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Creatine

My thoughts are that creatine is a well marketed, expensive waste of money! Its barely of any use to body builders let alone endurance athletes. Personally I think that any benefit you may be getting is a placebo affect!

Have a can of tuna, it will have a better effect for less money!

Comments

  • Who uses creatine?



    Why?



    I use creatine. I feel as though I recover better using it.

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    The cow power and banana help me recover with a slice of soreen for the sugars.
  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    What on earth is it anyway? Is it food? And what is it meant to do?



    I seem to do very well on a balanced low-GI vegetarian diet, with omega 3 and vit D supplements.



    a very sick blurredgirl. Hope none of you get this bug.

  • Blurredgirl wrote:
    a very sick blurredgirl. Hope none of you get this bug.





    Is it the cold headachey thing followed by the cough from hell?



    If so im just coming off it at the moment.



    Creatine is a supplement which is supposed to improve muscle growth and hence strengh endurance blah blah. Conflicting evidence on its effictiveness although it is obvious that the right dose will do "something".



    I remember the beeb did a show on it, 2 teams, one with creatine and one with a placebo. The creatine team actually did outperform the placebo team. It was endurance based. But ill be damned if i can remember what is was called, it was a while ago i seen it - anyone else know?



    P.S. get well soon!

  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595

    I've used both Creatine Monohydrate and Creatine Ethyl Ester in the past, though I don't anymore. Neither is terrifically expensive compared to other supplements, unless you're going for gimmicky pills or fizzy versions. CM is easy to take but requires repeated loading cycles. CEE is one shot but tastes like, well, I have no idea. I've never tasted anything worse in my life.



    As for whether they work, well yes and no IMO. When I was racing over 400mH I saw a real marked increase over the course of the first season I took it, moving from 56.3 to 53.7, but whether it was down to the creatine I struggle to say, as I was on vit C, BCAAs, L-Glutamine, L-Arginine, Zinc and B vits too. Maybe a couple of others (legal!) but I forget now. I also significantly upped my water intake and I was training harder than the previous season. I certainly never had any problems that some of my friends had with farting, cramping or over retention of water. I was about four kg heavier than I am now. Body fat relatively unchanged.



    The problem for me believing in its benefits for triathlon (disclaimer, I'm not a scientist!!!) is that it's stored in your muscles for use when your ATP is used up in short intense bursts of activity, delaying and reducing saturation of lactic acid. Triathlon hardly falls into that camp. If used in training, maybe it helps you build muscle, but do any of us want to carry loads of muscle round with us? I have too much already.
  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    Is it the cold headachey thing followed by the cough from hell?


    No, it's the sick, fever for 3 days followed by the runs from hell. Very [:'(]



    But I'm curious - what actually is creatine - what is the stuff made from?



    blurredgirl

  • yeah i get the farting. goddamn nightmare.



    I dont actually know how its made . . .



    The Cycling of CM is a nightmare, im yet to try CEE because its more expensive and im a cheapskate.

  • lappieszalappiesza Posts: 36
    When I played rugby I used it. Bulks you up and has water retention qualities. As a triathlete I would avoid it. You want to be lean and slim rather than bulk and muscle.



    As for recovery, rice pudding after a long swim with some High5 Recovery. I would say keep it as natural and healthy as possible. Your body needs to be looked after dont stick rubbish in it!!

  • BlurredgirlBlurredgirl Posts: 292
    Your body needs to be looked after dont stick rubbish in it!!



    Absolutley



    Personally I would never eat or drink anything without knowing its ingredients. There is absolutley no substitute for fresh, organic, un-processed food.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Blurredgirl sounds a little contradictory...doing well...then very sick girl.

    Just kidding I know what you mean.

    creatine tried it..no discernible difference when I was more of a gym bunny, massive differences in quality make it hard to quantify anyway, usual snake oil supplement stuff. Altho it must have some effect as thee has been talk of banning in the past which I take as the difinitive guide, the authorities will never ban stuff that does not work or harm or is of negiligible use, if however it produces a measurable & reproducible effect, then banning may result.
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