Working out and creatine?

[Apathy13]

I recently purchased some creatine protein shake mix. I was just wondering, are there any harmful drawbacks from creatine as with steroids? I have heard it takes oxygen away from the brain and supplies more to the muscles, later to find out that was not true. Then I heard that it simply pumps more water into your muscles, so water is much more of a necessity. Not sure about that one yet. I've always wanted to bulk up a bit more. I'm not small or self-conscious, just something I enjoy doing and it makes me feel good. I just want some bigger/faster results and I was wondering if this is a safe way to go. As far as I know all it is, is basically a big boost in protein, which helps with muscle mass and weight loss. Does anyone know anything else about this that would help me?

[Beec]

Creatine seems to mostly add water weight, that gets peed out as soon as you top taking creatine. If you want to add a few pounds for right now, it's OK, but when you stop the creatine, the bulk will go. Protein nothing wrong with taking that, so long as you drink plenty of water. Neither will help weight loss, although added muscle may help. Cutting the right calories will help with weight loss.

[LostInMyThoughts]

Too much creatine (usually from Creatine loading) can place a lot of strain your kidneys.

 

I use it as an energy boost.

 

The creatine and protein seem to be the best combination on non-anabolic steriod based muscle growth, with protein supplements being the major contributor.

 

I personally prefer taking creatine in syrum form.

[odysseus77]

Fristly, I've been on a few cycles of creatine, so I do know what I'm talking about. There are a few very important things to know about creatine before using it. First, how it works: Creatine adds more water to your muscles so that they stay better hydrated while you are working out. A big reason why your muscles get tired quickly during working out is because they are getting dehydrated. Using creatine prevents this, and thus, allows you to add more reps, more pounds, and get more out of your workouts. And, it does this very effectively, I know that during my creatine cycles, I can lift a lot more than usual (about 15 pounds more on bench)

 

Now the drawbacks...1)after breaking the seal after buying it from the store, you have roughly 6 months to use the product. This is due to the fact that when cretine mixes with oxygen there is a chemical reaction that occurs, and what is left in your bottle will mostly be the waste product of this chemical reaction. The problem with this is that the waste product is pretty much poison to the body, and can seriously damage your liver/kidneys. 2) While on creatine, you MUST drink one gallon of water each day. The water helps your body to mobilize the creatine, and flush it through your system. If you do not drink the one gallon a day, then creatine will begine to build up in your liver/kidneys, and can seriously damage it. 3) DO NOT use more that the recommeded amount. Safe levels to use are anywhere between 5-10 grams. Again, this has to do with buildup in the liver/kidneys. Most people who report resulting medical problems becaue of creatine is due to the fact that they though "well, why dont i use 20 grams and get double the results?" IT DOESNT WORK THIS WAY. There is a certain amount on creatine that your digest, so anything over that is just added danger with no help of enhancement. 4) Use creatine in CYCLES. What I mean, is that you cant just go on creatine for a couple of years. You need to use it for three months, then go off for three months, then go on....you get the point. The rason for this is twofold. Firstly, because it helps your liver/kidneys get a little bit of a breather and recovery time if it did get any of it in there. Secondly, It enhances results. If you just stay on it, then your body gets accommodated to it, and it loses its effect completely. Going in cycles allows it to maintain its effectiveness.

 

Hope that I have helped, and not scared you out of it. I just want to reiterate that it is completely safe if you follow the steps, and it is a completely natural product, that you get a minimal amount when you eat steak. Have fun, and good workouts!

[LostInMyThoughts]

I should also add that creatine is more than just pumping water into your cells. It's an important part of the ATP/ADP cycle (what your body does to generate energy).

[arwen]

I think if you want to really build muscles, you should just have a good schedule of working out. The fast result is often also the result that doesn't last for a long time. This holds if you use

 

Creatine phosphate is needed by a cell to change ADP into ATP. As long as the cells of your muscles have creatine, ADP will always be changed to ATP. Your liver creates this, so it's naturally present (in the right levels) in your body. I personally wouldn't mess with that, but as far as I can see on some resources it doesn't really do harm.

 

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[LostInMyThoughts]

Actually your muscles get tired because of acidosis, due to your bodying using anaerobic metabolism for energy (ATP/ADP cycle). This causes fatigue.

 

With elevated creatine, and it's effects on the ATP/ADP cycle, your muscles can be pushed further due to more ATP (sort of more bang for buck).