CREATINE - The Definitive Thread.

[Hercfeend]

PLEASE KEEP ON TOPIC - CREATINE DISCUSSIONS ONLY

Lets see how this goes...........

First question: Should you cycle? If so, what are your thoughts on how long on and how long off?

Second question: Before, after or (if you can afford it) both? Why?

[mike27]

yes you should cycle, i think the body will become adapted to having creatine in u system and loose its effectiveness. so 1 week off the creatine every 8 weeks or so seems good. thats what i do anyways.

i take it on my non training days as well as gym days.

i have a little pre-wo in with my jacked pre-wo shake. 2g's maybe

and pwo i have 5g's or so

not necassary to have pre-wo im told, but its in my jacked anyways and i feel it helps me in the gym. and its cheap enough to throw some in pre-wo too

if i was on a budget tho, i just have it pwo only

[Hercfeend]

Cheers Mike.

Yeah I've been on it for 8 weeks and am currently taking a 7-10 day break before cycling on for another 6-8 weeks.

As for pre / post, there are many contradictory articles out there. I've just been taking 5g post but this time round I'm going to take it pre and post - see what difference it makes if any!

[Android]

mentally you'll feel great taking it pre-workout I'd imagine but it's best as post workout.

Yeah I know discussion can go either way but unless you take alot of sugar pre-workout you'll not get as much of what you do take into your muscles as if you did it post workout. Insulin spikes are useful for ramming more into your cells. It also isn't consumed then immediately available 30 mins later so what you eat pre-workout will be for the next days workout anyway.

Up to you, I feel good if I take "something" pre-workout and never under-estimate the power of the brain... extra reps are extra reps to bank in anyones language

[Chemo]

Up to you, I feel good if I take "something" pre-workout and never under-estimate the power of the brain... extra reps are extra reps to bank in anyones language

Too true.

I'd recommend creatine to anyone, even over whey.

As a health supp as well, it does more than just increase endurance.

Latest thing ive learned about creatine is that it functions as a myostatin blocker too :twisted:

http://www.ergo-log.com/creatinemyostatin.html

Try a loading phase although not essential it works faster, and I've felt it to be more effective. So taking creatine with grapefruit juice or sugary drinks up to 4 times daily, then evening out to maintain the creatine saturation by taking it in the morn and in your post workout shake.

PWO is as everyones saying the best time to get it in ya, especially as the insulin spike from the PWO drink is convenient.

[Hercfeend]

Thanks guys. Some really good food for thought and advice there. I agree Creatine is awesome - I first started taking it in 1996 when it first came to my attention. Back then 'they' said not to take it with any fruit juices as the acid destroyed the creatine, it was always pre/wo and loading was the only way to go. Times change huh!

As for the old post/wo insulin spike - I've been doing a bit of reading about sugar i.e. dextrose, fructose and sucrose. Essentially, from what I can see, sucrose (table sugar) is a dextrose and fructose combination thus adding sugar to a hot beverage like green tea (post/wo) or (like you said) a fruit (fructose) drink you'll create the required insulin spike.....right!?! Thus no real need for expensive 'sports' drinks......

So! I'm going to load (I always go this way), take a little pre/wo (for the brain ) and post/wo with a fruit juice or warm sucrose drink......

[AlBundy]

Regarding cycling who knows. It all depends on how long it takes for the level of creatine to return to base line after ceasing use. I'd imagine after 8 weeks your muscles would be at max saturation so taking a week off might not cause a significant drop in the level of creatine stored. At the end of the day it's creatine it probably doesn't matter too much about what protocol you use.

[tonyb]

I have a heaped teaspoon in the morning, another one before my workout, then another one after my workout. I use EatMe's Creapure. Usually do this for about 2 months then have a weeks break.

[singular]

Both times I've taken creatine I got heart palpitations and arrythmia. Sometimes I would be lying in bed and my heart would just stop, I would get dizzy and feel my body depressurise . . . I would start to panic then BOOM, heart thump. This would continue for a while and I'd be freaked out and couldn't sleep. I'm scared of this stuff and don't take it.

I still have a nearly full container of it sitting in a cupboard.

[holdenman]

Both times I've taken creatine I got heart palpitations and arrythmia. Sometimes I would be lying in bed and my heart would just stop, I would get dizzy and feel my body depressurise . . . I would start to panic then BOOM, heart thump. This would continue for a while and I'd be freaked out and couldn't sleep. I'm scared of this stuff and don't take it.

I still have a nearly full container of it sitting in a cupboard.

Thats some good creatine you got there. Usually takes me about 5 days without sleep, a days heavy drinkin and then several large doses of gbl till I feel like that.

[Ronin]

I'm scared of this stuff and don't take it.

I still have a nearly full container of it sitting in a cupboard.

Sweet, send it my way

[singular]

Thats some good creatine you got there. Usually takes me about 5 days without sleep, a days heavy drinkin and then several large doses of gbl till I feel like that.

How wonderful!

Sweet, send it my way

Yeah you could swing by and pick it up, but I can't remember if I bought it in '06 or '07, and it says on the tub to throw it away after 3 months. :clap:

It cost me thirty dollars, that's why I haven't thrown it away yet.

[Hercfeend]

Both times I've taken creatine I got heart palpitations and arrythmia. Sometimes I would be lying in bed and my heart would just stop, I would get dizzy and feel my body depressurise . . . I would start to panic then BOOM, heart thump. This would continue for a while and I'd be freaked out and couldn't sleep. I'm scared of this stuff and don't take it.

I still have a nearly full container of it sitting in a cupboard.

Firstly, that ain't creatine doing that...... Secondly, I'd go a see a doctor asap cos that sounds serious!

[chaos]

Never "cycled" creatine....