Creatine Questions...

[Boston08]

Hey everyone, recently I have been thinking about taking creatine. I am 19 yrs old, 6'2, 160 pounds and i want to bulk up a bit. I just had a few questions about taking it:

1.) I have heard there are side effects, such as severe acne breakouts, is this true?
2.) What happens if i do not work out everyday, but rather about 4 times per week? what effect will it have on my body?
3.) What happens once I stop taking it? Do I have to continue to work out the same amount to keep the muscle i gain?
4.) Would it be ok to take it only for the summer, and then stop taking it?

Thanks!

 

[corple]

1) i dont think there are any sideeffects. anybdoy correct me if im wrong.
2)its ok if you dont workout everyday, the effect it has is the same as if you worked out everyday, your muscles will have more energy to use. and you must put that energy to good use.
3)once you stop taking creatine, just keep progressing with your workout the same way you would normally do.
4)yes, taking it only for the summer would be fine. although i think 3 months of taking creatine is too much. try taking it for the first month, dont take it the second month, then take it again the third month. its called cycling creatine.

 

[Fil]

1.) Since creatine turns into creatinine in moisture (e.g., stomach acid) some side effects include dehydration and stomach aches. Not everyone gets these, and they're generally mild.

2.) Your muscles need rest to grow (they grow while you rest, not while you lift) so taking a day off here and there is a good thing.

3.) Creatine is a natural supplement that occurs naturally in the body. It doesn't change your hormones or create muscle from nothing - what it does is it aids in energy production in your muscles, helping you get out more reps.

If you were to take it, then stop taking it, the only real downside would be you wouldn't be able to do as many reps. You wouldn't shrink -- you would just stop growing so quickly.

4.) Corple's answer is spot on here. 3 months isn't necessarily too long, but you would definitely want to take a break for another month to bring the body back to homeostasis (a balanced level of your natural fluids and nutrients).

For bulking, I'd recommend a protein supplement before creatine. Both if you can afford it. They do two completely different things, but protein is more fundamental to building muscle than creatine.

 

[stevesim89]

one question.

i saw stores selling creatine in capsules for swallowing. Are these more efficient in creatine intake than the powder form that needs to be disolved in water?

 

[Fil]

i saw stores selling creatine in capsules for swallowing. Are these more efficient in creatine intake than the powder form that needs to be disolved in water?

I'm not sure if there's the much of a difference since both of them are turning into creatinine primarily in the stomach's acid. The capsule is just creatine powder inside of a capsule - though it may be slightly more efficient by delaying creatinine synthesis before digestion can begin. Not too sure about it.

The best way to get it, if you're just looking for creatine, is sub-lingual creatine tabs. This is the least common method.

Finally, I keep recommending this to people, but take a look into Kre-Alkalyn to replace regular creatine monohydrate. It has a patent, for what that's worth, and I know lots of people who take it and are happy with it.

 

[Austaph]

1.) Some sources recommend a "loading phase" of Creatine where you'll take 20-30g for 4-5 days before beginning the common dose of 5-10g per day, while some sources say it's not even necessary to load up. Me, being the curious bugger I am, decided to go with loading up and I had some very unpleasant side-effects in my bowels. Something to think about.

Like Fil said, Creatine utilizes H2O very rapidly, so you'll want to drink massive amounts of water while you're using it. At least a gallon a day. Either way, it's just plain stupid to perform heavy exercize without drinking large quantities of water throughout the day. Water alone can increase your metabolism drastically and even mild dehydration can lead to incredible fatigue during physical activity.


2.) The days you're not working out, your body will simply metabolize and break it down. It won't turn into body fat or anything, if that's what you're worried about.


3.) You have to continue working out if you want to retain muscle mass either way, but once it's yours--it's yours. Like Fil said, you won't shrink you'll just bulk slower and your muscle endurance may take a decline.


4.) Absolutely.

stevesim89: one question. i saw stores selling creatine in capsules for swallowing. Are these more efficient in creatine intake than the powder form that needs to be disolved in water?

As long as it's Creatine Monohydrate that you're taking, you're all set. The difference between Creatine capsules and Creatine drink mixes is that with the capsules, all you're getting is Creatine. Drink mixes may contain a lot of useful stuff like Taurine, Potassium, Phosphorus, Dextrose, and a few Calories to boot. Plus, who really wants to choke down 10 horse-pills when they could just throw back a cup of some... odd juice.


Hope this helps. h.