creatine Melkor...

Just bought some crearine  Few questions about it... When should I take it, how often, and how exactly does it work

anyone?

There's no consensus amongst experts on when is best to take it. Many say before a workout, many say after. Generally all the articles I've read have said that it will work as long as you have it built up in your system, regardless of when you take it.

Let me know how it works for you, I continuously flirt with the idea of starting to take it.

Eric

Will let you know

Original Post by systemdrop:

Just bought some crearine  Few questions about it... When should I take it, how often, and how exactly does it work

Is that "creatine"? Why take it? I haven't heard of people taking that(guess I'm out of touch).

My advice (what I was told):

• Take it at the same time every day (incl rest days)
• Best to take immediately post workout
• Usually high in sugar (sugar transports the protein strand)
• Can work better (so I hear) when "stacked" with protein/carb post work-out shakes
• Take it in cycles no longer than 6 wks
• Down time cycle is double whatever you took it for (i.e. I took it for 45 days, I am off for 90, then on again for another 45 days)
• Drink plenty of water to avoid cramps
• You can and most likely will bloat depending on your gender, the amount of water you intake, sodium intake, diet, and the type of creatine you purchased (crappy stuff will bloat you more so I hear; I didn't have that prob = used CellMass by BSN)
• Use caution with your newfound strength... you can hurt yourself bc you will find it much easier to lift 1.5-2x what you did previously...
• Remember your tendons and smaller muscles have not developed enough to withstand the heavy weight so gradually increase weights
• It can upset your stomach so test it with a smaller dose at first and see how you feel

I took creatine for about 3 months. I stopped last month. I used Creakic, made by MuscleTech. The bottle said to take take it twice a day, once with breakfast, and once right after your workout.

To answer Miket's question on why to take it, there are a couple reasons I took it. I was stuck at a platue in my weight training and wanted help getting through it. My 1 rep max for bench was stuck at 185 lbs for over a month, when I started taking the creatine, I was able to start repping at 185 and my 1 rep max is now 215 lbs. So it does help. The second reason I started taking it was because My friend gave me his supply because he was cycling off of it.

I have since stopped taking it for one reason. I found that while I was on creatine, I would cramp up a lot sooner while running, playing Ultimate Frisbee and while sparring.

My experience with creatine, It's great for weight training, but it doesn't seem very good for aerobic activities.

get PH balanced creatine pills...and take them before and after a workout...much much better than the drinks...especially if you don't want all that sugar per serving....one company has a sugar free one that actually tastes good...the flavor was Arctic Berry blast...can't remember the company...(NO2 or something)

It's called CE2, Eddie, and it is made by MRI the company that makes NO2.  You can get it at GNC stores.  Just trying to help.

well there you go...

yeah the one I took from BSN (CellMass) is sugar-free too... I'm not sure what the transport is but hey it worked. lol!

yeah...that's it.....Cell Mass...in the little red container right?....yup yup....In my Opinion...it was a very very good brand of creatine.

yeah, that's the one I took also... I didn't bloat at all (I guess that's rare in women) and I also actually liked the taste... wasn't bad sandwiched in with my IsoPure and Waxy Maize :). P.W. Shake concoction!! Yum!!

International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise, J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007; 4: 6.

 In there, you see a couple different loading protocols people have tried and made to work :

The supplementation protocol most often described in the literature is referred to as the "loading" protocol. This protocol is characterized by ingesting approximately 0.3 grams/kg/day of CM for 5 – 7 days (e.g., 5 grams taken four times per day) and 3–5 grams/day thereafter [18,22]. Research has shown a 10–40% increase in muscle creatine and PCr stores using this protocol [10,22]. Additional research has reported that the loading protocol may only need to be 2–3 days in length to be beneficial, particularly if the ingestion coincides with protein and/or carbohydrate [23,24]. Furthermore, supplementing with 0.25 grams/kg-fat free mass/day of CM may be an alternative dosage sufficient to increase muscle creatine stores [25].

Other suggested supplementation protocols utilized include those with no loading phase as well as "cycling" strategies. A few studies have reported protocols with no loading period to be sufficient for increasing muscle creatine (3 g/d for 28 days) [15] as well as muscle size and strength (6 g/d for 12 weeks) [26,27]. These protocols seems to be equally effective in increasing muscular stores of creatine, but the increase is more gradual and thus the ergogenic effect does not occur as quickly. Cycling protocols involve the consumption of "loading" doses for 3–5 days every 3 to 4 weeks [18,22]. These cycling protocols appear to be effective in increasing and maintaining muscle creatine content before a drop to baseline values, which occurs at about 4–6 weeks [28,29].

  Creatine supplements works by increasing your natural stores of phosphacreatine in your muscle cells. Whenever you do something that involves your ATP energy system your body regenerates your ATP supply using Pcr to donate one phosphate group, so increasing Pcr stores leads to this process happening faster.

  There's no evidence that any of the so-called "advanced" creatine products work any better or differently than basic creatine monohydrate except that the supplement companies producing them can charge more for "proprietary advanced formulations" and therefore work better at providing them with a profit margin. Liquid creatine formulations are practically useless - creatine in liquid suspension quickly decomposes into creatinine, which is the mildly toxic byproduct of creatine cell metabolism your kidneys flush out.

 Approximately half the creatine in your muscles come from your food intake, so if you're a big meat-eater you're likely to have significantly less results from creatine use than a vegetarian would. (10.20% vs. 20-40% increase) - if you're not a vegetarian your results probably won't double, and the general effects of creatine is to increase anaerobic endurance, not maximal strength - you get 1-2 more reps or a few seconds more of all-out sprinting, or you get 10-20% faster over the same distance.

 The protocol I've seen most often lately is to skip the loading entirely and just take 1.5-3g of creatine with your post-workout shake - Charles Poliquin thinks that's nonsense and you should use the old loading protocol, but Poliquin is also the guy who thinks you should have 35-45g of fish oil in your diet every day and I'm not convinced that the levels of supplementation that's appropriate for the Olympic and pro sports athletes Poliquin trains is useful or beneficial for the recreational athlete.

 The protocol I've seen most often lately is to skip the loading entirely and just take 1.5-3g of creatine with your post-workout shake - Charles Poliquin thinks that's nonsense and you should use the old loading protocol, but Poliquin is also the guy who thinks you should have 35-45g of fish oil in your diet every day and I'm not convinced that the levels of supplementation that's appropriate for the Olympic and pro sports athletes Poliquin trains is useful or beneficial for the recreational athlete.

 Melkor, do you think that taking creatine for an unpronounced period of time (say you just start taking it daily alongside your normal PW shake) that it may lead to kidney stones or damage?? I have heard that prolonged use of creatine can wreak some havoc on your kidneys which is why they recommend drinking a ton of fluids and also to cycle off to let your body go back to normal routine...

Original Post by littlemalynda:

 The protocol I've seen most often lately is to skip the loading entirely and just take 1.5-3g of creatine with your post-workout shake - Charles Poliquin thinks that's nonsense and you should use the old loading protocol, but Poliquin is also the guy who thinks you should have 35-45g of fish oil in your diet every day and I'm not convinced that the levels of supplementation that's appropriate for the Olympic and pro sports athletes Poliquin trains is useful or beneficial for the recreational athlete.

 Melkor, do you think that taking creatine for an unpronounced period of time (say you just start taking it daily alongside your normal PW shake) that it may lead to kidney stones or damage?? I have heard that prolonged use of creatine can wreak some havoc on your kidneys which is why they recommend drinking a ton of fluids and also to cycle off to let your body go back to normal routine...

 absolutely NOT!!!!!!....

This is such a misconception.  Has it happened in some people...yes, but in about 1% .... MEN'S HEALTH:

Will creatine mess with my kidneys?

Researchers are constantly studying creatine -- for effectiveness and safety. That's why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine: Studies indicate it's safe.

"Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe."

Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."

But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.

Some of these conditions can be caused by consuming too much of certain vitamins, says Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, and too much iron may lead to stomach problems," he says.

To be safe, he recommends using creatine only if you are healthy and have no kidney problems. That's because your kidneys excrete creatinine, a breakdown product of creatine.

So there's no downside?

Not so fast, Biceps-Brain. If you can get big without it, there's no reason to use creatine. 

"I feel it would be better for no one to use creatine even though it's shown to increase some strength and muscle mass," says Jim King, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

"I wouldn't recommend doing anything that would show minimal improvement and possible risk. Weigh the negatives and the benefits before you try it."

Kids under age 18 should avoid creatine, King says, because few studies have been done on children using creatine as an exercise enhancement.

There have been reports of overexertion causing torn muscles. That can mean permanent damage. "Children are still in a growing phase, and we're not sure what impact creatine may have on muscles and bones as they grow," he says. "I feel very strongly that middle and even high schoolers shouldn't use it."

Will it transform me?

Here's one thing all the experts can agree on: It's impossible to say.

Creatine has different effects on every individual. Some people just don't respond to creatine -- it's a genetic thing.

You should know in about a week -- if your training volume increases, it's working for you. If not, you're probably a "nonresponder" -- taking the powder isn't going to help you.

Diet is important. Meat, especially herring and beef, has high levels of creatine, so vegetarians usually see a greater response, while those whose diets are highly carnivorous may see less change.

Of course, a healthy diet is key to anyone's muscle-building plan. "If your diet is junk, there's no point in adding creatine," Kerksick says. "It's better to eat good sources of carbohydrates and lean protein."

In the end, creatine alone will not make you a bigger man.

"Only when combined with exercise does it improve the quality of training," Greenhaff says. "You still have to do the work."