Creatine

ArroganceInStep
ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
What are your thoughts on creatine supplements? As per usual, if you have studies to back up those beliefs I'd love to read them, but even just opinions would help. I'm curious what the consensus is here. Thanks

Replies

  • _binary_jester_
    _binary_jester_ Posts: 2,132 Member
    What are your thoughts on creatine supplements? As per usual, if you have studies to back up those beliefs I'd love to read them, but even just opinions would help. I'm curious what the consensus is here. Thanks
    I used it. I had good results with it. I did not do the recommended early increased dosing and still had excellent results.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I have read some fairly credible information on the potential benefits of supplementing with creatine but be aware that it's contraindicated if you are hypertensive.
  • SqautsAndOats
    SqautsAndOats Posts: 65
    Creatine is worse than steroids, say goodbye to your liver, you'll get creatine rage and kill someone.... these are all things I've personally heard in my gym, i don't want to live on this planet anymore...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Your body creates creatine on a constant basis. It's safe. You don't have to preload or cycle it anymore, you can just take it.

    Be warned, expect significant water weight gain from it, and make sure you increase your fluid intake, as it's very easy to get dehydrated due to creatine.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Creatine is worse than steroids, say goodbye to your liver, you'll get creatine rage and kill someone.... these are all things I've personally heard in my gym, i don't want to live on this planet anymore...

    Creatine rage? That sounds like a new energy drink.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Your body creates creatine on a constant basis. It's safe. You don't have to preload or cycle it anymore, you can just take it.

    Be warned, expect significant water weight gain from it, and make sure you increase your fluid intake, as it's very easy to get dehydrated due to creatine.

    Thank you. I've taken it in the past, but back then it was my coach handing it to me with a mixer and saying 'DRINK' so I didn't really know that much about it. I had good results then (well I think so anyway). I haven't taken it since college since I haven't been seriously lifting enough to warrant supplements.

    Since I'm back to lifting finally, I started up again recently, and did a fair amount of research ahead of time (sucks not having coaches and dietitians to do the leg work for me anymore). I *think* I'm fairly well versed on the subject (at least enough so to avoid the creatine-raging-liver-killer from squatsandoat's gym yodas =P ) but was curious to know what folks on here thought of it and if maybe people had studies that I had missed in my searching.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    bump
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    Here is a really good paper written on creatine and its benefits as related to athletes and to weight loss.

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/reportdownloads/The+Creatine+Report.pdf

    I started taking creatine a month ago. I can say for sure I have seen some improvement in the gym with lifting heavier weights and more sets.

    One thing this report discounts is it causing cramping. Up until starting I had almost never experienced cramps, but in the first week I had one massive cramp while on the spin bike. I have also have notices some minor cramping in my calves since then.
  • IPAfan5
    IPAfan5 Posts: 27
    On a cold Friday afternoon, I had come home from school. I had been thinking of the gym all day. I was hungry, didn't have any lunch. In fact, I didn't eat because I spent the money. For the past month I was saving up for something. Something special which I bought at GNC. I was surprised they didn't ask for ID; I was pretty sure the cashier noticed how nervous I was. Anyways, my mom asked my how my day was when I got home, but I ignored her. I have more important things to do. I run to the bathroom and unpack my bag. In my school bag is a white plastic bag from GNC. I open the bag, first removing the receipt and flushing it down the toilet to get rid of the evidence. My heart was racing now. I unpack the creatine monster from the bag.

    I wonder what people will be asking me when they see that I will be 50lbs heavier. Should I say I was just eating a lot? I remove the label from the tub and tear it into a thousand small pieces. I flush that down the toilet, too. It is time now. I run up to my room when my mom ask me what I am holding. I panic, sweat drips down my forehead and my teeth chatter. "Mom, it's just for a school project". "What project?" "I don't know mom I just started it!". A tear runs down my cheek. I run upstairs and open the creatine, scooping upservings into a clear water bottle. What have I gotten myself into? I fill it with water and drink it. There is no turning back now. The creatine monster is inside me now, it will control me. What should I do if I die? I cant let my family know about this.

    I open the creatine tub and throw it all out the window; a white cloud of mysterious dust sparkles into the wind so graciously. I feel the substance taking control of me; I am now the monster. I walk downstairs, its time to work out; time to get big. Now I worry, I don't want to get too big; people will think I use steroids. I do use steroids. No I don't. Creatine. All I see is the weights now, I am almost downstairs when I hear "Do you want a cookie I just baked". I know I do not have time for this **** now. "No mom I do not want a cookie" I walk in the basement and drop to my knees before the weights, tears running down my cheeks. I turn to the right and look at myself in the mirror. Oh god, what have I done?

    Creatine, Not Even Once
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Ah the creatine copy pasta lol


    On topic, take 5g a day for a month to saturate your muscles then you can back off to around 3-5g a day 4x a week. Plain mono has the most favorable research on it, the more designer creatines don't have nearly as much favorable research in it's favor. Anecdotally i've heard of people having less bloat on MCC (Magnesium Creatine Chelate)
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Ah the creatine copy pasta lol

    On topic, take 5g a day for a month to saturate your muscles then you can back off to around 3-5g a day 4x a week. Plain mono has the most favorable research on it, the more designer creatines don't have nearly as much favorable research in it's favor. Anecdotally i've heard of people having less bloat on MCC (Magnesium Creatine Chelate)

    Yup that's what I've been doing (I did know to get plain rather than OMGGETBIGGERATINE just didn't know about the Magnesium Creatine Chelate though, that's interesting). Thanks!

    alagerstrom...can't tell if serious or not...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Newer research is saying you don't even have to saturate anymore, just start taking it.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Newer research is saying you don't even have to saturate anymore, just start taking it.

    Last I read the saturation still brought you the results faster. I'm on a timeline for my wedding so speed is more important to me than cost at the moment. Is that not true anymore though?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    It used to be saturate, then maintenance, then cycle off, then repeat. New stuff I've read now says it's not necessary, you can just take it, all the time. No need to saturate or cycle off. No harm in saturating to start out, it certainly wouldn't hurt, I'm honestly not sure if it speeds up results or not. From what I've read, saturation really isn't about speed of results, it's just more about filling up your supply. Your body only uses X amount of creatine a day, and usually it's less than the maintenance dose.
  • cspence2270
    cspence2270 Posts: 229 Member
    My husband starting using creatine about 6 months ago- I was livid and didn't want him to use it as I had heard a lot of negative things about using it

    AND THEN

    I talked to a doctor about it and found out that he actually recommends it for men. My husband is 45 y/o and just like women, men's natural hormones decrease as they age and the doctor said that creatine replaces hormone levels in men and is great for them for general health. I very quickly shut up and have watched him lose weight and gain muscle. He's gained about 2 inches in his biceps and his chest is fantastic.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Your body only uses X amount of creatine a day, and usually it's less than the maintenance dose.

    That would be the part I didn't know. Any chance you have reading material on this particular point? The stuff I've found all says saturation gets you topped off faster, which I interpreted to mean faster results. They didn't mention how much creatine you use on average. Either way, thank you for the input.
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    Your body only uses X amount of creatine a day, and usually it's less than the maintenance dose.

    That would be the part I didn't know. Any chance you have reading material on this particular point? The stuff I've found all says saturation gets you topped off faster, which I interpreted to mean faster results. They didn't mention how much creatine you use on average. Either way, thank you for the input.

    That link I put on here mentions exactly that... you can load for some faster results but it is not necessary.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    That link I put on here mentions exactly that... you can load for some faster results but it is not necessary.

    Yup I did read that, but that's stating that saturation does in fact hasten results. Tiger was saying it might just saturate your muscles faster without necessarily speeding up results. That's what I was curious about. Thanks!
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