creatine? ?

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crsportsman1
crsportsman1 Posts: 22 Member
edited March 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
I take powered creatine once a day during my weight lifting. I finished the loading phase. Any thoughts on this supp? Any personal views? I heard negative & positive. My husband says I shouldn't take it constantly, some say it will affect your kidneys over time? Downfalls for me, no matter how much I drink, I'm always feeling heated and my mouth is usually dry. And I wake up in the middle of the night often. But it deff does its job !

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  • hectorh82
    hectorh82 Posts: 110 Member
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    My opinion is cycle it.. unless you plan on investing in it permanently.. if you can live with the side effects then keep using.. if you cycle it you layer real gain with "supplement gain". just my insight, so when you end up getting off of it you won't deflate completely lol..

    Oh it works well with high proteins, but its not a natural gain so you will lose some if you ever slow down or relax off your intake.. I used it but in half dosages when I was training and it wasn't as rapid to see gains but with stretching and intense lifting I ended up stronger then my buddies that pounded it like beer lol.. test it out and see how it goes.. good stuff non doubt but gets expensive..
  • crsportsman1
    crsportsman1 Posts: 22 Member
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    hectorh82 wrote: »
    My opinion is cycle it.. unless you plan on investing in it permanently.. if you can live with the side effects then keep using.. if you cycle it you layer real gain with "supplement gain". just my insight, so when you end up getting off of it you won't deflate completely lol..

    Oh it works well with high proteins, but its not a natural gain so you will lose some if you ever slow down or relax off your intake.. I used it but in half dosages when I was training and it wasn't as rapid to see gains but with stretching and intense lifting I ended up stronger then my buddies that pounded it like beer lol.. test it out and see how it goes.. good stuff non doubt but gets expensive..

    Thank you
  • hectorh82
    hectorh82 Posts: 110 Member
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    Anytime
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited March 2016
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    hectorh82 wrote: »
    My opinion is cycle it.. unless you plan on investing in it permanently.. if you can live with the side effects then keep using.. if you cycle it you layer real gain with "supplement gain". just my insight, so when you end up getting off of it you won't deflate completely lol..

    Oh it works well with high proteins, but its not a natural gain so you will lose some if you ever slow down or relax off your intake.. I used it but in half dosages when I was training and it wasn't as rapid to see gains but with stretching and intense lifting I ended up stronger then my buddies that pounded it like beer lol.. test it out and see how it goes.. good stuff non doubt but gets expensive..

    Let me correct some of this misinformation for the OP. Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements out there. The safety studies with its use are numerous and show no ill effects and absolutely no scientific evidence showing harm to the kidneys, but there is scientific evidence that it does not. Mega dosing can cause stomach issues, but about 5 grams a day is all that's needed to maintain saturation once the body reaches saturation (this is why some load with more to start rather than take 5 grams to start, which of course, would take longer to reach saturation). As far as cost, it costs roughly $.02/gram, so that would be $.10/ day (that's 10 cents). It, along with caffeine, is one of the cheapest supplements out there.
    All other marketed Creatine is just expensive marketing junk and have been proven to work no better, and even worse than just regular Creatine Monohydrate.

    It's not going to have huge effect, you might get an extra rep or two out of your workout, but over years, this adds up. Some people find they don't respond to it...they might already have naturally occurring high amounts of Creatine in their body. Cycle it if you want, but won't hurt if you don't.
  • drachfit
    drachfit Posts: 217 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Creatine is likely causing zero of the side effects you mentioned.

    It also does not affect kidney function.

    Everything @cajuntank said is correct. You do not have to cycle it. At best it will give you maybe 1 or 2 more reps than you could have gotten without it. But over years of training, this slight increase in ability to do work adds up to slightly better gains, leaving you stronger in the long run, even if you stop using it, because it allowed you to train just a little bit harder.

    For sources and explanation on all supplements, go to www.examine.com and search it. www.Examine.com/supplements/creatine

    You don't have to buy their stuff, they are like the Wikipedia of supplements, collecting and summarizing all known scientific studies on popular supplements for you to use for free.
  • crsportsman1
    crsportsman1 Posts: 22 Member
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    Thank you guys!
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    hectorh82 wrote: »
    My opinion is cycle it.. unless you plan on investing in it permanently.. if you can live with the side effects then keep using.. if you cycle it you layer real gain with "supplement gain". just my insight, so when you end up getting off of it you won't deflate completely lol..

    Oh it works well with high proteins, but its not a natural gain so you will lose some if you ever slow down or relax off your intake.. I used it but in half dosages when I was training and it wasn't as rapid to see gains but with stretching and intense lifting I ended up stronger then my buddies that pounded it like beer lol.. test it out and see how it goes.. good stuff non doubt but gets expensive..

    Absolutely nothing you just said has any basis in reality.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
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    OP --You are thinking about creatinine. Creatine is okay.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Read this: https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/

    Pay special attention to the FAQ. It scientifically refutes virtually everything said above about cycling, kidney damage, side effects, gains, etc.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Not to mention the positive effects it's showing to have on mental cognition, studies have begun using creatine as a treatment for Alzheimer's. Creatine is nothing but good for you. Anyone who gives their own opinion down talking it is lacking knowledge and understanding of the supplement. If you want to take it, then do so, if not then don't. Definitely read up on it though, knowledge is power. (Just a side note. I've been taking creatine straight for 1.5 years. I recently had blood work, physical, the whole shebang and everything including my kidneys are functioning perfectly)
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Good info, guys. OP, there was a very full thread on here a few weeks back about creatine as well you might wanna find.

    Also, OP, there's no need for a loading phase. Just start with a regular dosage.
  • Markjames82
    Markjames82 Posts: 143 Member
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    Just gave me the *kitten*, stopped using it then.
  • crsportsman1
    crsportsman1 Posts: 22 Member
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    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    Good info, guys. OP, there was a very full thread on here a few weeks back about creatine as well you might wanna find.

    Also, OP, there's no need for a loading phase. Just start with a regular dosage.
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    Good info, guys. OP, there was a very full thread on here a few weeks back about creatine as well you might wanna find.

    Also, OP, there's no need for a loading phase. Just start with a regular dosage.

    Loading phase is designed to saturate your muscles with creatine so basically you see more progress rather just taking a daily dosage. After the loading phase, the daily dosage is to maintain my levels.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
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    crsportsman1 wrote: »
    Loading phase is designed to saturate your muscles with creatine so basically you see more progress rather just taking a daily dosage. After the loading phase, the daily dosage is to maintain my levels.

    Yeah, you can saturate quicker by upping the dosage for a week or two. I'd rather not rush it, you end up with the same concentrations anyways.
  • tiarnancliff
    tiarnancliff Posts: 3 Member
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    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    crsportsman1 wrote: »
    Loading phase is designed to saturate your muscles with creatine so basically you see more progress rather just taking a daily dosage. After the loading phase, the daily dosage is to maintain my levels.

    Yeah, you can saturate quicker by upping the dosage for a week or two. I'd rather not rush it, you end up with the same concentrations anyways.
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    crsportsman1 wrote: »
    Loading phase is designed to saturate your muscles with creatine so basically you see more progress rather just taking a daily dosage. After the loading phase, the daily dosage is to maintain my levels.

    Yeah, you can saturate quicker by upping the dosage for a week or two. I'd rather not rush it, you end up with the same concentrations anyways.
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    crsportsman1 wrote: »
    Loading phase is designed to saturate your muscles with creatine so basically you see more progress rather just taking a daily dosage. After the loading phase, the daily dosage is to maintain my levels.

    Yeah, you can saturate quicker by upping the dosage for a week or two. I'd rather not rush it, you end up with the same concentrations anyways.

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