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What are your thoughts on creatine?

P

psteng19

Diamond Member
Here's what I know (or what I think I know):
  • supplement that increases strength and stamina, which in turn allows you to life more which means more gains
  • fills muscles with water which makes you look bigger
  • dehydrates you so you will have to drink plenty of water
  • if you come off of it, expect to lose some of the gains and size
  • long term affects unknown, unsubstantiated claims of liver damage

Here's my situation:
I've been lifting on and off for the past 8-10 months with protein shakes are my only supplement. Recently started using glutamine and dextrose.
In that time frame, bulked up 10-15 pounds (now 5'8", 145 lbs) and decent strength gains.
(Actually, my gains in strength and weight were most noticeable in the first 3-6 months. I've stopped gaining since then.)

Now, my gains seemed to have stopped. Bench press, squats, etc. at the same weight for over a month.
If I try to up the weight, I can't sustain it for more than 2 sets.
For example, if I'm doing 3 x 8, by the 3rd set, I can only get maybe 3-4 reps up.

Will creatine help? Most likely.
Why am I not already on it? Unsure of long term side effects.
 
There are no known adverse effects to long term usage, AFAIK.

I recently started using it to help my recovery after working out and it is doing a good job IMO.
 
I've been using it for years now with no real side effects (well sans bloating).

Creatine will help you with recovery in between sets. Iirc it turns some of the ADP back into ATP in your muscles (or the other way around, high school bio was looooong time ago)
 
It's dirt cheap, it's safe, and it works. Creatine is probably the most-studied supplement ever, and to still be able to say the aforementioned for a compound that has undergone such thorough scrutiny is no small thing. There are a handful of worthwhile supplements on the market, and creatine is one of them; nonetheless, do not expect miracles.
 
It works pretty good. However if you stop using it and working out be prepared for a bit of a fat gain.
 
Just please stay hydrated if you use it. That will help you with muscle mass as well as curb some of the temporary side effects some people get with Creatine. I took it for a while and developed really bad headaches/stomach aches. But I know that I didn't drink enough water, which is the primary reason I got the headaches. Not sure about the stomach discomfort though. I don't know that water would have helped but not everyone has stomach discomfort while on Creatine.

 
Creatine is fine, and one of the few supplements that is prooved to work as it says on the tin.

The body uses ATP for muscular contraction until it runs out, then you use glucose. While your muscles are breaking down the ATP to ADP for fuel, they're on the scavenge for more phosphates to convert ADP back to ATP to keep this energy pathway viable for longer. This is what creatine provides.

There's 2 types of creatine, monohydrate, and ethyl ester. Monoydrate usaully requires a loading phase and you take it with a high GI drink to transport it into the cells. With EE there's no loading phase and you can shoot it back with water. It tastes so bad your likely to get pissed off and do better in the gym anyway. People who were non-responders to monohydrate, sometimes respond to EE.

That said, if your gains have stalled for a month and you've been going to failure on most of your sets, then its likely that you're overtrained. Or, you've been using the same routine for the last few months and have completely adapted to it.

If you've been mixing up the exercises and rep ranges, take a week out then come back rested. Eat well and sleep lots.
If your routine needs a change, try doing 4x6 or 5x5 instead of 3x8 for 6 weeks - make sure you can finish all the sets before you start increasing the weights.

John
 
Originally posted by: Sinsear
It works pretty good. However if you stop using it and working out be prepared for a bit of a fat gain.
Click to expand...

That is completely wrong. Fat gain is determined entirely by your diet. Stopping creatine doesn't magically make you gain fat.
 
Originally posted by: psteng19
Here's what I know (or what I think I know):
  • supplement that increases strength and stamina, which in turn allows you to life more which means more gains
  • fills muscles with water which makes you look bigger
  • dehydrates you so you will have to drink plenty of water
  • if you come off of it, expect to lose some of the gains and size
  • long term affects unknown, unsubstantiated claims of liver damage

Here's my situation:
I've been lifting on and off for the past 8-10 months with protein shakes are my only supplement. Recently started using glutamine and dextrose.
In that time frame, bulked up 10-15 pounds (now 5'8", 145 lbs) and decent strength gains.
(Actually, my gains in strength and weight were most noticeable in the first 3-6 months. I've stopped gaining since then.)

Now, my gains seemed to have stopped. Bench press, squats, etc. at the same weight for over a month.
If I try to up the weight, I can't sustain it for more than 2 sets.
For example, if I'm doing 3 x 8, by the 3rd set, I can only get maybe 3-4 reps up.

Will creatine help? Most likely.
Why am I not already on it? Unsure of long term side effects.
Click to expand...

I think maybe you just need to start eating more.
 
As far as our lifting coaches told us, Creatin facilitates muscle tearing. So it also makes it easier to really hurt yourself while using creatin, especially if you are playing a sport.
 
Originally posted by: psteng19
Here's what I know (or what I think I know):
  • supplement that increases strength and stamina, which in turn allows you to life more which means more gains
  • fills muscles with water which makes you look bigger
  • dehydrates you so you will have to drink plenty of water
  • if you come off of it, expect to lose some of the gains and size
  • long term affects unknown, unsubstantiated claims of liver damage

Here's my situation:
I've been lifting on and off for the past 8-10 months with protein shakes are my only supplement. Recently started using glutamine and dextrose.
In that time frame, bulked up 10-15 pounds (now 5'8", 145 lbs) and decent strength gains.
(Actually, my gains in strength and weight were most noticeable in the first 3-6 months. I've stopped gaining since then.)

Now, my gains seemed to have stopped. Bench press, squats, etc. at the same weight for over a month.
If I try to up the weight, I can't sustain it for more than 2 sets.
For example, if I'm doing 3 x 8, by the 3rd set, I can only get maybe 3-4 reps up.

Will creatine help? Most likely.
Why am I not already on it? Unsure of long term side effects.
Click to expand...


Let's hear your diet.

Take the creatine it s going to help...possibly alot. Drink alot of water. Alot. This helps anyways. The most important thing is your diet - you sound like a smaller guy so fixing your diet will help maximize gains.

No harmful side effects.
 
My diet is not very steady but for dinner, lots of beef (red meat, not always lean), some chicken, rice, green veggies. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner.

Breakfast is cereal (SpecialK Protein Plus currently) or a PBJ sandwich.

I'll snack on granola bars and nuts (pistachios, peanuts, cashews) in between meals.

ON protein shake w/milk first thing in the morning and before bed.
ON w/water post workout.

If i were to guess, my daily calorie intake is about 3-3.5k a day.



My workout... I used to do lots of isolation exercises almost daily but now I've switched over to more compound exercises 3-4x a week, usually 3 sets of 8 reps, or if I can't finish the last set, it would be to failure.

(Monday) chest/triceps:
flat/incline/decline bench
dumbbell bench flat/incline
skullcrusher
cable tricep extension?
dips

(Tues/Fri) legs:
squats on Smith
deadlifts
seated calf raises
leg extensions
leg curls
more leg extensions on sled machine

(Wed) bi's/back/shoulders:
pull ups
seated rows (cable)
lat pull downs
shoulder shrugs
shoulder upright row
overhead shoulder press

Thu/Sun rest, Sat sometimes
 
What brand creatine is the best/cheapest/best value? I want to start taking it, but don't want to get reamed.

Also, I understand that creatine bulks your muscles up with water, but does it actually increase your raw strength? Once you stop taking creatine, I understand that you lose bulk since the water leaves your muscles, but do you also lose strength, or do you just lose recovery?

Thanks!
 
how much rest between each set, and each exercise? I would try waiting at least 3-4 minutes between sets and 5 minutes between exercise
 
Originally posted by: Safeway
What brand creatine is the best/cheapest/best value? I want to start taking it, but don't want to get reamed.

Also, I understand that creatine bulks your muscles up with water, but does it actually increase your raw strength? Once you stop taking creatine, I understand that you lose bulk since the water leaves your muscles, but do you also lose strength, or do you just lose recovery?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Here's one of the best brands for a good price: link

Also, that site is a good place to buy supplements in general.

You might lose some strength and/or water weight if you quit taking it, but you won't lose any muscle, provided you continue to eat right and train hard.
 
Ive been using it lately to help re-gain strength after a having several months off after a shoulder injury. I dont use it normally, however.
 
Originally posted by: Kev
how much rest between each set, and each exercise? I would try waiting at least 3-4 minutes between sets and 5 minutes between exercise
Click to expand...

One or two minutes between each set.
As much time as it takes to move to the next piece of equipment, which is probably also a couple of minutes.

I've read generallly you don't want to rest too long between sets, 60-90 seconds.
 
Originally posted by: psteng19
Originally posted by: Kev
how much rest between each set, and each exercise? I would try waiting at least 3-4 minutes between sets and 5 minutes between exercise
Click to expand...

One or two minutes between each set.
As much time as it takes to move to the next piece of equipment, which is probably also a couple of minutes.

I've read generallly you don't want to rest too long between sets, 60-90 seconds.
Click to expand...

Well if you're trying to make strength gains you might try waiting 3 minutes between sets, that way your muscles get enough rest to max out on the next set. Take my advice with a grain of salt though because I'm pretty new to this
 
Originally posted by: psteng19
Here's what I know (or what I think I know):
  • supplement that increases strength and stamina, which in turn allows you to life more which means more gains
  • fills muscles with water which makes you look bigger
  • dehydrates you so you will have to drink plenty of water
  • if you come off of it, expect to lose some of the gains and size
  • long term affects unknown, unsubstantiated claims of liver damage

Here's my situation:
I've been lifting on and off for the past 8-10 months with protein shakes are my only supplement. Recently started using glutamine and dextrose.
In that time frame, bulked up 10-15 pounds (now 5'8", 145 lbs) and decent strength gains.
(Actually, my gains in strength and weight were most noticeable in the first 3-6 months. I've stopped gaining since then.)

Now, my gains seemed to have stopped. Bench press, squats, etc. at the same weight for over a month.
If I try to up the weight, I can't sustain it for more than 2 sets.
For example, if I'm doing 3 x 8, by the 3rd set, I can only get maybe 3-4 reps up.

Will creatine help? Most likely.
Why am I not already on it? Unsure of long term side effects.
Click to expand...

i've been using the stuff for years w/o apparent harm.
it can cause massive intestinal discomfort & cramps if you overdo it.

it doesn't increase your strength - it basically allows you to do more reps
which in turn leads to strength increases.

i wouldn't panic over not making gains for 1 month,
but taking a break or varying what you do could be
a good idea.

of course the most powerful supplement known is this.
 
There are no known side effects to creatine unless you are taking rediculous doses, in which case kidney damage is possible.
 
The only thing I didn't like about it when I was training regularly was the bloat factor. It seemed to really help combat exactly the problem you're having: rather than crap out on the 3rd heavy set I could power through it.

Drink tons of water.
 
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