some creatine questions

[j407]

ive searched these particular questions and coudnt find the answers. im about to load on creatine soon and it says it works best with simple carbs. but loading 4/5 5 gram doses aday mixed with all that sugar doesnt seem like a good idea. does anyone know if the creatine works just as well without the carbs. another idea i had was maybe preworkout take creatine with apple juice and do the same postworkout. then take the rest of the doses through out the day with just water. that whould cut down on all that sugar.

my second question is how many carbs should i take with each dose of creatine and could i take something like raisings with it instead of liquid.

and my third and final question. have any of you experienced the puffyness i hear about with this stuff i know some people say they dont but i have heard it alot. something like water bloating.

sorry about the long post but your reply's are appreciated thanx

[Axion]

I take a aproximately 40 gram scoop of dextrose with each serving of creatine right now. When I run out of the dextrose i think i'll just switch to grape juice. To get this many grams of sugar from raising I think you'd have to eat a LOT.

When I loaded I didn't not take carbs with every serving and it seemed to have worked out just fine. From what I understad carbs are not needed when taking creatine, they just help it absorb better.

I did not experience any puffyness.

[j407]

axion. thanx for the reply. your info was helpfull

[j407]

can you get lean while taking creatine? say like when im cutting should i lose the creatine or will it help me maintain muscle mass?

[.V.]

An MD friend told me that of all the suppliments out there, Protein and Creatine taken with dextrose within 2 hours after the workout (within 30 minutes) is the best combination - and one that actually works. I had similar questions recently about PWO dextrose/glucose/sugar/sucrose/fructose - whatever. Apparently anything sugary with the creatine and protein causes an insulin response and the insulin carries the suppliments quickly to the muscle. But dextrose is best if you can get it. Dextrose is the same thing as the glucose found in your blood. That is what we give to treat insulin shock for unconscious diabetics (given IV not by mouth).

It is reccomended that you use a 4:1 ratio of dextroserotein. Example 80g dextrose : 20g protein. I'm no creatine expert, but the doc told me that 5g/day should be taken - any extra is waste and you will just pee it off. You also need to drink plenty of water using creatine - it causes water to move into the cells - getting them very hydrated - good for carrying nutrients to the muscles, helping them get big and strong, helping them grow new muscle. It does not have to be cycled - unless you plan to compete - then you will cut it out while cutting for competition. If you are just cutting to get rid of a little excess body fat - there is no need to stop the creatine.

One more thing the doc told me. Creatine works WAY better than any of the prohormones, won't give you women's breasts like DHEA will, is not dangerous in any way if 5g/day is taken. It is, sadly not going to give you steroid like effects - but who want's the hassle of using them, shrinking the nads, killing the liver, men growing female's breasts. Women growing a penis where the clitoris is supposed to be. Just a big old hassle.

Wait a minute, I can grow my own boobs to play with? Where do I find the steroids? Just kidding.

[Justice]

Originally Posted by j407

can you get lean while taking creatine? say like when im cutting should i lose the creatine or will it help me maintain muscle mass?

no you cant get lean while taking it, because it promotes water retention in the muscles therefore you'll have a more full look/ bulky. so yeah if you intend to cut you should leave the creatine alone.

[j407]

thank you very much guys. your post's answerd my questions and more. i think i got this whole creatine thing down now

[Axion]

I disagree with Justice. When someone days they want to get lean I assume they mean cut. Being cut requires two things. Having low body fat and a decent amount of musscle to show through. Creatine should not make it harder to get you BF low and it will help with the musscle growth.

[Cort]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Apparently anything sugary with the creatine and protein causes an insulin response and the insulin carries the suppliments quickly to the muscle. But dextrose is best if you can get it.

Just a note on this, Smarties (the candy) are dextrose with artificial coloring :

The only way creatine might cause you to look bulkier is if you retain water, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.

[Suareezay]

Originally Posted by Justice

no you cant get lean while taking it, because it promotes water retention in the muscles therefore you'll have a more full look/ bulky. so yeah if you intend to cut you should leave the creatine alone.

I disagree. Old creatine will cause bloat, but thats all it is, bloat. You can be 2% bodyfat and still be bloated....creatine will not hinder fat loss....if anything, itd be BEST to continue creatine while slimming down to preserve strength and size.

Creatine ester ethyl (CEE) eliminates bloat as well.

[j407]

how long does it take for creatine to kick in? ive heard of people gaining 5/6lbs in the the first week mostly water weight. but some muscle. since i first posted this topic its been about five days and i havent gained a pound.i have been drinking about a gallon and a half of water a day. also i have heard people gaining alot of strengh in there first week on creatine. ive been loading for five days i take 5g's preworkout and 5g's after. plus two more doses through out the day. i know i should be more patient lol. is it normal for to take this long?

[.V.]

It isn't a "magic pill". It simply helps move water into the cells. With the water comes the nutrients - with the nutrients - along with the HEAVY weight training comes more strength and muscle growth. It will simply take time - just like training without it. Only the results will be a little better.

[j407]

i just bought dextrose and it doesnt come with a scoop or anything so i guess i should just use a spoon bought im not sure if i use a teaspoon or tablespoon. i think the serving size is about 4 carbs. so thats a lot of tea/tablespoon's. does it mix well or just sit at the bottom. and is it ok to mix whey/creatine/dextrose/water in one shake.

[Chain]

I agree with Welch and Axion. And yes, you can cut while taking creatine. If you are looking to get competition lean then yes, you should ditch it during the final weeks of your cut. But prior to that I believe it's actually important to take it to help maintain strength and muscle. Creatine doesn't just move water into the cells though. It adds more creatine phosphate to the muscles which is the first thing your body uses to replenish ATP during high-intensity exercise. So it also increases your ability to perform work, which leads to more gains.

As far as how fast creatine works...I've done a cycle of creatine (as has been said you don't have to cycle it) on two separate occasions. Each time I gained 5-10 lbs of weight (mostly from water retention I'm sure) and 15-20 lbs of strength in the 1st three weeks. I noticed it in the muscles and workouts within a few days. I was able to lift a little more weight and my muscles felt fuller. I remember exactly how my workouts went on the bench:
Wk 1 workout 1 - 5 x 5 x 220: workout 2 - 5 x 5 x 225
Wk 2 workout 1 - 5 x 5 x 230: workout 2 - 5 x 5 x 235
Wk 3 workout 1 - 3 x 5 x 240, 2 x 3 x 240: workout 2 - 4 x 5 x 240

My workout partners results were almost exactly the same in every way except he made slightly better gains than me the 3rd week.

But not everyone responds the same way and there are actually a few people that creatine doesn't do anything for but they are in the minority. Stick with it for a month and it should work for you.

[.V.]

One more thing - we all forgot to mention. Creatine is also found naturally in meat. So eat up.