Creatine...

[Adam|Spakka]

Fed up of getting different answers on every website i go to...

When should i take it?

How much should i take?

What is loading, do i need to do this?

Any other useful information about Creatine would be good...

[Env]

Gives you acne. :(

[Steroids]

there isn't just one product called "CREATINE". like all supplements theres many different types/products.

research one that is highly rated and simply read the instructions! and also read peoples comments on it.

loading is when you take a large dosage at the start so it can get in ur system etc for the future. after loading for the first week or 2, the dosage will usually dramatically drop.

idiots use creatine because they want the water effect during workout to make u look bigger etc. use it for the right reason, for it to give you that extra push that you need mid-workout.

Gives you acne. :(

that gets said about pretty much everything. its far from a guarantee, and aslong as you don't scratch the fuck out of it, it will obvious be temporary with no remaining scars etc.

[Reevesy]

it's shit. eat red meat.

[Reevesy]

Gives you acne. :(

ur talking wank u aint even took it b4, i took 1kg/2.2lb of it straight, no acne. its a fucking supplement derrived from red meat.. it hardly does anything at all.

[Reevesy]

Fed up of getting different answers on every website i go to...

When should i take it?

How much should i take?

What is loading, do i need to do this?

Any other useful information about Creatine would be good...

its awful on its own so i hope u have shakes/milk to put it on, it even still manages to sink to the bottom

take it whenever u want.

i took 5g per go so 15-20g a day

loading is how long it 'starts to take effect' they say 2 weeks but its just bullshit really don't waste your money, buy tuna or firecapes or  something

[Adam|Spakka]

there isn't just one product called "CREATINE". like all supplements theres many different types/products.

research one that is highly rated and simply read the instructions! and also read peoples comments on it.

loading is when you take a large dosage at the start so it can get in ur system etc for the future. after loading for the first week or 2, the dosage will usually dramatically drop.

idiots use creatine because they want the water effect during workout to make u look bigger etc. use it for the right reason, for it to give you that extra push that you need mid-workout.

Gives you acne. :(

that gets said about pretty much everything. its far from a guarantee, and aslong as you don't scratch the fuck out of it, it will obvious be temporary with no remaining scars etc.

I've bought some plain unflavoured Micronized Creatine Monohydrate. How much do you recommend i take for the first week or 2 to load?

[Adam|Spakka]

Fed up of getting different answers on every website i go to...

When should i take it?

How much should i take?

What is loading, do i need to do this?

Any other useful information about Creatine would be good...

its awful on its own so i hope u have shakes/milk to put it on, it even still manages to sink to the bottom

take it whenever u want.

i took 5g per go so 15-20g a day

loading is how long it 'starts to take effect' they say 2 weeks but its just bullshit really don't waste your money, buy tuna or firecapes or  something

Haha trying to leach my irl gp again are we :(

Hmm since i already have 600g may aswell put it to some good use, what should i mix it with? I been using water but it tastes rank...

[Steroids]

omg read the tub.

i used to mix mine with this lemon squash stuff with sparkling water, made it tollerable.

[Reevesy]

protein shakes u cyclist bastard. or blend some fruit n water or fruit n milk together or summat

or put in a yoghurt lol n mix it, 5g per time, 20g per day .

[Env]

Gives you acne. :(

ur talking wank u aint even took it b4, i took 1kg/2.2lb of it straight, no acne. its a fucking supplement derrived from red meat.. it hardly does anything at all.

It gives me acne...

[Adam|Spakka]

Does anyone know of any real proven side effect of using Creatine? My mums going on at one about me using it...

[DeltaPapa]

I take CreaPure.

Been taking it for about a week and about 10g of it a day. Im in same boat. I know nothing about it, apart from it helps. So im just going to continue what im doing until my body tells me to stop.

And the mixing problem really isnt a problem. Put 3 mouthfuls of water with it. Down it (gets rid of most of the creatine) then put a mouthful of water, swirl it around till its like a whirlpool, then down that. It mixes like perfectly due to the creatine powder cant escape the whirlpool. :)

[Steroids]

Does anyone know of any real proven side effect of using Creatine? My mums going on at one about me using it...

only REAL side-effects are increaed water weight, and after the cycle or when uv ran out of it, you'll feel a lack of energy.

[Adam|Spakka]

Does anyone know of any real proven side effect of using Creatine? My mums going on at one about me using it...

only REAL side-effects are increaed water weight, and after the cycle or when uv ran out of it, you'll feel a lack of energy.

Thanks <3

[I Meleed I]

Creatine is an amino acid. It is normally produced in the body from arginine, glycine and methionine. Creatine plays a vital role in cellular energy production as creatinephosphate (phosphocreatine) in regenerating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in skeletal muscle. Without ATP, muscle contraction is not possible. Oral administration of creatine increases muscle stores and may increase muscle strength and improve exercise performance. In the diet,creatine is found in meat and fish - although cooking destroys most of it. Creatine claims to increase energy, power output, and enchances muscle size and strenght.

A significant gain in physical performance in high-intensity exercise has been shown with creatine doses of 20 to 30 g/day, but more recent research is indicating that similar performance benefits are possible with much lower doses in the range of 2-5 grams/day though benefits may take longer to be noticed).

Taking very large doses of creatine daily seemed to increase the strength of muscular dystrophypatients' muscles by about 10 percent. Although that may be considered a relatively small gain it may be very important to that person who can now pick up a glass of water. Ten grams of

creatine per day for 5 days followed by 5 grams per day for another week have produced increases in muscle strength in the legs, hands and feet of patients with muscular dystrophy.Such patients usually have lower creatine levels than healthy people, so boosting muscle stores may help augment cellular energy production and support muscular contraction.

The most common regimen for creatine supplementation follows a two-phase cycle with a 5-10 day loading phase (20-25 g/day) followed by a variable length maintenance phase (2-5 g/day)to maintain muscle saturation. It is unclear, however, whether the loading phase is actually

needed to achieve the same end result. Creatine absorption appears to be enhanced when the supplement is taken with a high-carbohydrate drink such as fruit juice.

Purchasing creatine involves three basic choices:

1. 100 percent pure creatine monohydrate - It's a white powder(not unlike baking soda) that is basically tasteless and odorless.You can mix it in water, juice,protein shake, etc. Do not,however, mix creatine with a citrus drink. The combination of creatine and a citrus drink may result in some

breakdown of the product, converting creatine into creatinine,hich is useless to your body.

2. Creatine and sugar (premixed) - A 1996 study showed that ingesting a carbohydrate solution with creatine promoted a 60 percent greater increase in total creatine concentrations in the muscle, compared with taking creatine alone.(14) Sixty percent is a big difference.However, the subjects who took the creatine and carbohydrates were pounding back 93g of carbs four times per day for five days. 93g of carbohydrates is an additional 1,488 calories per day, or 7,440 calories for the five-day experiment. Any way you look at it, that is a good way to get fat. So, if you are going to follow the protocol of this study and suck back four sugar shakes per day for five days, that's where I would leave it. In other words, if you are not concerned about how big your gut gets in a week's time, and you want to load creatine, this is a proven method. After the loading period is over, if you wanted to continue with this type of

drink, I would reserve the 93g of sugary goodness for your post-workout meal only. Post-workout is when your muscles are begging for sugar like a crack addict looking for a fix. If one were to critically compare this study to commercial creatine premixes,most supplement manufacturers would fall short on the amount of sugar in one serving. The sugar increases insulin, which transports creatine into the muscles. For now, suffice it to say I have tried many premixed creatine drinks and can say with a great degree of certainty that they do work better than creatine

alone. Like I said, though, if you want to follow this protocol,reserve this drink reserved for a post-workout shake,and you won't have to worry about bustin' your gut.

3. Creatine and insulin mimicking agents - Agents that mimic insulin, such as Alpha-lipoic acid, have an effect similar to sugar on your body. When you consume high levels of simple sugars,your insulin goes through the roof. The insulin is responsible for getting nutrients (i.e. creatine) to the muscles. So these products theoretically punch up your insulin without the 93g of gut-busting sugar. The concept is fantastic, and I believe they work. A 1998 study confirmed that "insulin can enhance muscle creatine accumulation in humans, but only when present atphysiologically high or supraphysiological concentrations."(15) What this means is high insulin levels need to exist to enhance creatine's effects.Using insulin mimickers instead of sugar is an area moving to the forefront of "making creatine better."

Also by Layne Norton

Is it Necessary to Load on Creatine?

No it is not necessary to load but it can help you see results faster. You see to get the full benefit of creating you must saturate your muscle cells with it. Using a small dose (5g), this will take up to thirty days depending on the individual's lean body mass. However using a loading dosage of 15-25g per day for 5 days, one can quickly saturate the muscle cells in this time period and then use a maintenance dosage (3-5g) for the remainder of their time taking creatine. (Recent research shows that a loading phase longer than 3 days is useless - Icex999)

Is it Necessary to Cycle Creatine?

Once again it is not necessary to do so but it can help. Your body has an internal equilibrium which you can swing in your favor for a duration of time, but over time that equilibrium will eventually swing back.

Meaning taking excess creatine for a short period of time (4-8 weeks) may temporarily increase your creatine phosphate stores but after awhile your body's feedback mechanisms will likely place some time of control on creatine phosphate storage to bring the levels back down to normal. This mechanism may be to decrease your body's own production of creatine or to downgrade the number receptors that admit creatine into the cell. Taking time off from creatine can help bring your body's equilibrium back into a state where in taking excess creatine will be beneficial again. I would like to make clear at this point that I know of no studies to back this theory up with, it could be right or wrong, I am just merely applying my knowledge of biochemistry to a frequently asked question to which there is no good answer to yet.

What is the Best Time to Take Creatine?

There has been much discussion on this but I believe taking creatine post workout is the most beneficial time for several reasons. Insulin helps drive more creatine into muscle cells, if you are a smart bodybuilder then in your post workout meal you should be eating foods that help spike your insulin, if this is the case, then taking creatine with this meal will help it's uptake into muscle cells. The body absorbs many nutrients better after a workout. Creatine will help refuel your body's low creatine phosphate stores.

Will Taking Creatine Before a Workout Give Me More Energy?

No, not exactly. Once again for creatine to work your muscle cells must be saturated with it. This takes at least a week to do, so doing it once before a workout will not make a difference. Now if your cells are already saturated with creatine then it will still not make a difference if you take it before you workout. Your body must process it first and that takes time. The creatine your body will use in the upcoming workout will come from the creatine phosphate stores already in the cells, not from the creatine you just ingested.

Hopefully this will help. x

[Reevesy]

Creatine is an amino acid. It is normally produced in the body from arginine, glycine and methionine.

creatine is not an amino acid, and it IS produced by the 3 things you said, which are amino acids :)

[Env]

Does anyone know of any real proven side effect of using Creatine? My mums going on at one about me using it...

only REAL side-effects are increaed water weight, and after the cycle or when uv ran out of it, you'll feel a lack of energy.

& acne.

[I Meleed I]

Creatine is an amino acid. It is normally produced in the body from arginine, glycine and methionine.

creatine is not an amino acid, and it IS produced by the 3 things you said, which are amino acids :)

thx for correction! x

[F A R C 4 St]

Does anyone know of any real proven side effect of using Creatine? My mums going on at one about me using it...

it can make you dehydrated so drink alot of water 

[Tango_Oscar]

Didnt really help me at all, just made me look bigger, but more smooth

[Propel]

Creatine doesn't give you acne. Its not hormonal at all.

[Spittles (Old School)]

Fed up of getting different answers on every website i go to...

When should i take it?

~When you have the motivation to go to the gym non stop. Don't take it if you don't go often.

How much should i take?

Depending on what kind of creatine brand you get they will tell you how much you should take and to answer your next question the first week is when you go through the "loading phase" which consists of:

The first week of ever cycle consists of what we call a loading phase. During the loading phase, you will take more creatine than usual to get your body ready for it. It is recommended that you take 20 grams/day during the loading phase. You can break this up into 4-5 times a day depending on when you eat your meals and when you work out. It is also important to take creatine up to 2 hours before you work out because it will take time for the muscles to absorb it.

If you're going to really commit to this supplement then go through cycles. For 3-5 days a week take creatine for 6 weeks. That's the usual cycle phase that people do.

Any other useful information about Creatine would be good...

Just remember you have to commit and have consistency at the gym and make sure to drink LOTS of water. I'm currently taking a supplement called "Assault" which is a pre work out supplement that gives you a lot of energy and has some creatine. I usually drink a gallon of water throughout my work out every day.