Creatine

**bermich** · 11-09-2015, 09:10 PM

Cant find the creatine I used to take. Started taking some other powder mono stuff and 30 minutes later, every time, it gives me D and I have to use the restroom every time. Is it due to Magnesium? I switched to capsules and am hoping that helps eliviate it.
Anyone have problems with Creatine powder

**73rr** · 11-09-2015, 09:13 PM

Alot of ppl get stomach problems with mono at to high of dosage

**Bio-Active** · 11-09-2015, 09:13 PM

I haven't used mono in years but never had that. How much are you doing?

**bermich** · 11-09-2015, 09:31 PM

I was doing a tblsp of it. Read up that magnesium can cause stomache and bathroom issues 20 minutes later. It worked great though. Just had to plan around it lol Like make sure I used the bathroom before I went to the gym. C4 works excellent as well.

**The Deadlifting Dog** · 11-10-2015, 05:58 AM

A rounded teaspoon is 5 grams of my mono creatine.
A rounded tablespoon would be 15 grams.
According to studies there is no need to take more than 5 grams a day.

Try cutting back and see if this helps your stomach.

**73rr** · 11-10-2015, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by The Deadlifting Dog

A rounded teaspoon is 5 grams of my mono creatine.
A rounded tablespoon would be 15 grams.
According to studies there is no need to take more than 5 grams a day.

Try cutting back and see if this helps your stomach.

Love it! I now a guy that takes two scoops and tells me that I'm wrong about the 5g thing and creatine. That's all u NEED ppl haha

**EndlessApex** · 11-10-2015, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by The Deadlifting Dog

According to studies there is no need to take more than 5 grams a day

Agreed, taking 5g ED & eating almost no red meat my levels tested mid range with BW.

**musclestack** · 11-10-2015, 09:27 AM

What do you guys take if you don't take monohydrate, and why?

**NACH3** · 11-10-2015, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by bermich

I was doing a tblsp of it. Read up that magnesium can cause stomache and bathroom issues 20 minutes later. It worked great though. Just had to plan around it lol Like make sure I used the bathroom before I went to the gym. C4 works excellent as well.

I don't really mess with creatine anymore(unless it's under 2g in a pre-w/o)... What type of magnesium is it? Magnesium chelated is something I use for digestion/& probiotics... Just curious if it's that type?! -

**ScotchGuard02** · 11-10-2015, 09:45 AM

Creatine mono is, in my opinion, not the best form of creatine. The bio-availability is not that high and it doesn't dissolve that well in the stomach so it can cause stomach irritation. I like micronized creatine 'cause it's absorbed better by the body. I still take mono because it's cheap and it does the job.

**Ashop** · 11-10-2015, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by bermich

Cant find the creatine I used to take. Started taking some other powder mono stuff and 30 minutes later, every time, it gives me D and I have to use the restroom every time. Is it due to Magnesium? I switched to capsules and am hoping that helps eliviate it.
Anyone have problems with Creatine powder

Try using your CREATINE in some hot tea. It will dissolve well and shouldn't cause any stomach discomfort.

**Buster Brown** · 11-10-2015, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by musclestack

What do you guys take if you don't take monohydrate, and why?

You can try creatine hcl.

**musclestack** · 11-11-2015, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Buster Brown

You can try creatine hcl.

Thanks, Buster. Do you prefer it over mono? And why?

**Buster Brown** · 11-11-2015, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by musclestack

Thanks, Buster. Do you prefer it over mono? And why?

I really don't notice much difference in either to be quite honest. My stomach isn't sensitive to it and I just happened to try the hcl for a change. I don't front load either one or take more then the recommended dosage.

**magic32** · 11-11-2015, 02:40 PM

LOL!

Like the Matrix, creatine is older than you know. I'm sounding like The Architect but it's true. My college mate Q. and I tried it back when it first came out (Mono) and although legitimate (it did what it claimed to do), as Q. so aptly put it, "Creatine doesn't really give you new muscle, it just makes you a larger version of yourself." We weren't impressed and stopped with Mono.

Monohydrate was the first (old-school) version to be released for sports and bb'ers it required sucrose/sugar to be properly ingested with it in order be thoroughly absorbed, most guys mixed into grape juice which is sucrose dense. It was often frontloaded via 4-5 doses per day (typically 5 grams per dose) 5-7 days, and one dose a day thereafter.

Phosphate came next, and was similar, but claimed to be complete and not require the added sucrose.

Ethyl Ester was next, this version as is the case with most newer versions eliminated the monohydrate shortcomings. It required less total grams to be effective (usually 2-3 grams) though some brands recommended two doses per day, no sugar was needed, and no loading phase. It was also available as a pill or powder.

Tri-creatine malate followed, and was a compound made from creatine monohydrate and malic acid. It's made from three creatine molecules attached to one molecule of malic acid. Malic acid is involved in the Krebs energy cycle as an intermediate substance, and helps to provide energy to the body. When malic acid and creatine monohydrate form Tri-creatine malate, it becomes more water-soluble than regular creatine monohydrate, deals with the side effect of gastric discomfort, and is more efficient at impacting the ATP cycle. Tri-creatine malate is also believed to offer greater bioavailability over regular creatine monohydrate. Most popular brands were Gaspari and SizeOn.

Next was Kre-Alkalyn, also known as Buffered Creatine. This version actually has a patent on it #6,399,631 which made it stand out in the supplement world. The research on this ties into creatine's speed to convert to creatinine. Creatinine is a waste byproduct of creatine, it's usually produced at a fairly constant rate, gets filtered through the kidneys and passes out in the urine. The advertising behind this product talked about creatine converting quickly to creatinine when mixed in liquid (many creatine products encourage drinking their powder within 10 minutes of mixing for this reason). The research indicated that as the pH of creatine rises, conversion to creatinine slows. At a pH of 12, it stops altogether. So, this version solves that problem, requires less total creatine per serving, removes any potential gastric discomfort, and required only 1-2 grams in the morning and then again before training.

Micronized Creatine, next boasted the best results ever, but recommended drinking 8 to 10 glasses (8 oz) of actual water (not just any liquid) a day. This version produces smaller particles than regular creatine powder; the primary purpose is improved absorption and more complete mixing of the product. It has a serving size is 5 grams, and one heaping teaspoon should be mixed into 8 oz of juice or water then drank right away. Similar to monohydrate, there is a loading phase from days 5-7 (though I think it was replaced by 1-5 which makes no real sense) of one heaping teaspoon 4 to 6 times daily, again it's more sensible to use 20 gm. This is followed by a maintenance phase from days 6-21 of one heaping teaspoon twice daily. Then 3 days off are recommended prior to repeating the cycle.

Liquid Creatine is a contemporary that's not as popular as it once was. The biggest complaint is the lack of stability in this form, i.e. it tended to become gel-like.

Conjugated Creatine is perhaps the hottest version of this product, and is currently on the market as Promera and Con-Cret. Most newer versions of creatine deal with a few basic monohydrate issues namely absorption, dosing levels, and removal of side effects. This product is a concentrated creatine, requiring only a "micro-dose" of 1/4 teaspoon. Here again, you have superior absorption, no side effects, and less total creatine required.

I don't think I missed any, if so the fellas will chime in.

**yardbirdaj** · 11-11-2015, 03:44 PM

5% nutrition has a good creatine called createn. It has 10 different types of creatine, no bloating.

**Ashop** · 11-14-2015, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by musclestack

What do you guys take if you don't take monohydrate, and why?

Some like Kre Alkalyn creatine,,,basically a buffered creatine.

**Sfla80** · 11-14-2015, 05:01 PM

Anyone used HCL....supposedly digested by stomach acids instead??

**Ashop** · 11-15-2015, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Sfla80

Anyone used HCL....supposedly digested by stomach acids instead??

I have used it a few times. You may just want to run it yourself for awhile and see how it works for you.

**shredz98** · 11-15-2015, 11:23 PM

No need to front load mono bodybuilding.com did a study on that and it was proven no different than taking regular dose each day and I use hci hcl whatever it is and it doesn't bother my stomach at all I also mix it with my post workout and carbs though too so could make a difference