I started a workout program a month ago. I am seeing results but would like to see more. I know creatine is safe from all of the medical info I have seen. I am wondering if any of you know what results the stuff really brings? Does it really burn fat the way the bodybuilding sites say? Does it really bring more muscle mass? Things like that. Any info will be appreciated.
I used it a few years ago and it really did help, not only in size, but I got a lot stronger. I used it for 2 months and gained about 12 lbs just in my upper body (thats all I worked out). However, if you drink alcohol, do not use creatine. It is not good for your liver. If you dont drink, then use creatine just for a short period, no more than 3 months. You need to give you liver a break after that. It has worked for some friends and hasnt for others.
Refman, I started using creatine a couple of years ago. The short answer is I gained about 12lbs of muscle in about 8 months. It really helped in shortening my recovery period. I also supplemented my normal diet with protein shakes. This seemed to help, as well. I didn't have much excess body fat, so I can't speak directly to the fat burning aspect. I started out using the type that required a week-long "loading phase" of up to 5 servings/day. Now, I use the effervescent type that mixes much easier in water/juice and is taken after working out. Hope this helps a little.
All of your input is helpful. Since it does cost money it is hard to make the decision. As many points of view/experiences as possible here. Thanks guys.
My experience - The stuff works great, but I'd be very careful about choosing a brand. I personally only used the Twinlabs brand. The athletic suplement industry is notorously dishonest. I agree that the primary benifit being more effective recovery. When I used to go to the Gym regularly, I was the type of person who had to get into the groove and go every day or else I wouldn't go at all. I found that I ended up gaining more mass, as the muscles would tend to suffer less from a 'wasting effect' from over use and insufficent healing time. Every workout became much more like a fully rested one. One caviat - at the time (roughly 1995) I was taking the creatine in capsule form. I found incredibly tempting to excede the 'recomeneded dossage', and often did by quite a bit. From what I understand, overusage is supposedly really bad for your kidneys. Follow the instructions. Also, don't take it if you already have any type of kidney disease.
That's all I use as well. No doubt...almost every fitness mag out there looks like a 130 page propaganda machine nowadays.
Drink plenty of water if you take creatine. About 9 years ago I had kidney stones and really didn't know why? Coulda been too many cokes or it coulda been the fact that I used creatine one summer trying to bulk up. Later I heard this on the news that it is known to cause kidney stones and that one should DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!
If you're lifting weights for the first time, then creatine might not be such a bad idea. It supplies more oxygen to your muscles, and gives you more stamina in the gym. Downside is that all your doing is adding water weight. I used creatine summer of 98, after graduating from high school. Don't need it anymore, and lost all the water weight after not working out for a few months. I've gained the muscle back just by putting in the hours at the gym after work.
