Creatine

[dogbazinho]

I took creatine for awhile. Like the above gained about 10-15 lbs in a month with regular workouts. It's pretty hard to get past that though and when you stop you'll lose it. I've heard different things, that creatine can help your memory and the weight gain is mostly water. Who knows whats true.

I dont recall any side affects except I seemed to get acne on my back. That cleared up but was still annoying.

 

[Alchemy]

If you Stop working out while using Creatine all muscle mass will turn into fat

 

[Grave77digger]

If you Stop working out ..............all muscle mass will turn into fat

Fixed it for you

 

[Takeo]

i was just wondering if anyone here has taken creatine before. im really looking to get an edge and pick up my training b4 my hockey season starts in a month and i think creatine may be the way to go. does anyone here no if this stuff works for hockey? I mean i no you gain a lot of muscle mass by taking it but does that mean it will slow you down on the ice? or because u have more muscle can u skate faster?

There aren't any proven health risks associated with creatine. Just make sure you drink a lot of water and cycle it properly.

Keep in mind, creatine itself won't add muscle mass. The weight you add will be mostly water retention. But creatine can enhance performance in your workouts, especially creatines combined with nitric oxide. In that sense, creatine can contribute to muscle gain indirectly.

 

[Hank19]

Well, I think I found a big reason for me to quit using Creatine.
I've been using it for about 2 years now and I've had some very good results. I've put on 15lbs of muscle and have finally acheived a look that I wanted.
However, just recently my wife has noticed that my hair has begun to thin at the top of my head. I checked it out myself and it's true. It's not too bad right now. The only way you can tell is if I cut my hair short and push it forward with gel. If I keep my hair a little longer or keep it dry you don't see.

However, I was still upset to see this mainly because nobody in my family and extended family has any male-pattern baldness. Not even a slight receeding hairline.
My Opa was 75 when he died and he went with a full head of hair. My grandfather is almost 80 and he has a quaff that John Stamos would be proud of.
My dad, uncles, great uncles, cousins and two brothers all have a full head of hair. Even my great grandfathers had full heads of hair in their 80's and 90's.

So I went online to do some research and while there appears to be no scientific studies proving that creatine causes baldness, I have run into quite a few users that have reported the same thing that I've seen.
In many instances, the thinning stopped once they quit consuming Creatine. On one particular website, where people can give testimonies (positive and negative) to their creatine experiences, a doctor specialising in hair loss said that he has seen quite a few creatine users that started experiencing hairloss.

I am going to do my best not to consume any creatine for 12 months. If my hair loss continues during this time then I'll know that it's not the creatines fault. But if it stops then I'll know it is the stuff.

Has anyone here, who has been taking creatine for some time, experienced the same thing?

 

[PuckNut]

Creatine IS NOT that bad. I took it when I was 18 and gained about 15 pounds in a month, working out really only 4 times a week. As long as you drink a lot of water around the times you consume the stuff, its pretty harmless. I haven't felt any negative affects or anything like some posters here have claimed. Different strokes I suppose.

Pretty much the same story for me. It's been about 8 years, but I took it when I was 18, gained about 25 lbs in a month, but had a crazy regimine. I was working out about 6 days a week for 3 hours per session. Even with about 45-60 minutes of cardio the weight was piling on.

 

[RangersMoogle]

This has probably been said already, but; all creatine does is increase water mass in your muscles. It doesn't make you stronger, it just makes you look bigger. Sure, if you're a bodybuilder, pound that **** down. But if you're a powerlifter, or lifting for SPP (like most of us are), pff. Pass.

 

[nni]

thats not true, and it doesnt cause hair loss, its amazing how misunderstood it still is.

creatine does help your muscles absorb more water, which helps in turn helps the muscle fibers grow larger, it doesnt simply just bloat you and make you look bigger. bigger muscles = more strength, any athlete looking for size and strength should take creatine. saying a powerlifter shouldnt take it is crazy.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

i took some stuff called cell-tech for football season and it blew me up, added 30+ to my bench press, gotta use it right though

I used to use Cell Tech and Muscle Tech when I played rugby. Once again, people on here need to do research before using these supplements. It's like anything else. If you abuse or go over the recommendations, you're going to do yourself some harm.

 

[nni]

cell tech is sugar and creatine. taking too much will have more issues with insulin and diabetes than anything else. creatine will not put the pounds on you, working out hard for the first time will, creatine will just help a little. im also fairly certain that these gains are total pounds, not just muscle, even on aas a pound a week is a fast pace.

 

[RangersMoogle]

bigger muscles = more strength, any athlete looking for size and strength should take creatine. saying a powerlifter shouldnt take it is crazy.

That is so very wrong. Most bodybuilders are pushing around less than four hundred pounds. Now, that's not a knock on bodybuilding, they're strong dudes, but their goal isn't to be as strong as possible, it's to be as big as possible. Powerlifters are very muscular dudes and lasses, but their muscle mass is, more times than not, less than that of a bodybuilder, on the contrary, their goal is to be as strong as possible, not as big as possible. In terms of muscle mass, at least.

Muscle mass and strength are, for the most part, irrelevant to one another.

 

[nni]

That is so very wrong. Most bodybuilders are pushing around less than four hundred pounds. Now, that's not a knock on bodybuilding, they're strong dudes, but their goal isn't to be as strong as possible, it's to be as big as possible. Powerlifters are very muscular dudes and lasses, but their muscle mass is, more times than not, less than that of a bodybuilder, on the contrary, their goal is to be as strong as possible, not as big as possible. In terms of muscle mass, at least.

Muscle mass and strength are, for the most part, irrelevant to one another.

how am i wrong? i am not talking about goals i am talking that a larger muscle has more power than a smaller muscle, are you saying that is wrong? creatine will in fact lead to strength gains and mass gains, it is not a steroid, you will not balloon up, it is an excellent tool. i suggest you do more research on the compound as it is a very beneficial addition to your regimine and you have some misconceptions about it.

 

[Pensfan86]

I figure I'll toss my two cents into the jar. If you are only 17, maybe consider holding off with the creatine for now. If you really want to take it though, take it in small doses (5g pre and post workout), and be sure to consume at the very least, 1 gallon of water per day. Creatine is great for enhancing both recovery and endurance. Will it make you faster? No, definitely not....at least not right away. Creatine will allow you to train harder and longer so it could lead to better performance in that regard. Additionally, it will help you last longer in games, so you may be going faster in the third period than normal, but, if doing your normal workout and taking creatine, no, I don't believe it will do anything for you. I would truthfully (like everyone has said) work on eating good, lots of protein/fluids. If you need any help putting together a diet plan, PM me, I have become very interested in the topic and designed somethign for myself (I went from 205 to 170 lifting and eating one way, then got back up to 190 through lifting and eating). I don't play ice hockey anymore, but I do play dek hockey and have noticed a considerable increase in speed since when I began (and weighed 205).

 

[Little Nilan]

If you Stop working out while using Creatine all muscle mass will turn into fat

It's physically impossible for muscle fiber to turn into fat. You can lose muscle fiber, just as you can gain fat, but one can't turn into the other, that is a myth.


As for creatine, I've read a lot of false statements here. Creatine gains are not only water gains, Creatine does one thing and one thing only, make you more endurant during training sessions. That means it gives you a prolonged time for weight lifting and quicker recovery. THAT is why people who take creatine can get a lot of gains regardless of the added water consumption. Honestly, I don't think people should comment on this without knowledge other then rumours.

 

[nni]

here is some info for you guys to read...

After creatine enters the body (or after it is produced by the body) it firsts binds with a phosphate molecule to form Creatine phosphate. Now here is where I'm going to lay a bit of biochemistry on you so I'll do my best to keep it simple. ATP (Adenine Tri-Phosphate) IS the body's energy source. When your body oxidizes carbs, protein, or fat it is doing this process in order to produce ATP. ATP is responsible for driving almost every body process there is. Hell ATP is even involved in creating ATP. ATP works like this... Energy is needed to drive bodily process. ATP provides this energy by hydrolyzing a phosphate group.


When a phosphate group is hydrolyzed, energy in the form of heat is given off and this energy is used to drive whatever process is being performed, for example muscle contraction. Because one phosphate has been lost from the ATP it is now called ADP (adenine Di-phosphate). The reaction is as follows ATP (hydrolysis)=ADP + Energy. Now you have free ADP as a product from the ATP hydrolysis. ADP is pretty much useless in the body unless it is converted back into ATP. Now this is where creatine comes into play. The phosphate bound creatine donates it's phosphate group to the ADP to re-form ATP! I assume you see where this is going now. By allowing you to return ADP to ATP creatine will increase your ATP stores, thus allowing you to train harder and longer.Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Another benefit of creatine is that creatine itself is a fuel source. In fact your body's first choice of energy when performing anaerobic activity (such as weightlifting) is your creatine phosphate stores. By supplementing with creatine phosphate you will increase these stores, thus giving you more energy for your workouts. There is another anabolic property that creatine holds and this is it's ability to hydrate muscle cells.1 When muscle cells are hydrated a few things happen. The most notable being an increase in protein synthesis.
The second being an increase of ions into the cell. Since the cell is holding more water, it can also hold more ions since the ions will follow water into the cell in order to keep the concentration the same. When more ions are present in muscle cells (the most important being nitrogen) muscle protein synthesis also increases.

this benefits any athlete be endurance or strenght or even weightlifters. if you are under 18 you should hold off simply because you dont need it, but i would say 16 and up is a safe bet.

 

[RangersMoogle]

how am i wrong? i am not talking about goals i am talking that a larger muscle has more power than a smaller muscle, are you saying that is wrong? creatine will in fact lead to strength gains and mass gains, it is not a steroid, you will not balloon up, it is an excellent tool. i suggest you do more research on the compound as it is a very beneficial addition to your regimine and you have some misconceptions about it.

You are wrong because having bigger muscles does not equate to lifting bigger weight. By that logic bodybuilders should be the strongest guys out there. They aren't. Also by that logic, guys fighting in the 155 pound weight class in MMA should be weak. They aren't.

 

[nni]

again a larger muscle will have more power than a smaller one, i am not talking about peoples physique i am talking biology, as in a large quad muscle versus a small one, not a big dude versus someone else. and yes a bodybuilder in a comparable weight class will be able to lift more than a 155lb mma fighter, but i bet the mma fighter would be able to perform much more explosive movements. it is all what they train for. you obviously arent seeing what i am talking about, but trust me and dont worry about taking creatine.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Well, I think I found a big reason for me to quit using Creatine.
I've been using it for about 2 years now and I've had some very good results. I've put on 15lbs of muscle and have finally acheived a look that I wanted.
However, just recently my wife has noticed that my hair has begun to thin at the top of my head. I checked it out myself and it's true. It's not too bad right now. The only way you can tell is if I cut my hair short and push it forward with gel. If I keep my hair a little longer or keep it dry you don't see.

However, I was still upset to see this mainly because nobody in my family and extended family has any male-pattern baldness. Not even a slight receeding hairline.
My Opa was 75 when he died and he went with a full head of hair. My grandfather is almost 80 and he has a quaff that John Stamos would be proud of.
My dad, uncles, great uncles, cousins and two brothers all have a full head of hair. Even my great grandfathers had full heads of hair in their 80's and 90's.

So I went online to do some research and while there appears to be no scientific studies proving that creatine causes baldness, I have run into quite a few users that have reported the same thing that I've seen.
In many instances, the thinning stopped once they quit consuming Creatine. On one particular website, where people can give testimonies (positive and negative) to their creatine experiences, a doctor specialising in hair loss said that he has seen quite a few creatine users that started experiencing hairloss.

I am going to do my best not to consume any creatine for 12 months. If my hair loss continues during this time then I'll know that it's not the creatines fault. But if it stops then I'll know it is the stuff.

Has anyone here, who has been taking creatine for some time, experienced the same thing?

I take creatine regularly and my hair also has started to fall out. However, that's because I'm 34. If they make some creatine for my hair you can bet I'll have the buffest hair in town.

 

[MikeD]

IF you want the real deal on creatine talk to your Doctor. There is a bunch of bogus information on both the positive and negatives. There are health risks to its use. the info you find at bodybuilding sites and such are very biased and do not give full disclosure.

"Creatine is classified as a "dietary supplement" under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and is available without a prescription. Creatine is not subjected to FDA testing, and the purity and hygienic condition of commercial creatine products may be questionable [21]. A 1998 FDA report lists 32 adverse creatine-associated events that had been reported to FDA. These include seizure, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, myopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, deep vein thromboses and death. However, there is no certainty that a reported adverse event can be attributed to a particular product [22]. A recent survey of 28 male baseball players and 24 male football players, ages 18 to 23, found that 16 (31%) experienced diarrhea, 13 (25%) experienced muscle cramps, 7 (13%) reported unwanted weight gain, 7 (13%) reported dehydration, and 12 reported various other adverse effects [23]."

Some will say there is no proof to these adverse affects. there hasnt been significant time to understand any long term adverse affects. Do you want to become one of those who become a case study and "proof"? The risks are simply not worth it IMHO



http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/creatine.html

 

[Sting]

I've used it on and off. I don't know where people are coming up with the passing out and stuff...it's nothing like roids at all. Personally I notice a bigger 'pump' to my muscles and my biceps are fuller now that I use it. When I stop, they shrink a little.

The only problem I've had is the taste, and at times my stomach couldn't handle it. After a week I got used to it, mixing it in with a protein shake.

 

[nni]

there have been literally hundreds of studies showing creatine useage as safe. i'd say over a decade is enough time to begin to understand the impact of usage in a long term scenario, remember creatine is already present in our bodies and our diet. and knowing several doctors they are not trained to understand these substances and simply do not care to educate themselves. i know of one in particular who takes great pride in educating himself on otc supplements and he has confirmed that none of his colleuges have a clue, or ever read any literature about it. if you are going to ask your doctor if creatine is safe who is the same person who prescribed vioxx and other harmful drugs then your views are terribly skewed.

 

[Strong Island]

Monster Bertuzzi basically hit it right on. I am 18 and for college baseball I needed/need to get bigger and stronger. Creatine is a great supplement which can really help one's strength/mass gains. If you're serious about working out, then by all means take Creatine as well as other supplements such as protein shakes and glutamine. I take 5g of creatine every day (either right after lifting, or on a non-lifting day, in the morning) and 5g of glutamine. I have not experienced any negative side effects whatsoever. I do drink a lot of water which, if you're serious about lifting, you should be doing anyway.

One word of advice. Do NOT take NOxplode or any of those types of "super duper" supplements. Many of them are loaded with caffiene and do more harm than good in the long run. Creatine monohydrate is definitly the way to go. Good luck!

 

[nni]

good post other than the glutamine. at 5g glutamine is doing absolutely nothing for you, it is only useful in high doses. also creatine monohydrate is a great starting point, but there are better options.

 

[Strong Island]

good post other than the glutamine. at 5g glutamine is doing absolutely nothing for you, it is only useful in high doses. also creatine monohydrate is a great starting point, but there are better options.

I'm not really a big guy (5'9" 175 lbs) so the 5g of supplementation plus the 8g or so I get with my protein shake make a difference. I have felt a significant difference since I began taking it in the beginning of May. Of course there are better options, but it all depends on how far one is willing to go to accomplish one's goals and exactly how lofty those goals are. I used the NOxplode as an example because I have heard firsthand some horror stories, most of which revolve around people being unable to sleep and having increased heart rate due to useage of the supplement.

 

[MikeD]

there have been literally hundreds of studies showing creatine useage as safe. i'd say over a decade is enough time to begin to understand the impact of usage in a long term scenario, remember creatine is already present in our bodies and our diet. and knowing several doctors they are not trained to understand these substances and simply do not care to educate themselves. i know of one in particular who takes great pride in educating himself on otc supplements and he has confirmed that none of his colleuges have a clue, or ever read any literature about it. if you are going to ask your doctor if creatine is safe who is the same person who prescribed vioxx and other harmful drugs then your views are terribly skewed.

You make a great point. There are so many "short cuts" and pharmacuticals out there that were said to be safe and turned out to not be quite so safe. Cancer causers, heart, kidny, liver....

10 years is not a long time...For what little it provides, unless your lively hood is riding on your performance, it just isnt worth the risk. With reports of some of the adverse affects of the Creatine products, I find it incredible that people can keep stating that it is totally Safe. NO ONE KNOWS THAT ANSWER for an absolute fact.