You can do that if you want, but don't expect it to work at all with a partial dose. If you want it to work you need to take a full dose.
I've been taking it for a while. If you take too much of a dose, you'll get the sh!ts. You'll get too much water in your intenstines and you'll have the shits. Some people say they don't get it, but if I take any more than the recommended dose, I'm on the toilet.
#1. There is a difference between citrus juice and grape juice. Orange & grapefruit are bad the citric acid has some negative effect on the absorption of the creatine. Grape and apple juice are great, the simple sugars and carbos have something to do with helping your body absorb the creatine because when simple sugars are present your body is in "abosorption mode"
#2. It WILL help your performance in taken correctly, however you will most likely lose some of those gains when you go off creatine.
#3. Loading is optional, your body will eventually saturate it's muscles, but loading gets you there quicker, however there is more waste involved as mentioned. Personally I load but not as much as they say.
#4. Take after lifting when your body is ready for nutrients. Taking creatine an hour before you lift won't help your lifting it doesn't work like a steroid or caffeine, it has to build up in your system/muscles.
My normal cycle:
take 5grams 3 times a day for 2-3 days
take 5 grams 2 times a day for 2-3 days
take 5 grams once a day after lifting OR take 2-3 grams twice a day for ~1 1/2 months
Take 0 creatine for 1 1/2 - 2 months
I also find that the creatine combo's that have carbs and glutamine mixed in work great and are really convenient but are more expensive.
OutHouse
Lifer
- Jun 5, 2000
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you guys who are "loading up" should really consider that creatine is made in the liver and kidneys. with you taking so much when so little is needed for normal muscle function you might headed down the road to liver damage or kidney failure.
remember at one time steroids used to considered safe.
screwing around with any amino acids or proteins or harmone can really cause you problems down the road.
Read in this thread on the guys who "Od'ed" with creatine, and then ask whats my liver and kidney going be like in 20 years... something to think about.
remember at one time steroids used to considered safe.
screwing around with any amino acids or proteins or harmone can really cause you problems down the road.
Read in this thread on the guys who "Od'ed" with creatine, and then ask whats my liver and kidney going be like in 20 years... something to think about.
Not all damage is permanent. Your body heals itself. Show me some proof that creatine causes permanent kidney damage.
I think kidney and liver problems go along with too much protein as well. The point is anything can harm the liver and kidneys if taken in excess. That's why you wouldn't want to take 20grams a day just to make sure you had enough creatine. Also I think that drinking a ton of water not only helps the hydration but also helps your liver and kidneys process the things your body doesn't need, so if you needed another reason to drink more water think of your kidneys.
Not likely... there's plenty of research on the effects of creatine on the liver, and AFAIK, none of it has indicated any long term damage. And no, steroids was never considered safe. Are you just assuming all these things, or do you have some sort of evidence?
And hell, anything you do your liver is going and kidneys are going to deteriorate. I don't smoke, and rarely drink... and hit the gym at least 5 times a week (that's not including my martial art classes or biking). I'll be betting that in 20 years i'll be in better health than you.
any specific reason why you take it on a cycle? the two friends that i actually know of that take it, take a 5g dose each time after lifting, or on a day they don't work out they take a 5g dose right away when they get up.
they both loaded, taking 20g a day (10g morning 10g afternoon/early evening) for one week.. then started the daily doses of 5g
You mean why do I cycle off of it for 1-2 months? If that is the question then the reason is b/c you need to give your body a break. I believe most manufacturers and sports magazines will tell you to cycle it. I just don't want to subject my kidneys to that stuff all the time. The way I figure is that I make gains while on creatine, then try like crazy to keep those gains when you cycle off. Then next time you cycle back on creatine you go for gains again, etc.
. i suppose that makes sence. thanks much That doesn't make sense... always going on loading phases would probably do more harm to your kidney than just low dosage of maintenance levels. Reason why steroid users go on cycles is because they can get permanent damage from continual use... but creatine is quite safe.
Yeah, I agree with this. I do think that certain things will strain your liver and kidneys, but I was just trying to say that the damage is usually not permanent- once you stop what is causing strain on those organs, the problems should stop also without any long term damage.
so what is better then? going on a cycle, or loading and continuing with smaller maintenance doses?
Cycle it. Look up any respectable source online, use google, I would say that 95% of them will tell you to cycle it in some way or another. The length of the cycle and how much creatine to take at each phase will be slightly different but they will all tell you to cycle. Much like changing up your workout, I think you will get better results by shocking your body, changing things up, and even giving it a little rest besides the health aspect of it. Example of Creatine FAQ
OutHouse
Lifer
- Jun 5, 2000
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Bullsh*t!!!
I dont have any evidence and neither do you. You are just so hung up on becoming Mr. Atlas you are blinded by the fact some supplements are not good for you. Creatine use in athletics is a relatively recent practice. As a consequence its long-term consequences aren't sufficiently understood. Some of creatine's alleged side effects, however, may have long-term ramifications, especially at the high doses typically prescribed for athletic purposes. For example, the time required for transporter function to fully recover after prolonged exposure to elevated creatine levels is simply not known for humans Creatine should never be used by children or pregnant women
Clinical situations, however, do exist where low doses of creatine have been used for several years with no signs of adverse side effects. For example, Gyrate Atrophy is a disease of the eye (retina) that is characterized by progressive narrowing of the visual fields. A secondary component of the disease is a deficiency in creatine synthesis. Consequently, this disease is also characterized by a reduction in the size of fast muscle fibers. Creatine supplementation has been shown to alleviate the muscular symptoms associated with this disease, although the visual symptoms persist. Other than mild weight gain, however, LOW doses of creatine (1.5 grams/day) when administered for the duration of several years produced no obvious adverse effects.
What is the point of taking creatine? your muscles grow with creatine as a result of muscle volumizing and possibly by increased protein synthesis. After stopping creatine supplementation some of the gains obtained in size and strength will be lost. This is unavoidable.
Why dont you take off the blinders and ask a health care professional or nutritionist on their take of creatine instead of reading a sales pitch out of Muscle magazine.
As far as being in better health then me in 20 years, maybe maybe not. no one ever knows what their health will be like, we all want and pray that it is good but you just never know if some catrasphoic diesese will nail you. considering that there is so little FACTS know about what loading on creatine will do to you in the long term, i just pray that you wont be needing a liver or kidney transplant.
LOL that's where you're wrong... i haven't touched Creatine in over 5 years. I'm not going for size any longer, so i can't be bother to remember to take it everyday.
There's well over 10 years of research on Creatine, and if there were even a hint of danger, you can bet the FDA would be stepping right in. Prohormones like 1-test and 4-AD were legal and were all the rage last year, but the FDA stepped in and realized the health effects, and now they're off the shelves.
Well, obviously you don't workout. The extra strength, energy, and size you get, you do lose some of it, but you're gaining quicker than you would without it. Besides, it's a good motivational factor.
OK, here is a complete rundown on creatine...
I have extensive experience with Creatine use, both by reseach and personal experience. First, not all creatine products are the same, contrary to what others have said in this thread. The ONLY creatine you should buy is that made by Creapure, a German company. Their creatine is 99% pure. Creatine made by any other manufacturer may be around 85-90% pure, which is, obviously, a huge difference. I don't want to sound like a Creapure spokesperson, but this is the best stuff you can get. You can find this stuff at GNC. Keep in mind that Creapure sells their products to major manufacturers, so if you see creatine supplements at a store, look for the Creapure label, which is usually a small red oval with the word creapure in the center. I've tried different kinds of creatine, and I get the best gains by far from creapure products.
Applejuice and grapefruit juice are NOT citris. Infact, taking creatine with grapefruit juice will help your body absorb the creatine much more efficiently. The sugars in grapefruit juice help with the absorption. Of course, you could just take it with water, which is what I end up doing most of the time because juice isn't always readily available, but it's best to just keep a jugg of grapefruit juice in the fridge just for this purpose.
Loading... ah this is very controversial. One user said that your body maintains the same levels of creatine whether you load or not, which is absolutely TRUE. I personally believe it's best to NOT load, because the majority of that creatine simply passes through as waste. For maintenance, I personally take half the recommended dosage, which ends up being one teaspoon a day. The reason being, is that it is true there have been no long term studies on creatine, and the permanent effects are not known, so I just try to stay on the safe side. At the point I'm at now, I don't notice any difference whether I take the recommended dosage or half of that, so I'm opting for the lower dosage; plus, I don't have to cyle it as frequently. If you're just starting out, I would recommend half of the loading dosage and the full recommended dosage.
Cycling IS important, as your body naturally produces creatine, and if your body becomes acustomed to accepting creatine from another source, it's own production of creatine can and will become hampered. I would recommend, and this is the recommendation of most of the experts who's research I've read, is three months on and one month off.
No hard evidence has been confirmed that shows creatine will cause permanent damage to the liver and kidneys, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that anything in excess is harmfull. Extended use of creatine will be harmfull. If you don't drink enough water, you'll be in trouble. On that note, drinking enough water is VERY VERY VERY important.
Here's a spoiler...
The reason people look bigger while taking creatine, is NOT because they're gaining muscle mass, but because the creatine is increasing the cell volume in their muscles to allow the intake of more water. If you think you're getting stronger and bigger because your muscles are increasing in mass, you're dead wrong. On that note, it's true that once you stop using creatine, your muscles will decrease in size, because the excess creatine is not in your system anymore to keep your muscle cell volume increased. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO DRINK WATER WHILE ON CREATINE!
Creatine does not work for everyone. In fact, about 10% of the people who take creatine show absolutely no gains. If you don't work out like a horse, you won't notice any noticable gains anyway. If you don't take in your bodyweight in grams of protein per day while working out, you won't get the gains you could otherwise. There's more variables to count.
This post is way too long as it is. If anyone wants more info, please PM me.
I have extensive experience with Creatine use, both by reseach and personal experience. First, not all creatine products are the same, contrary to what others have said in this thread. The ONLY creatine you should buy is that made by Creapure, a German company. Their creatine is 99% pure. Creatine made by any other manufacturer may be around 85-90% pure, which is, obviously, a huge difference. I don't want to sound like a Creapure spokesperson, but this is the best stuff you can get. You can find this stuff at GNC. Keep in mind that Creapure sells their products to major manufacturers, so if you see creatine supplements at a store, look for the Creapure label, which is usually a small red oval with the word creapure in the center. I've tried different kinds of creatine, and I get the best gains by far from creapure products.
Applejuice and grapefruit juice are NOT citris. Infact, taking creatine with grapefruit juice will help your body absorb the creatine much more efficiently. The sugars in grapefruit juice help with the absorption. Of course, you could just take it with water, which is what I end up doing most of the time because juice isn't always readily available, but it's best to just keep a jugg of grapefruit juice in the fridge just for this purpose.
Loading... ah this is very controversial. One user said that your body maintains the same levels of creatine whether you load or not, which is absolutely TRUE. I personally believe it's best to NOT load, because the majority of that creatine simply passes through as waste. For maintenance, I personally take half the recommended dosage, which ends up being one teaspoon a day. The reason being, is that it is true there have been no long term studies on creatine, and the permanent effects are not known, so I just try to stay on the safe side. At the point I'm at now, I don't notice any difference whether I take the recommended dosage or half of that, so I'm opting for the lower dosage; plus, I don't have to cyle it as frequently. If you're just starting out, I would recommend half of the loading dosage and the full recommended dosage.
Cycling IS important, as your body naturally produces creatine, and if your body becomes acustomed to accepting creatine from another source, it's own production of creatine can and will become hampered. I would recommend, and this is the recommendation of most of the experts who's research I've read, is three months on and one month off.
No hard evidence has been confirmed that shows creatine will cause permanent damage to the liver and kidneys, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that anything in excess is harmfull. Extended use of creatine will be harmfull. If you don't drink enough water, you'll be in trouble. On that note, drinking enough water is VERY VERY VERY important.
Here's a spoiler...
The reason people look bigger while taking creatine, is NOT because they're gaining muscle mass, but because the creatine is increasing the cell volume in their muscles to allow the intake of more water. If you think you're getting stronger and bigger because your muscles are increasing in mass, you're dead wrong. On that note, it's true that once you stop using creatine, your muscles will decrease in size, because the excess creatine is not in your system anymore to keep your muscle cell volume increased. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO DRINK WATER WHILE ON CREATINE!
Creatine does not work for everyone. In fact, about 10% of the people who take creatine show absolutely no gains. If you don't work out like a horse, you won't notice any noticable gains anyway. If you don't take in your bodyweight in grams of protein per day while working out, you won't get the gains you could otherwise. There's more variables to count.
This post is way too long as it is. If anyone wants more info, please PM me.
grapefruit juice looks and tastes a lot like citrus to me. Maybe you meant grape juice? How does Cranberry Juice fit into this? OceanSpray sells a Reduced Calorie (splenda supplemented) Cran+Raspberry, how is that?
Just want to point something out - Creatine should always be taken post workout with a simple carb drink such as fruit juice or gatorade - this will cause an insulin spike which will in turn transport the creatine to the muscle cells. Don't forget your whey protein either (preferably isolate). Anadrol-50's complements it nicely too..heh
Grape juice, yes, sorry. Cranberry juice is good too. Both have a lot of sugars in them to help with creatine transport.
In light of the mentions of steroids in this thread, its always funny to see so many misconceptions about steroids. I don't personally use them presently- but most steroids are actually derivatives of testosterone, which is a naturally occuring hormone in the body. As long as one gets proper bloodtests done during use and uses reasonable dosages, they are fairly safe. Unfortunately when experiencing the rush of being "on", alot of people tend to go overboard on dosages and this is when problems start to manifest themselves...
The brand of Creatine I use is by PROLAB. It is the Creatine Monohydrate Powder sold in the 300 gram container, and it uses Creapure Creatine. It has a reddish/orange label, sold at every GNC. Two containers come in a pack, each with 300 grams of power and the set costs around $25.
I was wrong about one thing, the Creapure label does not have a red oval, but a small red circlular design around the first part of the word Creapure. Either way, go buy this stuff. It is the best on the market. Highly recommended.
I was wrong about one thing, the Creapure label does not have a red oval, but a small red circlular design around the first part of the word Creapure. Either way, go buy this stuff. It is the best on the market. Highly recommended.
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