Considering Creatine
Replies
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nakedraygun wrote: »Creatine was banned for high school athletes in my day('98-2001)......."It's anabolic like a steroid, makes your hair fall out, and shrinks your junk....."
@jmule24 ... Are you sure you don't mean androstenedione?
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/andro.html
@nakedraygun https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Health/performanceenhancers.pdf
look up "discouraged" It wasn't actually banned by WIAA but my HS coaches said if they found out we were taking it we could be kicked off the team.
I heard of similar issues but it might have been that some creatine was spiked or there was suspicion that creatine might be banned, I'm not sure.0 -
finneyjason218 wrote: »30% of people are non responders - if that's you don't bother, but there's only one way to find out.
If you are part of the 70% - No reason at all not to use it. 5g a day, no cycling, doesn't matter when you take it.
Give it a few days to build up in your system (using a 'loading' dose will not speed this up), and enjoy the strength gains! If you take it for a few weeks and don't see noticeable strength gains (we're talking about moving a few extra pounds around the gym - its not steroids), then sorry but you're in the 30%
No side effects, no negative health effects, cheaper than dirt, no reason not to just take it forever it it works for you. I've been taking it for like 8 years now, I only notice it when I miss it for a couple days in a row.
Actually having signs of kidney failure is a reason not to take it. At least that is why I can no longer do so.0 -
finneyjason218 wrote: »30% of people are non responders - if that's you don't bother, but there's only one way to find out.
If you are part of the 70% - No reason at all not to use it. 5g a day, no cycling, doesn't matter when you take it.
Give it a few days to build up in your system (using a 'loading' dose will not speed this up), and enjoy the strength gains! If you take it for a few weeks and don't see noticeable strength gains (we're talking about moving a few extra pounds around the gym - its not steroids), then sorry but you're in the 30%
No side effects, no negative health effects, cheaper than dirt, no reason not to just take it forever it it works for you. I've been taking it for like 8 years now, I only notice it when I miss it for a couple days in a row.
Actually having signs of kidney failure is a reason not to take it. At least that is why I can no longer do so.
It certainly does increase the creatinine levels in your blood work, which some have said isn't really dangerous in and of itself since it's just a marker. I'm not sure what the implications are for those who have kidney disease or are at high risk of getting it, but it can certainly cause issues since you might be obscuring the the test results. Best not to take it in such cases just to be on the safe side.0 -
1. It's not something you see immediate results from. It takes a few weeks for you to notice.
2. Find a creatine monohydrate, that is all you need don't spend money on any other version.
3. Brand IMO doesn't really matter go to BB.com or Myprotein.com and compare prices
4. Lastly, some people are non-responders to it and you don't know until you use it......
That's all you need to know really.
It's one of the most highly researched supplements behind protein and it's great.
Get German Hydrolized Monohydrate (or something like that). It's all you need.
It's naturally occurring in a lot of foods but just hard to get in the portions that you want. (usually 5-10 grams/day)0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »finneyjason218 wrote: »30% of people are non responders - if that's you don't bother, but there's only one way to find out.
If you are part of the 70% - No reason at all not to use it. 5g a day, no cycling, doesn't matter when you take it.
Give it a few days to build up in your system (using a 'loading' dose will not speed this up), and enjoy the strength gains! If you take it for a few weeks and don't see noticeable strength gains (we're talking about moving a few extra pounds around the gym - its not steroids), then sorry but you're in the 30%
No side effects, no negative health effects, cheaper than dirt, no reason not to just take it forever it it works for you. I've been taking it for like 8 years now, I only notice it when I miss it for a couple days in a row.
Actually having signs of kidney failure is a reason not to take it. At least that is why I can no longer do so.
It certainly does increase the creatinine levels in your blood work, which some have said isn't really dangerous in and of itself since it's just a marker. I'm not sure what the implications are for those who have kidney disease or are at high risk of getting it, but it can certainly cause issues since you might be obscuring the the test results. Best not to take it in such cases just to be on the safe side.
In my case the levels of creatinine were growing over a periods of a few years before taking creatine and we'll into a high abnormal range after taking it for a long period.
Having possible scar tissue from radiation to my kidneys, or an autoimmune disease that taxes my immune system which qlso attacking my major organs there is alot of avenues of why it's high.
The definite reason why one with kidney disease or possible failure should not take creatine is it can throw off the results as you mentioned David. I'm with you on your point on if high creatinine levels in itself is bad since it is just a byproduct of the body utilizing it's own self produced creatine naturally.
Just wanted to rebuttal the post stating thete is reason not to take creatine.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »finneyjason218 wrote: »30% of people are non responders - if that's you don't bother, but there's only one way to find out.
If you are part of the 70% - No reason at all not to use it. 5g a day, no cycling, doesn't matter when you take it.
Give it a few days to build up in your system (using a 'loading' dose will not speed this up), and enjoy the strength gains! If you take it for a few weeks and don't see noticeable strength gains (we're talking about moving a few extra pounds around the gym - its not steroids), then sorry but you're in the 30%
No side effects, no negative health effects, cheaper than dirt, no reason not to just take it forever it it works for you. I've been taking it for like 8 years now, I only notice it when I miss it for a couple days in a row.
Actually having signs of kidney failure is a reason not to take it. At least that is why I can no longer do so.
It certainly does increase the creatinine levels in your blood work, which some have said isn't really dangerous in and of itself since it's just a marker. I'm not sure what the implications are for those who have kidney disease or are at high risk of getting it, but it can certainly cause issues since you might be obscuring the the test results. Best not to take it in such cases just to be on the safe side.
In my case the levels of creatinine were growing over a periods of a few years before taking creatine and we'll into a high abnormal range after taking it for a long period.
Having possible scar tissue from radiation to my kidneys, or an autoimmune disease that taxes my immune system which qlso attacking my major organs there is alot of avenues of why it's high.
The definite reason why one with kidney disease or possible failure should not take creatine is it can throw off the results as you mentioned David. I'm with you on your point on if high creatinine levels in itself is bad since it is just a byproduct of the body utilizing it's own self produced creatine naturally.
Just wanted to rebuttal the post stating thete is reason not to take creatine.
You certainly have done well without it! Looks like you've taken up yoga too, which I imagine should really help complement your other training.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Yes, right after "Hold nose" and "Drink fast".
ot [eta and also necro i notice now] but you guys are making me laugh. my first experience with whey was idk, 12 years ago or something, when my son's baseball coach recommended it and my son sensibly refused to touch it. i tried some myself and barfing seemed almost redundant. it already tasted pre-barfed.
i came back to it a few years ago when i started lifting, but i still have to kill that faint overtone with yogurt.
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tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
My friend is currently training to be akidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.1 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
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My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Go to examine.com (a reliable, evidence-based site), type "creatine" in the search box. There is plenty of good information there, all backed by scientific studies. It will separate the woo from the truth.0 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Not sure mate, all I know is it impacts the kidneys negatively.1 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Not sure mate, all I know is it impacts the kidneys negatively.
https://examine.com/nutrition/does-creatine-cause-kidney-problems/
A 20-year old individual with one kidney (which also showed reduced GFR) was fed 20g creatine/day (4 times the normal dosage) for 5 days, followed by 5g/day for the next 30 days. All the markers showed no evidence that the creatine negatively affected kidney function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/200606300 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Not sure mate, all I know is it impacts the kidneys negatively.
That's NOT what's said on the examine.com site. What it said there is that an otherwise normal kidney is NOT negatively affected by the use of creatine.0 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Go to examine.com (a reliable, evidence-based site), type "creatine" in the search box. There is plenty of good information there, all backed by scientific studies. It will separate the woo from the truth.
I went to the site and there is NOTHING stated there that indicates that the use of creatine is unsafe in any way.
I looked at every link referenced but, if you think I missed something that suggests otherwise, please post the link to that info here.0 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Go to examine.com (a reliable, evidence-based site), type "creatine" in the search box. There is plenty of good information there, all backed by scientific studies. It will separate the woo from the truth.
I went to the site and there is NOTHING stated there that indicates that the use of creatine is unsafe in any way.
It's not. Check the links I posted two posts up.0 -
Giving this a bump as I was giving it a re-read since I have decided to add creatine at last. Dithered for the past year.
Cheers, h.0 -
IMO creatine makes a difference in your rep count and overall strength during workouts allowing you to lift heavier for longer, thus making gains faster.
Sometimes I finish a set, and feel like I've given everything I have, I have nothing left. Then I rest for two minutes, and I can do another set with good form. I've been taking creatine since December 15 and started noticing this a week or two ago.
Also, power meters don't lie, I'm able to put more high intensity energy into the bike. I have a bigger matchbook and recover more quickly after burning a match.
I'm a vegetarian, and creatine exists in red meat, poultry, and fish, none of which are ever part of my diet. Creatine is rocket fuel for vegetarians, and may not be as effective as a supplement to people who already get some from their food.4 -
NorthCascades wrote: »IMO creatine makes a difference in your rep count and overall strength during workouts allowing you to lift heavier for longer, thus making gains faster.
Sometimes I finish a set, and feel like I've given everything I have, I have nothing left. Then I rest for two minutes, and I can do another set with good form. I've been taking creatine since December 15 and started noticing this a week or two ago.
Also, power meters don't lie, I'm able to put more high intensity energy into the bike. I have a bigger matchbook and recover more quickly after burning a match.
I'm a vegetarian, and creatine exists in red meat, poultry, and fish, none of which are ever part of my diet. Creatine is rocket fuel for vegetarians, and may not be as effective as a supplement to people who already get some from their food.
I have to consider that at least a possibility. I took 5g creatine monohydrate every day for 6-7 months and noticed absolutely no difference from it. I've since been off it for a couple months and have noticed absolutely no difference without it. So I'm either a non-responder or it's not as effective because I already get plenty from my diet (I eat a lot of red meat, poultry and fish).0 -
I'd go with the latter (from reading the thread), you get enough in your diet @Anvil_Head.
Though I am not vegetarian my meat and fish consumption is probably less than average. I'm hoping it will give me a bit of a boost with recovery.
Cheers, h v0 -
A couple of years ago I started taking creatine HCl (750mg capsules). I read that the HCl version had less water retention problems than the monohydrate.
I did find good results/improvements in my lifts; however, the push that I got made me forget that my joints don't take heavy lifting very well, and too much soreness set in. Besides that, I got insomnia; probably because I work-out in the mid afternoon and I was taking one capsule before my workouts and another one after I was done.
After two weeks, I gave up because the side effects were not worthy.1 -
Thanks for the heads up on the insomnia @Gisel2015.
Since I am doing it in the morning I hope I won't be bothered.
Cheers, h.
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Keep me posted Heather, I was thinking in trying again but my beauty sleep is important to me and the way my old joints are behaving lately, I don't know if it would be a wise decision to go back to creatine. I did take the HCl version because I don't like the powder form. I don't do smoothies or oatmeal, so maybe that was the problem.1
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NorthCascades wrote: »Creatine is rocket fuel for vegetarians, and may not be as effective as a supplement to people who already get some from their food.
I eat a lot of protein in the form of meat and seafood which are prime sources for creatine. This is probably why I saw no additional benefit taking creatine as a supplement.
Just no noticeable effect - good or bad. Stopped taking 5g daily after 3-5 months.
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middlehaitch wrote: »I'd go with the latter (from reading the thread), you get enough in your diet @Anvil_Head.
Though I am not vegetarian my meat and fish consumption is probably less than average. I'm hoping it will give me a bit of a boost with recovery.
Cheers, h v
It's certainly worth a try. The results have been documented in numerous scientific studies - there's ample proof that it works (at least for some, maybe most) and ample proof that there are no negative side effects associated with it. It's one of the few supplements on the market that's actually worth trying and it's pretty inexpensive.1 -
tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
Didn't read what everyone else have said, but creatine is known and scientifically proven to work. For the price they cost, it's worth it. Make sure it's monohydrate. I would ditch the BCAA's, you don't need it and they are useless, here is a scientific research basically showing what a waste of money they are ( https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0128-9 )0 -
My friend is currently training to be a kidney specialist (already a medical doctor ). She advised me to avoid using creatine. That's now my advice too.
Why?
More specifically, what are the medical reasons not to use creatine? I'll look up the topic on the Net in the meantime to see if I can find the precautions/concerns there. Thanks.
Not sure mate, all I know is it impacts the kidneys negatively.
No, it might effect someone like myself with kidney disease. It's does not effect them on it's own to a normally functional kidney.1 -
tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
Didn't read what everyone else have said, but creatine is known and scientifically proven to work. For the price they cost, it's worth it. Make sure it's monohydrate. I would ditch the BCAA's, you don't need it and they are useless, here is a scientific research basically showing what a waste of money they are ( https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0128-9 )
Well, technically you do need BCAA's since they are all EAAs but you don't need them as separate supplements beyond protein. One of the early studies, that is sited on examine.com, was sponsored by a company that was being sold that was obviously bogus since it involved trained lifters that made very impressive gains during the study and these gains were indicative of heavy drug use. This, of course, was the 500lb gorilla that was never addressed.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
Creatine is a great supplement, I like HCL. Monohydrate is good, tends to bloat people a bit, but if you can deal with the bloating, take the Monohydrate. It'll definitely put some size on you and you will get stronger over time. You'll see noticeable improvements in strength and size within 4 weeks. Monohydrate and HCL both should be taken pre and post workout. Monohydrate calls for 5g before and after, where HCL is more like 2-3 grams before and after.
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GainsLevelIncreased wrote: »tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
Creatine is a great supplement, I like HCL. Monohydrate is good, tends to bloat people a bit, but if you can deal with the bloating, take the Monohydrate. It'll definitely put some size on you and you will get stronger over time. You'll see noticeable improvements in strength and size within 4 weeks. Monohydrate and HCL both should be taken pre and post workout. Monohydrate calls for 5g before and after, where HCL is more like 2-3 grams before and after.
Got any research to support that?
Creatine works by saturation - the effects are chronic rather than acute. Timing of creatine intake is completely and totally irrelevant.4 -
GainsLevelIncreased wrote: »tillerstouch wrote: »So I'm really looking for people's opinion on taking creatine. Did you have much luck with it? And also what changes did you notice after you stopped taking creatine? Also brands you recommend.
A little background on me, I'm 21 year old male 180 pounds 5'8". I'm currently working on building strength (muscle size isn't my focus, my actual strength is). I don't care too much about my weight on the scale. I'm working on building muscle for the next 2 months before I do a cut for the summer and try to lower my b.f%. I lift hard on a 5 day split and eat a moderate calorie surplus. The suppliments I currently take are a multivitamin, bcaa during my workout, and I have protien powder I take when I'm going going to hit my protien goals.
Creatine is a great supplement, I like HCL. Monohydrate is good, tends to bloat people a bit, but if you can deal with the bloating, take the Monohydrate. It'll definitely put some size on you and you will get stronger over time. You'll see noticeable improvements in strength and size within 4 weeks. Monohydrate and HCL both should be taken pre and post workout. Monohydrate calls for 5g before and after, where HCL is more like 2-3 grams before and after.
Got any research to support that?
Creatine works by saturation - the effects are chronic rather than acute. Timing of creatine intake is completely and totally irrelevant.
I take it where it is combined with a pre and post workout formula. So if you take it straight, you're correct. Doesn't matter when you consume it, I still would take it pre and post tho..1
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