weeks ago, and I'm still debating about trying it again.
  • DaddyMantz
    DaddyMantz Posts: 145 Member
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    I just started adding creatine to my workouts. I hear from some folks who I trust that it is one of the few supplements that aren't actually drugs that works. I think a heaping teaspoon after every workout is the recommended dose. Some say you have to dissolve it in juice (or something sugary) for it to work best. I use P90X Recovery Drink which actually has some (but not enough for me) creatine in it. The Recovery Drink has enough sugar in it for the creatine to work right.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    I hear from some folks who I trust that it is one of the few supplements that aren't actually drugs that works.

    Yes! Because it's a natural compound that already exists in the body, it doesn't cause side effects, damages, etc. I have heard (not sure how true though) that you shouldn't take it with anything citrus-y, since that affects the chemical compound and turns it into creatinine, which is useless to the body. :ohwell: I bought a pill-form though, so its easier! Let me know how it goes!

    Thanks for the replies everyone, I appreciate it. Anyone else have experiences?? :smile:
  • EvilPirateJohn
    EvilPirateJohn Posts: 47 Member
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    I use Amplified 189 Creatine by GNC and noticed results nearly immediatly. They are pills, not powder, which is really nice and I take 2 pills once a day.

    I've had no side effects. Likewise, I don't think that it gives me a huge boost in energy either, but I have become a bit stronger while on creatine. A bottle will last a few months, then I take a month off. From what I hear from others (who seem to know what they're talking about) is that it's not good to continously use creatine. For example, 2 months on, 1 month off.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    I use Amplified 189 Creatine by GNC and noticed results nearly immediatly. They are pills, not powder, which is really nice and I take 2 pills once a day.

    That's what I've got!! Isn't it awesome how they're silver? Haha, I smiled when I saw them. They look like space pills. :laugh:
  • EvilPirateJohn
    EvilPirateJohn Posts: 47 Member
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    I use Amplified 189 Creatine by GNC and noticed results nearly immediatly. They are pills, not powder, which is really nice and I take 2 pills once a day.

    That's what I've got!! Isn't it awesome how they're silver? Haha, I smiled when I saw them. They look like space pills. :laugh:

    haha!

    Just an FYI, I buy from ebay. They're even cheaper than the GNC Gold discount. The total usually comes out to around $30.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    I use the Amplified Muscle Meal, and a creatine/whey protein powder I mix myself with Orange juice.
    I have experienced no negative side affects.
    I swear by it, though. It's the easiest way to get my full calories and protein for the day, and after using it steady for a few weeks I do feel I get more from my work outs.
    Placebo effect? Unlikely.
    And as far as adding water weight, or fat like I've heard it does; no one I know has had that happen.

    On a side note, it's said that many of the different protein products can cause stomach cramps. It has been my experience that if one does get cramps from these either they are lactose intolerant at some level or guzzled the drink too fast.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    Thanks, guys! :heart:

    As far as side effects go... today was my first day taking it, and I had terrible gas/tummy rumbling!! Lol, now hopefully this is just a coincidence (maybe I ate too fast!). I'm gonna stick it out, but hopefully it goes away! A gorgeous body won't do me any good if I'm (literally) blowing guys away, LOL. :laugh:

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