Should I start on Creatine?

[Dome]

I have put the idea of taking this off for months now,but i'm beginning to get the urge to buy it this weekend.
I have read a few sites from www.bodybuilding.com about the stuff..So far from what i've read,it sounds good,not alot of side effects..
I would'nt be going crazy with the stuff,just taking enough pills to do the job..I read that after a long period of taking it,it can cause some damage..What if after taking it for about a year,then coming off it for abit,would this change the size of my body,cos i would'nt be taking it anymore?

I really need more advice,and this is the place to come to get it,from the Pro's like urself.

I've been training for 7 months now,i'll be 20 next week,190lbs.I wanna get MASSIVE in size.
From looking at my pic,what do u guys/girls think?

[Billy Boy]

Creatine is a natural supplement and I would use it it won,t harm you just take between 5 and 10g aday and drink plenty of fluids because it can dehydrate.Check under my sig I think there is a post explaining creatine

[superbeast]

Creatine helps your muscles produce energy, thus better workouts. Creatine will not hurt you and you should stay on it. There is no need to cycle it. When you go off, it depletes the creatine levels in your muscles. When you go back on it raises the levels again. Nothing is gained by cycling it.

[gymnut4u]

Here is some good reading bro ,I would suggest liquid tho ,less stumack problems and more absorbed into the blood not the toliet.
Everyone that lifts weights knows about creatine, it is another product that people are going crazy over. It has exploded in popularity over the last couple years, but creatine has been around for several years now. It is legal in both Canada and the US, but many people believe it will soon be illegal too. Creatine increases energy and improves performance for in certain sports.

In the same case as Androstenedione, creatine has not been around for very long, so the long term effects are still unknown. Long term effects will have to be found but simply waiting and seeing what happens in the future. Creatine is also produced in the body naturally, because of this, one of the long term side effects is believe to be that the body will stop producing creatine naturally and supplemented creatine will be needed. If the body stops producing creatine and creatine is not taken orally, researchers believe muscle will eventually turn to fat.

In most studies, athletes take 5-6 grams of creatine 4-5 times a day for at least 5-7 days. There have been improvements in knee extensions, bench press, cycle sprints, running sprints, and jumping. For every creatine user, there will be different results, there have been great results for some users, little results for others, and there are rare cases where creatine has absolutely no effect in the body. It has been estimated that 3 out of 4 athletes that participated in the last Olympic Games were taking creatine.

What is it? Creatine is produced naturally in our body and it supplies our muscles with energy. Creatine is composed of three amino acids, and is made in the liver. There are foods that contain creatine, so you can actually have an intake of it, without any supplements. Meat and fish are good examples. It is actually believed that creatine was first taken by men in the USSR in the early 1970’s.

Creatine is like all other supplements, they work, but not by themselves. As well as with steroids, weight training must be involved to get results. Creatine is key for athletes in sports which involve quick, short bursts of energy, such as, football, soccer, volleyball, baseball, etc.

What type of creatine are you looking for? There are several makers of creatine on the market today. Most of them are all pretty much the same, but in my opinion, I would purchase creatine by a trusted manufacturer. There are two different types of creatine, creatine monohydrate, and creatine citrate. The monohydrate is more popular and the better choice, it is more pure than the citrate. When purchasing creatine, there will be some brands twice as much as others and you might wonder why. Some companies make more pure creatine than others. There should be somewhere on the label saying how pure it is. Make sure it is atleast 99% pure creatine, and make sure there were some lab tests done or something similar to tests.

Finally, I would not suggest buying creatine if you are under 18, your body is still growing .
samled for another site for info
hope this helps gymnut

[weightsbeforedates]

Creatine syrum (spelling?) is found to be useless, opt for the old creatine powder. I think creatine is best used in 6 week cycles. Strength gains are increased and mass is increased but the thing about creatine is the beginning gains are basically false gains. The big side effect of creatine is water retention. Take creatine post cycle with preferrably grape juice or another none acidic juice. Drink a lot of water, a new study shows that creatine does not cause dehydration but the efffects of creatine are minimum if extra water intake is not achieved. Hope this helps, take care everyone.

[superbeast]

Dome,

I hate to say it but nearly everything I've read in this post is crap. Most of the informationmis outdated and useless. If you seriously want to know about creatine, PM me.

[weightsbeforedates]

Originally posted by superbeast
Dome,

I hate to say it but nearly everything I've read in this post is crap. Most of the informationmis outdated and useless. If you seriously want to know about creatine, PM me.

Actually everything is true. The creatine in liquid form is not stable so that is crap, creatine syrum is about as effective as creatine gum. As for creatine powder it is a known fact that drinking water throughout the day helps volumnize the muscle. What I have stated is been proven, how many different ways can you supplement with creatine anyway? Not too many so take 1 to 2 5g serviongs per day, drink plenty of water, mix creatine with protein shake or better a nonacidic juice, something for the insulin spike. Enough said, you guys act like we should be injecting our creatine or something, it's very elementary.

[weightsbeforedates]

Oh, forgot to mention, if I have missed any important facts then correct me, we are all here to learn. But you will find that most people can speak from experience from using creatine. Not a flame but I know what has worked for my mentors and what has worked for me.

[superbeast]

Easy WBD! I said nearly, not all.

As for taking creatine with juice, that's outdated!

Fruit has fructose in it. Low glycemic. Fructose is mostly turned to fat, not to glycogen. Thus, no insulin spike and no help in shuttling creatine into muscles.

I didn't flame anyone. If Dome wants good advice from somebody with experience and knowledge, I just told him to PM me. Didn't mean to offend anybody.

[manijak]

I used to take it with 75 grs of dextrose...sweet as hell but it works pretty good..also don.t forget the vitamin c for the oxidation

[weightsbeforedates]

Hey superbeast, sorry if I sounded pissed I just took you the wrong way man I'm sorry. Just to ask, what do you like to mix your creatine with? I have always used grape juice and seen good results but I'm open to more options. Again sorry friend if I sounded mad. take care

[ironmike7000]

I take a 5 gram serving before and after my workout. I also take two servings daily on my off days too. 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening. I take mine with water, I've tried juice and dextrose and with me the results are the same. I don't cycle off until my strength gains come to a halt. So I might be taking it for 2 to 3 months straight before I take a break. It does work for me as I will usually gain about 8 to 10 pounds of bodyweight and my strength goes up also. Before creatine I would be benching 250 x 8. With creatine it would be 250 x 11-12. Also drink plenty of water during the day. I drink between 1 1/2 - 2 gallons a day.

[superbeast]

The best time for creatine to be absorbed is when glycogen is low. So, either first thing in the morning or after your workout. To replenish glycogen stores, something that is high glycemic is probably best. I would say dextrose or maltodextrin. I take mine with a weightgainer after my workout. It contains a large amount of simple sugars, maltodextrin, and protein.