Does the steam room negates the use of creatine?

[darkxshade]

I've cycled off of Creatine for months now and thinking about getting back on for the New Years. The thing is that when I exercise at the gym as of late, whether it's lifting or cardio, I usually spend 15 mins afterwards in the steam room/sauna to relax the muscles and stretch to increase flexibility as well as release toxins. In this time you sweat a lot. Since the purpose of creatine(the simple explanation at least) is to help the muscle hold more water. Then am I negating its effects if I continue to hit the steam room/sauna while on it? How about sweating from long bouts of cardio?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I've cycled off of Creatine for months now and thinking about getting back on for the New Years. The thing is that when I exercise at the gym as of late, whether it's lifting or cardio, I usually spend 15 mins afterwards in the steam room/sauna to relax the muscles and stretch to increase flexibility as well as release toxins. In this time you sweat a lot. Since the purpose of creatine(the simple explanation at least) is to help the muscle hold more water. Then am I negating its effects if I continue to hit the steam room/sauna while on it? How about sweating from long bouts of cardio?

Firstly, creatine doesn't need to be cycled. Before research was done on creatine, people treated it like a testosterone cycle. You don't need to do that in the future.

Secondly, the purpose of creatine is the increase a higher baseline concentration of creatine in the body, allowing the body to have increased levels of creatine phosphate. During exercise, the first 1-10 seconds of energy come from the phosphagens (ATP already present and ATP created by creatine-phosphate phosphorylating ADP). Essentially, having more creatine phosphate lets you get that one more rep out, increasing the overall volume lifted. If you increase the volume, you normally increase the hypertrophy. It also increases recovery and phosphagen regeneration after an intense movement. That's the logic behind using creatine.

Holding extra water is just a byproduct of creatine use. It's definitely not the purpose. However, you need to make sure to be especially careful to rehydrate if you're in a loading phase because supplementing 5g of creatine monohydrate several times a day dramatically increases some things like formaldehyde in the urine (can potentially damage the kidneys if you're not careful).

 

[darkxshade]

I know creatine doesn't need to be cycled(not the reason I got off), I used the word for a lack of a better term. I stopped using it because I started using the steam room/sauna and thought I was wasting it.

I don't really lift for volume either so are you saying I shouldn't be using it? Suppose I'm lifting heavy because I'm in a cutting phase. So I'm doing 5x5. I'm not trying for 5x6, I'll just add more plates as necessary and stick to 5x5. I'm sure creatine plays a role in that too no?

Finally, I don't load creatine so the kidney thing shouldn't be an issue[anymore], I used to though but then I thought, what's the rush to get saturated anyway?

My real concern is despite water retention being a byproduct of creatine use, if sweating from the sauna reduce its effect also as a consequence? So it's ok to sweat it out 15 mins a day several days a week while on creatine?

 

[Lamont Burns]

Are you not taking in a moderate amount of fluids or something else after working out? Prior to the sauna?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I know creatine doesn't need to be cycled(not the reason I got off), I used the word for a lack of a better term. I stopped using it because I started using the steam room/sauna and thought I was wasting it.

I don't really lift for volume either so are you saying I shouldn't be using it? Suppose I'm lifting heavy because I'm in a cutting phase. So I'm doing 5x5. I'm not trying for 5x6, I'll just add more plates as necessary and stick to 5x5. I'm sure creatine plays a role in that too no?

Finally, I don't load creatine so the kidney thing shouldn't be an issue[anymore], I used to though but then I thought, what's the rush to get saturated anyway?

My real concern is despite water retention being a byproduct of creatine use, if sweating from the sauna reduce its effect also as a consequence? So it's ok to sweat it out 15 mins a day several days a week while on creatine?

Volume is part of the equation. Intensity it also a part of that same equation. Supplementing creatine allows a greater volume at a higher intensity. Creatine is built to help with high intensities (weights, speeds, etc) so you're fine.

Creatine retains water through an osmotic effect. If the body utilizes the water elsewhere (sweating), creatine's increased concentration will have a tendency to draw water from other sources (plasma volume, interstitial fluid, etc). I would say that the steam room isn't really doing you any good anyhow. You don't really sweat out all that many toxins especially if you've already worked out. You can stretch without the heat as well. Creatine (in general) is only dangerous when the individual is dehydrated. I wouldn't take the risk of the steam room personally. If you stay well hydrated, it shouldn't be too big of a problem though.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I've been trying to get in better shape, running about 3-4 miles a day on the treadmill at my gym. I do moderate weight training, but I'm still recovering from a surgery I had two months ago on my tailbone. Doc said moderate running was ok, but I should lay off of heavy, intense lifting for another month or so. Eitherway, when I get done working out, I drink a bunch of water to rehydrate, then I go sit in a sauna until I'm a soaking wet sweaty mess. It feels amazing, and I do feel better afterwards. Everyonce in a while I'll sit in the steam room for a few minutes.. It's seems to have a nice resperatory therapy effect if I do some breathing techniques while I am in there.