Seattle Forrest

I thought creatine was something in energy drinks that gave people heart attacks. Apparently I知 thinking of carnitine. Creatine, on the other hand, turns out to be very well studied and safe, and likely beneficial to athletes. Studies show it improving recovery from hard efforts, aiding muscle growth by 5 to 10 %, and aiding cycling power by up to 10 %. The main reported side effect is weight gain, but this is not from fat, but there is some concern about kidney and liver function, and minor symptoms of asthma. We get the stuff naturally from red meat, and can make it in our bodies. It痴 a precursor to phosophocreatine, which is used to make ATP.

Did I miss anything important? I知 trying to decide if I should start taking a supplement, and what dose if so. I知 a vegetarian, so I知 not getting any from meat sources. I知 also a cyclist and I知 lifting weights.

Trakhak

The Mayo Clinic's cut-to-the-chase take:

Generally safe

Creatine might benefit athletes who need short bursts of speed or muscle, such as sprinters and weight lifters.

While taking creatine might not help all athletes, evidence suggests it generally won't hurt if taken as directed. However, people who have kidney disorders or people at risk of developing kidney disease should talk to a doctor before taking creatine due to concerns that the supplement might cause kidney damage.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-sup...e/art-20347591

redlude97

its an additional anaerabic energy store that allows ADP to be converted back to ATP quickly. Weight gain is from water retention. It would be a good supplement for offseason weight training or in season build phase but not during competition IMO.

Seattle Forrest

I'm pretty healthy. It's for sure the off season for cycling. Everything seems to point to this being a good idea.

What is an appropriate dose?

I'm about to take a week and a half off from lifting, we're renting a cabin in the mountains and skiing. Does it make sense to start now, or wait until I get back?

redlude97

start now, it takes 2-3 weeks to accumulate. 3g/day would be a good conservative dosing. Some people start the first week at a higher dose but many argue you waste a bunch through excretion. Cycle on and off that after a few months aiming for periods with weight training or HIIT

Seattle Forrest

Thanks @redlude97!

Carbonfiberboy 

I've been taking 5g after my final workout for the day for ~20 years. No problems. No known need to cycle it. For sure though, taking it like bodybuilders do with a progression of large doses is a bad idea for cyclists. I don't experience any weight loss if I don't take it for a few days because I missed workouts. Maybe weight gain from missing, though.

Also a vegetarian, thinking I could use more than the gram/day my body makes. I can sprint.

redlude97

The reasoning for cycling it is to give your kidneys a rest, whether that actually is beneficial at lower doses is probably not well studied from the bit of reading I've done. And yes very helpful for vegetarians

Seattle Forrest

Well, damn. I read about a few 3 to 5 year studies that show no adverse side effects. But 20 years!! You're 73, and you ride longer and harder than anybody I know in the offline world.

I already decided to start taking it and bought some, but your post puts to bed any worry about it being safe. Thank you.

Carbonfiberboy 

I buy Optimum Nutrition creatine by the kilo can, online. Lasts me about a year, so no great expense. Because I don't take it unless I worked out, I do have some periods during the year when I don't take any for a week or so. Not that it probably makes any difference, but I should note that.

OBoile

I've used it fairly often over the years. I don't know much beyond what has been stated here but this is my understanding:
1. It's been studied extensively. More than any other supplement. As far as I know, there aren't any real health effects to be concerned with (of course, if you take an idiotic amount this may not be the case).
2. It definitely seems to work, however the extent of the effect seems to vary based on the person. Some see a big difference, others not so much.
3. From what I understand, in general, vegetarians and vegans tend to see a larger effect from creatine supplementation than people who eat meat. Likely because they get less of it normally in their diet.
4. For me personally, I do think it made a difference, but not necessarily a huge one. I'd guess it let me do about 1 extra rep per set (so a weight I would do for 8 reps I could do for 9 with approximately the same amount of effort).

redlude97

Did you experiment much with doing extra sets? The biochemistry of creatine phosphate is such that it would let you recover faster in a short time, but not necessarily instantly. Or in the case of cycling, extra intervals.

OBoile

No, not specifically. I used it back when I was a (mediocre) powerlifter, so never with cycling. I never really thought about adding extra sets, and I generally took far longer than needed for my rests between sets.

BloomBikeShop

Agreed.

In the past I've done 5g/day for the first week and then 3g/day. It's cheap enough I never worried about the waste

LAJ

If you're in doubt as to what's a good value, and a good product, go here: https://labdoor.com/

A teaspoon of My Protein creatine, along with beet powder and Bulk Supplements BCAA, helps on those 5 am lifting days.

texaspandj

I got beat in a triathlon by some old geezers (my age). Afterwards I asked them about their training and diet. The one thing they all had in common was creatine supplements. So I thought I'd look into it. Turns out a few of the supplier/manufacturer aren't using the strictest measures to prevent cross contamination. Therefore some contain Steroids. Especially asian bulk quantities.
Having never taken vitamins, meds, and such, I'm considering using it. Perhaps ill,get lucky and get the tainted ones. LOL

Myspokeisabroke

Pretty sure it is what will prevent Mark McGuire from being in the baseball hall of fame.

wolfchild

I am thinking of starting creatine just to see if it actually works. I just don't want to look like a blown up balloon, I've read that it causes water retention which can produce a bloated appearance. Don't know if that's true or not.

timsmcm

I have never had the bloating that you are talking about.

Seattle Forrest

I started taking it Dec 15.

Yesterday in the gym, a few times I felt like I didn't have another one in me, waited a couple minutes, then did another set with good form.

Beth told me the other day I look bulkier.

wolfchild

Good to hear...keep us updated on the results.

OBoile

I've gone off and on it a few times and never really noticed any bloating.
That being said, as I understand it, the effects are somewhat individual in nature.

redlude97

The bloating matters when you are a body builder with <4% BF getting ready for a comp. To the rest of us it doesn't

josh23

As far as I know, the concept of cycling is wrongly applied to creatine, and arose because it was often taken with anabolics which did need to be cycled.

Creatine is safe for most people. Any kidney strain is caused by dehydration and the stress of processing protein - so just drink plenty of water. Creatine even has health benefits - for instance football players suffer less brain damage from concussions if they are on creatine (according to certain studies). I would be wary of some brands with added things, but I took creapure for a while and that seemed fine.

Lazyass

I had become embarrassingly rail thin after retiring from the army and doing no exercise except cycling. I've been taking 5mg of creatine every morning for 18 months. I use the inexpensive Six Star stuff from Walmart and take it with a glass of water. A $10 can lasts almost 2 months. I also began using mass gainer for an extra 1600cal/day and started a strength training program. Since then I've gained 30lbs of muscle and have lost zero speed on the bike, I'm actually a stronger climber now. The main difference is I no longer have two stick arms coming out of my jersey. The creatine retains water in your muscles, not throughout your body. So it basically makes your muscles "pop" and become more defined. It doesn't make you bloated at all.