Creatine

Dtp79

Is it any good ??
Read so many conflicting stories about it
Does it make you stronger quicker?
Does is make you grow faster?
Is the growth just water weight?
If you stop taking it what happens?
Does it improve sporting ability ( speed, endurance )

Zombienosh

It's amazing. It'll make everything better. Buy some.

Rubber_Soul

http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/

runawaybishop

Conflicting? Its universally acknowledged that it will make you swole.

Blue Whale

Does anybody not think its a bit dodgy/unnatural though? Reading up about it is tempting me to take some :pac:

miller50841

I experienced a friend who took it years ago maybe he still does and the crazy dad was pumped up on it.

There were very bad mood swings, aggression, showing off and oh the wack off him that use to be terrible.

Rubber_Soul

Blue Whale wrote: »

Does anybody not think its a bit dodgy/unnatural though?

Your body produces it naturally, and you ingest it when you eat meat. So no, it's not unnatural.

Duck's hoop

It's creatine.

Is it on WADA banned list? Is it a drug?

Does practically every serious athlete take it at some point to a greater or lesser extent?

Is it found in regular foods? Can you buy it across the counter? Is it naturally occurring?

Is there any evidence whatsoever that it is harmful when taken at recommended dosage?

Might it help you get a bit bigger by getting you a rep or 2 extra? And the water thing of course.

Dtp79

runawaybishop wrote: »

Conflicting? Its universally acknowledged that it will make you swole.

Swole?

Dtp79

Anybody any first hand experience using it?

Theresalwaysone

Dtp79 wrote: »

Anybody any first hand experience using it?

Yup.

You def tend to get a bit heavier.

I dont find any issues with sleep, or cramps but I drink a lot of water anyway.

I do find it helps in the gym but the benefit I get could be placebo, could be sleep, could be nutrition. Real life doesnt let you control all these variables unfortunately but I can say without doubt I get heavier. The rest of the benefits could be argued to come from any of the stuff I mentioned before.

Brian?

miller50841 wrote: »

I experienced a friend who took it years ago maybe he still does and the crazy dad was pumped up on it.

There were very bad mood swings, aggression, showing off and oh the wack off him that use to be terrible.

None if the above had anything to do with creatine.

Theresalwaysone

I should also mention that it made me smite a really annoying wasp one day in a fit of rage, another day I stood on some ants.

Alf Veedersane

This guy I know said he heard of a guy that turned a funny shade of green, burst out of his shirt and started doing all sorts of angry sh1t. All because of creatine! :-O

Chancer3001

Serious question-

Do you take it on non training days?

Or just before/ after training?

Or is it like everything else - just shut up and take it?

stealinhorses

I personally take 5g before and after training on workout days and none on my days off. From my experience, the monohydrate form lets you squeeze out those few more reps and get some size in the first 3-4 weeks, but the effects saturate after that, so cycling is definitely the way to go with creatine.

MD1990

i took Creatine for about 1 year
it added a few pounds & helps u workout a little bit harder
i took it every day its nothing special unless u wanna put on a bit of size

Drexl Spivey

Is it really worth it:

"The incidence of liver damage from dietary supplements has tripled in a decade. Most of the supplements involved were bodybuilding supplements. Some of the patients require liver transplants and some die. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodybuilding_supplement#Health_problems

Alf Veedersane

Where's the bit about creatine being a bit bad in that wikipedia link?

runawaybishop

Drexl Spivey wrote: »

Is it really worth it:

"The incidence of liver damage from dietary supplements has tripled in a decade. Most of the supplements involved were bodybuilding supplements. Some of the patients require liver transplants and some die. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodybuilding_supplement#Health_problems

Why didnt you read all of it?

One third of the supplements involved contained unlisted steroids.[7] Dr. Victor Navarro, the chairman of the hepatology division at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia, said that "while liver injuries linked to supplements were alarming, he believed that a majority of supplements were generally safe. Most of the liver injuries tracked by a network of medical officials are caused by prescription drugs used to treat things like cancer, diabetes and heart disease

None of this has anything to do with creatine or whey.

craseq01

My input on Creatine:-

- Best suited to take when you hit a plateau on increasing the weights you lift
- Should give you a 15-20% increase in numbers that your pushing after about a week
- You will feel more vascular and muscles are fuller attributing to greater water retention
- Definitely consume a minimum of 3.5-4 litres of water when cycling creatine
- If using for first time start of with 5 grams post workout. (Read about creatine loading)
- Once off creatine you will loose a few pounds of water weight and strength will drop a notch.
- Good to cycle on and off (6 weeks on 4 weeks off)

Just my two cents !

runawaybishop

5 grams is an arbitrary amount though, its not linked at all to body weight which should set alarm bells ringing. I've seen studies that recommend .33 grams per kg of bodyweight.

Blacktie.

craseq01 wrote: »

- Should give you a 15-20% increase in numbers that your pushing after about a week

Ah if only!

5 grams is an arbitrary amount though, its not linked at all to body weight which should set alarm bells ringing. I've seen studies that recommend .33 grams per kg of bodyweight.

Weren't most studies conducted on trained individuals using 5g/day?

Dave 101

5 grams never did much for me, 10 grams id get about 4 kgs body weight increase (iam over 100 kilos for reference)

Blacktie.

Would LBM not be more important than total weight? I still get the point stands just curious.

runawaybishop

Blacktie. wrote: »

Ah if only!



Weren't most studies conducted on trained individuals using 5g/day?

http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/creatine-how-much-should-you-be-taking

Take a nosey at that - 2/3 grams is often mentioned as the maintenance dose but bodyweight and lean muscle mass really should be taken into consideration, which they weren't.

Blacktie.

runawaybishop wrote: »

http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/creatine-how-much-should-you-be-taking

Take a nosey at that - 2/3 grams is often mentioned as the maintenance dose but bodyweight and lean muscle mass really should be taken into consideration, which they weren't.

I find it hard to trust an article that's telling me to take 24g of creatine when the site owner has conflicting interests. Even if it is the big man himself.

Dave 101

Blacktie. wrote: »

Would LBM not be more important than total weight? I still get the point stands just curious.

Ye approx 95% stored in muscles so that's a giving

runawaybishop

Blacktie. wrote: »

I find it hard to trust an article that's telling me to take 24g of creatine when the site owner has conflicting interests. Even if it is the big man himself.

I am always wary of article on any site selling product, but its all nicely referenced and does make a lot of sense.

cc87

What I have seen recommended in articles is about .3 grams per kg BW for the 3/4 days to achieve saturation then 5g per day afterwards to maintain it. But the evidence to support this is fairly weak and its more based on logic than evidence.

In the end the difference in gainzzz are largely negligible between that strategy and just going with 5-10g per day with larger people taking closer to 10.

runawaybishop

cc87 wrote: »

What I have seen recommended in articles is about .3 grams per kg BW for the 3/4 days to achieve saturation then 5g per day afterwards to maintain it. But the evidence to support this is fairly weak and its more based on logic than evidence.

In the end the difference in gainzzz are largely negligible between that strategy and just going with 5-10g per day with larger people taking closer to 10.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12546637

^^ article about the maintenance dose - basically says its sh1te

Blacktie.

runawaybishop wrote: »

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12546637

^^ article about the maintenance dose - basically says its sh1te

It says 2g is useless. cc87 is suggesting 2-5 times this dosage.

cc87

runawaybishop wrote: »

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12546637

^^ article about the maintenance dose - basically says its sh1te

Well no. It says 2g per day maintenance isn't enough

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8828669

Not taking any Cr is worse than 2g/day

papu

cc87 wrote: »

Well no. It says 2g per day maintenance isn't enough

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8828669

Not taking any Cr is worse than 2g/day

Nobody should be taking Chromium

discus

papu wrote: »

Nobody should be taking Chromium

Thank you Erin Brockavich

runawaybishop

Blacktie. wrote: »

It says 2g is useless. cc87 is suggesting 2-5 times this dosage.

3g is recommended by a lot of supplement companies though, which does lend credence to the argument that some gappy research was conducted yonks ago and then taken as gospel and not revisited.

Even 10g is probably not enough for someone with decent muscle mass who trains regularly.

Da Za

FYI - If is was supplementing with creatine I would consumme around 50g which would be needed.

Dave 101

Da Za wrote: »

FYI - If is was supplementing with creatine I would consumme around 50g which would be needed.

how did you come to 50g?

senordingdong

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Serious question-

Do you take it on non training days?

Or just before/ after training?

Or is it like everything else - just shut up and take it?

Similar situation as myself.

I picked up some CM as I was lead to believe it would be of benefit.
The instructions on the tun told me to load for a week, then maintain with a spoonful a day after training.

Since then, it's been nothing but hugely conflicting information about how much should be taken and when.

Lee_Torre

Da Za wrote: »

FYI - If is was supplementing with creatine I would consumme around 50g which would be needed.

Per month? I don't understand. Surely you aren't talking about per day?