Does anyone here take creatine?

tom_e · 23 Jul 2018 at 21:18

5g per day forever more job done, no need to overcomplicate it.

Somnambulist · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:02

jsmoke said:
I have creatine monohydride(I think that's the name). Instructions say if under 75kg then 5g for 7 days then 5g every other day and if over 75kg, 10g for 7 days then 5g every other say.

Creatine is stored inside you a bit like a reservoir - you can fill it up quickly or slowly, but either way it'll get filled up eventually and then all you're doing is keeping it topped up every time training depletes it a little.

Somnambulist · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:06

mrthingyx said:
Yes and no; it is one of the few WADA-permitted ones that actually does anything, but I suspect it isn't anywhere near as hyped as supplements that make even less difference (betaine, BCAAs, brotein supplements themselves) to workouts and muscular output.

There's a reasonable likelihood that most people don't actually dose it correctly... it takes:

- 6+ weeks at 5g/day
- taking with carbs within 30 mins of consumption...

And even then most people won't lift heavy enough or train hard enough to notice.

So on that basis, it is a lot of work and consistency for not much overall gain.

On the plus side, it's cheap enough - dirt cheap in fact - that there's no harm in taking it even if it's a 1% sort of thing.

Rroff · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:14

I have no idea what is right and wrong, etc. but chatting to some people who do the whole gym, running thing hardcore and dabble a bit on the side selling supplements they all seem to go by either 1 week on, 1-2 weeks off or 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off with supplements. Most of them seem to be on the NO train at the moment over Creatine though.

Somnambulist · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:41

Forunately for us, proper research means anecdotal gym-bro think can be divided into 'contains truth/some truth/no truth'. In the case of creatine, it makes no sense to cycle it unless as an aid to dropping a little water weight for a weigh-in in a sporting context.

Good evidence-based guide here

jsmoke · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:41

The cotton mouth symptom to me spells stimulant like effects. So it's possible it's just increasing your heart rate like pseudoephedrine and hence masking any pain, tricking you I to thinking you can train harder.

mrthingyx · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:42

As Somnambulist suggested, there is a lot of evidence about this...

tom_e · 24 Jul 2018 at 09:48

jsmoke said:
The cotton mouth symptom to me spells stimulant like effects. So it's possible it's just increasing your heart rate like pseudoephedrine and hence masking any pain, tricking you I to thinking you can train harder.

Unfortunately that's complete balls as shown by years of available research into creatine.

Rroff · 24 Jul 2018 at 10:05

Somnambulist said:
Forunately for us, proper research means anecdotal gym-bro think can be divided into 'contains truth/some truth/no truth'. In the case of creatine, it makes no sense to cycle it unless as an aid to dropping a little water weight for a weigh-in in a sporting context.

Good evidence-based guide here

Some of them are pretty obsessed with lean muscle/toning or whatever which might be why they have that perspective.

Somnambulist · 24 Jul 2018 at 10:14

Rroff said:
Some of them are pretty obsessed with lean muscle/toning or whatever which might be why they have that perspective.

It's probably because they get the idea of cycling from their anabolic steroid use and apply that to everything else.

Rroff · 25 Jul 2018 at 01:29

Somnambulist said:
It's probably because they get the idea of cycling from their anabolic steroid use and apply that to everything else.

As an aside - never really thought about it before but one of them I really don't get on with - I wonder if the propensity towards treating people in a supercilious and demeaning manner came before or after the steroid use.

Alex_6n2 · 27 Jul 2018 at 12:42

Just do whatever Dom Mazzetti says, he's a scientist, author AND engineer (of swole)

jsmoke · 31 Jul 2018 at 18:48

I've been taking for 2 weeks and my times both swimming and cycling have got a lot better. To me there is no dispute. AMA.

arc@css · 31 Jul 2018 at 21:11

Not yet tried it.

jsmoke · 1 Aug 2018 at 12:57

Well many will say it's the training that's improving their times and it can be difficult to separate the two.

Psychology, I don't think is a factor as I take it in the morning at never think about it during training.

My training hasn't really changed yet I'm swimming longer and stronger as with cycling. It's such a noticeable difference also. I just cycled 22 miles in 1 hour 30 mins(strava) I've done the exact same cycle around 20 times, quickest in over 2 hours( pre strava). I feel fresh after the cycle. Then again maybe my general nutrition is not good and this is genuinely supplementing lacking nutrients.

I did go out on the bike quite a bit extra over last few weeks in heat spell but I would still vouch that creatine has made a significant difference. Though if you've been training properly and constantly over a longish time period you may have peaked and creatine may do very little.

I'll keep the experiment going.

zophiel · 2 Aug 2018 at 10:00

gosh i am shocked that the extra miles of work you put in over the last few weeks have impacted in better times !!!

XeNoN89 · 2 Aug 2018 at 10:08

I take it constantly now. I did cycle it at first like but then started losing track so have now taken it non stop all 2018 so far pretty much.

When i first started i did get a few headaches but then increased my water intake and is now all ok

jsmoke · 2 Aug 2018 at 10:12

zophiel said:
gosh i am shocked that the extra miles of work you put in over the last few weeks have impacted in better times !!!

You could be correct there, is is hard to separate the variables. You would need to setup a perfect situation to really gauge the results of creatine.

BRIGGBOY81 · 14 Aug 2018 at 22:43

if someone feels the need to take it to get an edge then fair play to them and good luck. for me personally i would rather do it through good diet and hard work.

SixTwoSix · 15 Aug 2018 at 08:18

BRIGGBOY81 said:
if someone feels the need to take it to get an edge then fair play to them and good luck. for me personally i would rather do it through good diet and hard work.

You're talking about it like it's a steroid or something.