gobicycling

Creatine at 83yo, anyone? Why or why not?

Juan Foote

If you have no history of kidney disease and are in touch with your primary physician about it, I don't see why not. It is typically considered safe and has mild side effects that will generally present early if you have issue with it.

rsbob 

Just listened to a segment somewhere about the benefits of creatinine and the takeaway was that it is excellent for explosive effort, like dead lifting but doesn’t do much for endurance or medium efforts. For cycling, it might come in handy when you are a sprinter and want that extra edge to push you a tenth of a second faster than the competition at the finish. Of course it all depends on the studies you are reviewing.

I am pushing 68 and have been getting good results in terms of lack of muscle soreness, ability to push myself a bit harder, and get out of the saddle for quick climbs using this trio: HMB powder for soreness, beet root for better cardiovascular transport of oxygen and beta alanine for endurance and strength. Consult your doctor first, but I have had zero side effects or issues.

canklecat

Sure. I've been using creatine since I turned 60 (about to turn 65). No problems. I've tried it in various forms -- unflavored powder, in an electrolyte drink mix and in whey protein powder mix. They're all fine.

I dunno about explosive single effort stuff, such as powerlifting. I don't do that. But it seems to help minimize muscle fatigue in maximum effort sprints and short, steep hill climb efforts up to one minute in duration. And I seem to recover more quickly between maximum efforts.

Creatine occurs naturally in red meats so if you eat beef you're probably getting enough. But according to the studies I've read there's no harm in taking a little more.

When I first started using it I *seemed* to notice a little more frequent and urgent urination. But that might have been a coincidence, possibly attributable to other factors; drinking more, as recommended; drinking beer, coffee or iced tea in addition to the creatine drinks. It hasn't been a consistent issue and after the first few times I didn't notice a particular pattern, so I'm not sure the few instances of needing to urinate more frequently was due to the creatine.

cal45

My only experience Creatine was in my early 30's when I was into heavy lifting/body building. It would give me more of a boost during work outs but a few weeks after regular use, I experienced bouts of my heart racing at night watching TV. Soon stopped using after that. Your mileage may vary.

Kai Winters

I used it for a bit in the '90s. Helped my sprinting power quite a bit but lost in my climbing power due to the weight gain. May look into it again for the benefits to a senior body...67 now and I'll take the advantages.

joesch

Often used by body builders as it is believed to help building muscle.
Produced naturally by body and in foods like meat and fish.
I have been taking some for the past few months hopeful it will help my shoulder injury heal faster.

I consume the bang drinks which are advertised as super creatine, ultra coq10, and eaa aminos. These drinks also have 300mg of caffeine and B vitamins so a good energy booster for rides.

The long-term risks of creatine are unknown and if you have side effects then best to avoid.
See link below for more details.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-creatine

RH Clark

I am of the opinion that most of us will see greater benefits from what we stop eating rather than what we start eating. I also do not trust the industry that produces supplements to have your best interests at heart.

bruce19

Creatine is said to increase weight. At my weight I can't afford to do that.

wolfchild

Creatine retains water, so you can expect to gain about 5 pounds of water weight.

canklecat

Yeah, like anabolic steroids (but without the risky complications) one benefit of creatine is water retention. That's actually a good thing for folks with reasonably healthy kidneys and bladders, blood pressure, etc. Helps reduce joint pain, inflammation, etc.

One benefit from testosterone -- per research, and confirmed by athletes who've used it -- is quicker recovery from hard workouts, due in part to some water retention. That's potentially beneficial to athletes in sports where they don't need to meet a certain weight just before competition, but can sweat it off during competition. Not all athletes use it for muscle gain, but for quicker recovery (notably Floyd Landis, per his own extensive interview after being stripped of the TdF title years ago). So, not ideal for pro fighters who must make weight before a match. But not necessarily a bad thing for long distance events during which perspiration takes care of excess fluid. And also why bodybuilders (most of whom aren't hindered by bans on PEDs) have entire workout regiments built toward cutting fat and fluid just in time for competition.

So fluid retention from creatine isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just depends on your urinary tract function, BP, and whether your style of cycling can benefit from being fully hydrated. Good thing for some longer rides, especially in warm weather.

I've often skipped carrying water for jogging or running up to two hours in summer heat. So far I've done okay by hydrating beforehand, and creatine probably helps. Yeah, the extra weight from slight bloating won't help my times, but my days of fast running are over. I'm more concerned about enjoying the workout, not suffering.

Doubleplay

Yes creatine retains water because water helps muscle repairing at the cell level. However as soon as you stop taking it and stop exercising water weight comes off.
It's better to take it post workout and selectively during the year while training for your goal ride, race etc...

MoAlpha

Yeah, that's osmotic fluid in muscle cells, not circulating volume. it just leaches back out slowly, so no risk or benefit from it.

Flip Flop Rider

at 83 why not

Carbonfiberboy 

Creatine is the most researched supplement on the market. Here's the International Society of Sports Nutrition position paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048496/

I've been using it daily for about 25 years. Works. It will improve your anaerobic ability and makes it a little easier to gain muscle - if you work hard enough. Most sellers say to use a loading phase, where you take some large amount of it for several days, etc. Which is mostly BS to allow the sellers to pocket more of your money. Don't do it. Take about 5g/day, every day, and don't worry about it. It'll take a little longer to get the full effect, but so what.

Weight gain comes from how much you eat and drink, not from some supplement.