Has anyone tried Creatine Monohydrate?

[Hitman]

Ok, I hit the gym a little more than two weeks ago. Everywhere I've read over the net it says it's beneficial to use creatine whether one is looking to lose fat or add muscles since it helps in lifting heavier weights and doing more reps.

I spoke to a guy at the gym and he was very concerned about using creatine since it causes water retention and even spoke about one of his friend who bulked up due to water retention after using creatine and hasn't been the same since. Although it is kind of weird to believe what he said about his friend, but I'm still very concerned.

Has anyone here tried it and if yes, what were their experience?

 

[idrizzy]

I tried it, and it gave me more energy. Unsure about this water retention phenomena - but from my experience I never had any issues with it and I found it as an extra gear when I went gym.

I'd recommend it.

 

[Hitman]

I tried it, and it gave me more energy. Unsure about this water retention phenomena - but from my experience I never had any issues with it and I found it as an extra gear when I went gym.

I'd recommend it.

Thanks a lot, man. But I'm a complete newbie. Do you think I should wait for a few months or just go for it immediately?

 

[Adil_94]

if you are looking to put size and mass on then creatine will be fine for you. It does give u more energy and helps u lift more than u usually would.

When i was bulking i used to take creatine and it helped me a lot.

But if u are a newbie id maybe hold off for a couple months then start using it.

 

[Hitman]

if you are looking to put size and mass on then creatine will be fine for you. It does give u more energy and helps u lift more than u usually would.

When i was bulking i used to take creatine and it helped me a lot.

But if u are a newbie id maybe hold off for a couple months then start using it.

What was your daily dose? Also, did you face problems of water retention?

 

[King-Misbah]

I used creatine as a teenager and it helped with strength. However, I advise you not to use it as water retention is an issue and apparently it's bad for your kidneys if you don't use it properly.

 

[Adil_94]

[MENTION=133315]Hitman[/MENTION] yeah i did get retain more water and well i did the loading phase where i took 5g 4 times a day for the first week.

then just took 5g a day for the rest of time i was using it.

u do retain water but as long as u do intense workouts it wont turn into fat. u have to keep on it so u can start making gains. if u quit after a month then it doesnt work

 

[PetroDollars]

Its pretty much the safest and most tested supplement out there.

You need to take it continuously for 30 days to start seeing its benefits as it works over time.

As for if you should take it or not, depends on your workout. It only produces extra ATP, therefore will only be beneficial if you are doing heavy loaded strength or resistance programs or high intensity workouts.

 

[Napa]

Ok, I hit the gym a little more than two weeks ago. Everywhere I've read over the net it says it's beneficial to use creatine whether one is looking to lose fat or add muscles since it helps in lifting heavier weights and doing more reps.

I spoke to a guy at the gym and he was very concerned about using creatine since it causes water retention and even spoke about one of his friend who bulked up due to water retention after using creatine and hasn't been the same since. Although it is kind of weird to believe what he said about his friend, but I'm still very concerned.

Has anyone here tried it and if yes, what were their experience?

Anything that takes you away from the normal in matters of health is dangerous. Some things are more dangerous than others, but it is best to have a regular routine of exercise and eating healthy. Whatever muscles you develop following a healthy lifestyle will be best for you in the long term. Anything artificial that pushes the body to develop more muscles etc. will likely have some negative impact in the long term.

 

[mani1]

You don't have to take it every day, just before and after a work out is fine if your worried about holding water.

 

[King-Misbah]

Another thing, I remember the holding water aspect being quite bad. My body felt pumped at the time. It wasn't great. I wouldn't take creatine. Lift clever and eat right; you will build a good body. Plus, creatine tastes so bad!

 

[Hitman]

Thanks a lot for your answers guys.

Another thing, I remember the holding water aspect being quite bad. My body felt pumped at the time. It wasn't great. I wouldn't take creatine. Lift clever and eat right; you will build a good body. Plus, creatine tastes so bad!

Did you retain a lot of water? I mean how many kgs ... 2,3,4?

 

[King-Misbah]

Thanks a lot for your answers guys.



Did you retain a lot of water? I mean how many kgs ... 2,3,4?

I can not remember as it was a decade back and I never use to weigh myself. It was quite significant; as a teenager I didn't know about the water retention till later when I started to take creatine.

 

[big_gamer007]

I did a lot of online research before buying creatine as what you are saying I heard the same things.. From all my research I found out creatine has been tested more than any other supplements and they can't find even a single side effect.. The kidney problems I guess occurs in India when they sell fake supplements.. So if you want to buy it I recommend buying online from a USA website and pay some extra money for customs.. Better to be safe than sorry

 

[hadi123]

I have tried it, I liked it but I would not say it is essential. I'm not currently cycling creatine because need to save as much money for university but when on it, you start to look fuller and gives more energy but it doesn't directly cause muscle growth, but it makes your workouts better which in turn can lead to muscle growth providing you eat right .

 

[LegCutter]

I've used it on and off for a few years; weightlifting is pretty much my main hobby.

So first things first, it's incredibily safe. Water retention is not a side-effect but the one of main functions of creatine. It is one of the main ways creatine makes you look bigger; by drawing extra water into your muscles, it makes them look fuller. When you stop using creatine, you're going to pee the excess water out and your muscles may noticeable look smaller. There is no physiologic downside to the water retention. My face was a little bloated (I have a very skinny bone face otherwise) when I was using it.

So on top of the water retention mentioned above, Creatine helps your workouts by generally giving you the energy to do 1-2 more reps than you woud have otherwise done; so generally you may notice yourself becoming a bit stronger and gaining more progress from your workouts. The strength you gain from doing the 1-2 extra reps can give a more permanent benefit even after you stop using it as you may retain some of the strength benefits; but you may notice your progress wont be as fast as when you were using creatine.

Having said that, creatine isnt like coffee that you just take before your workout and not take in on on your non-workout days. It needs to maintain a steady level in your body and the effect is not immediate. That is why you need to take creatine everyday to allow it to maintain enough levels in your blood to give you the desired effects. And that is why when you stop taking it, it's going to be a few days before you notice your muscles becoming less full.

I highly recommend it; it's cheap and there is definitely no downside to taking it.

 

[Hitman]

I've used it on and off for a few years; weightlifting is pretty much my main hobby.

So first things first, it's incredibily safe. Water retention is not a side-effect but the one of main functions of creatine. It is one of the main ways creatine makes you look bigger; by drawing extra water into your muscles, it makes them look fuller. When you stop using creatine, you're going to pee the excess water out and your muscles may noticeable look smaller. There is no physiologic downside to the water retention. My face was a little bloated (I have a very skinny bone face otherwise) when I was using it.

So on top of the water retention mentioned above, Creatine helps your workouts by generally giving you the energy to do 1-2 more reps than you woud have otherwise done; so generally you may notice yourself becoming a bit stronger and gaining more progress from your workouts. The strength you gain from doing the 1-2 extra reps can give a more permanent benefit even after you stop using it as you may retain some of the strength benefits; but you may notice your progress wont be as fast as when you were using creatine.

Having said that, creatine isnt like coffee that you just take before your workout and not take in on on your non-workout days. It needs to maintain a steady level in your body and the effect is not immediate. That is why you need to take creatine everyday to allow it to maintain enough levels in your blood to give you the desired effects. And that is why when you stop taking it, it's going to be a few days before you notice your muscles becoming less full.

I highly recommend it; it's cheap and there is definitely no downside to taking it.

What dose would you recommend? Also would you recommend taking beta-alanine along with it?

 

[LegCutter]

5g is enough (around 1 teaspoon).

Beta-alanine isnt all that great. Mostly conflicting evidence. It's an ingredient in most pre-workout energy drinks (which are usually just overpriced caffeine along with various ambigous ingredients like beta-alanine, arginine and agmatine to justify their high price).

Most people that start working out hop on various supplements trying to get an extra edge in their workouts (which is exactly what I did about 10 years ago). But at the end of the day; there are only two supplements that have sufficient evidence to advocate continuous use over a long period of time -- creatine monohydrate and Whey protein.

If you're starting out, the one key piece of advice that I can give you is just dont worry about getting too much information; just go to the gym; work out for 30-45 minutes 3-5 times a week and go home and forget about it until your next workout.

There is a lot (A LOT) of misinformation out there. Every 'bro' at the gym would love to jump in and give you their 2 cents on everything. They'll all have their recommendations on what supplements you should be using and what workout you should be doing. It is all fluff. There just hasnt been enough studies done to have 'the best workout' or what supplements make a difference and what dont; or how may days in a week is ideal etc.
If you go to bodybuilding.com and even they dont have a consensus on what to do, how to do, and what to drink. 10 years ago everybody was hopping on full-body workout 3 days a week. The latest craze is 4 workouts a week in Push-Pull routine. It changes by the season.

It really doesnt matter. As long as you go to the gym, workout, go home, watch your diet; you'll make some progress. Progress will be slow but will be defined by consistency and diet. It'll take about 6 months to 1 year till you see any definitive change in your physique and the only thing at the end of the day that makes any long-term difference is consistency.

To answer your initial question; I would recommend taking 5g of creatine monohydrate everyday; skip beta-alanine. Dont expect any magical difference; results will be slow with creatine giving you a slight edge in the long run.

 

[PetroDollars]

What dose would you recommend? Also would you recommend taking beta-alanine along with it?

I have been taking Beta Alanine and it does make a difference, but like creatine it works over time and you have take it everyday to see its benefits. Most people take it as a preworkout thinking it will help them instantly only because it gives a buzz and tingling sensation feeling, but it will take weeks for it to become effective.

For creatine dose, you need to cycle it, 5g isnt going to do jack if you have no creatine in your body, you need to start off with 20g/day doses for 4 days and then lower it to 5g, your muscles will get resistant to it after 10 weeks so you will need to come off it and take a break then cycle it again.

Also just a reminder for people beginning there workout plans, supplements are useless for you, dont take anything even whey protein, unless you lift more weights then your bodyweight, thats when you produce tears and develop stress on to your muscles and they need those supplements for recovery and growth, so if you weight 70kg you need to be squatting above 70kg otherwise your supplements are being wasted as is your money.

 

[LegCutter]

I have been taking Beta Alanine and it does make a difference, but like creatine it works over time and you have take it everyday to see its benefits. Most people take it as a preworkout thinking it will help them instantly only because it gives a buzz and tingling sensation feeling, but it will take weeks for it to become effective.

For creatine dose, you need to cycle it, 5g isnt going to do jack if you have no creatine in your body, you need to start off with 20g/day doses for 4 days and then lower it to 5g, your muscles will get resistant to it after 10 weeks so you will need to come off it and take a break then cycle it again.

Also just a reminder for people beginning there workout plans, supplements are useless for you, dont take anything even whey protein, unless you lift more weights then your bodyweight, thats when you produce tears and develop stress on to your muscles and they need those supplements for recovery and growth, so if you weight 70kg you need to be squatting above 70kg otherwise your supplements are being wasted as is your money.

Cycling creatine has been debunked time and time again.
Here's a good guide on Creatine:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/creatine-guide.html

 

[PetroDollars]

Cycling creatine has been debunked time and time again.
Here's a good guide on Creatine:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/creatine-guide.html

There is actually a lot of concrete studies done on creatine cycling, IT WORKS.

we want to “maintain the maximum muscle creatine concentrations possible”. However, it may not be possible to maintain high muscle creatine concentrations over a longer period of time (6 to 12 weeks) (STUDY)

long-term creatine supplementation may cause creatine saturation outside the cell, which prevents effective muscle uptake for weeks or maybe even months (STUDY)

So in order to avoid this, we cycle on and off.

 

[161]

It's the only supplement I use.

It will increase your lifts and also volumize your muscles.

After a week of loading you will definitely gain some muscle mass.

Downside is it might give you a bit of a gut due to water retention.