Creatine

[TinyJay]

i just bought some creatine and just wanted to know whats the best way to consume it

[Cackerot69]

Haha...

Load for 2-3 days, 10g 2x a day. Then take 2-3g post workout, and you're set.

[the doc]

cackerot69=creatine69

[syntekz]

do you need to do the load phase?

when i started on creatine i did the load phase.

let me know if it gives you an upset stomach after you load up on it.

[Maki Riddington]

Originally posted by MuscleAuthority
do you need to do the load phase?




*** It is not nessacary.

[TinyJay]

no, im not doing the loading phase, i heard that you could get the same result without it,,,,should i take it with,,water ,,juice??

[Yaz]

Is it premixed with dextrose already? If it's straight creatine monohydrate take it with some grape juice or something that has dextrose sugar. Fructose is not ideal and you want to avoid it in this case. Another thing you can do, if it is post workout go buy some maltodextrin, or even your own dextrose... and mix it to your liking in grams.

But no need to mix it with anything if it already has sugar in it.

[Maki Riddington]

You'll be fine just taking it with water.

[Cackerot69]

You can either reach full saturation in 3 days by loading, or 30 days by not loading.

Your choice.

[Maki Riddington]

Are you cycling your creatine? Find out why you may want to.

"The wide spread use of creatine among athletes and bodybuilders has raised concerns about possible negative side effects. Of course most of the nay sayers are looking to control its availability with little real concern for the well being of those who use it. This study has answered a question that has rested on the minds of many, which is, "Is there any reason to cycle creatine?" From the study above we see that the abundance and activity of the creatine transporter is negatively effected by long term creatine ingestion. The creatine transporter is down regulated with continued exposure to extracellular creatine.

Human skeletal muscle has an upper limit of creatine that can, or will, be contained within the cell. This limit is around 150-160 mmol/kg of dry muscle. As the intracellular concentration of creatine approaches this level, the synthesis of creatine transporters declines and even stops depending on the amount of creatine ingested over time. In the study above, it was shown that the creatine transporter is regulated by the content of creatine in the cell rather than by the interaction of creatine, or it’s analog 3-GPA, with the transporter.

All the arguments about creatine absorption being a limiting factor in creatine content within the cell are bogus. Creatine does not need to be "micronized" or "effervesent" to lead to an increase in creatine content within your muscles. The activity of the creatine transporter is the limiting factor. Any trick increase in creatine absorption will only hasten creatine transporter down regulation. It only requires about 5 grams per day for 30 days to increase the content of creatine within muscle tissue to the same extent as 30 grams per day for 6 days. The sooner you reach the upper limit the sooner your muscles become unable to take up creatine. It is better to maintain sufficient levels of creatine transporters in order not to cause a rapid decline in creatine content once creatine supplementation is discontinued. Clearly there appears to be good reason to cycle creatine supplementation.

The authors of this study recommend not using creatine for over 3 months at a time. To truly cycle creatine you will have to take at least 4 weeks off. Creatine levels take at least one month to return to pre-supplement levels. It may be important to take the entire month off because one speculated mechanism of creatine transporter downregulation is that when the intracellular levels (levels inside the muscle cell) are increased the creatine transporters are taken down and not replaced as long as creatine levels remain elevated. Thus it might take as long as a month for creatine transporters to return to normal after chronic creatine supplementation. Keep in mind that no one has actually shown that long-term supplementation with creatine is a bad thing."



Keep in mind that no one has actually shown that long-term supplementation with creatine is a bad thing.

[Cackerot69]

Was the study that showed creatine transporter downregulation performed on rats?

[Maki Riddington]

Yes.

[Cackerot69]

Thought so.

Contrary to previous trials on rats, actual human studies show no transporter downregulation.

[Maki Riddington]

Hence the reason I bolded a certain portion of the disscusion.

[Cackerot69]

Ok then....I really don't see why you posted that then...we ain't rats, well at least I'm not.

[Maki Riddington]

It only requires about 5 grams per day for 30 days to increase the content of creatine within muscle tissue to the same extent as 30 grams per day for 6 days.

*** This coencides with what you were saying.
Well not 100% but then again you're never going to see 2 test results come out the same.