question

[kr632]

how long does it take for the water to go away when you take creatine. i started to take creatine and it looks like i just sat and ate doughnuts for the last year(i could see my abs and now i cant

[drew]

How much are you taking? Generally I retain 3-5 lbs at all times when I'm on creatine.

[kr632]

creatine i am taking 3-5g and water about 8-10 glasses. i am about to stop taking the creatine

[chris mason]

I hesitate to ask, but what type are you taking? You shouldn't bloat that much.

[kr632]

its precision engineered hardcore creatine powder

[SpecialK]

I thought creatine caused water retention inside the muscle (which makes muscles look more full), not under the skin (which would make someone look fat, bloated, or whatever).

[TheGimp]

That would be my understanding too SpecialK.

As for losing the water retained, you mean once you stop taking creatine?

[kr632]

yeah how long does it take for the water to go away after you stop

[TBone4Eva]

creatine i am taking 3-5g and water about 8-10 glasses. i am about to stop taking the creatine
It might be water retention. I don't think you are getting enough water. 8-10 glasses is what the average person should be getting. If you are working out and taking creatine, you should be drinking at least a gallon of water a day. Try that before giving up on the creatine.

[ace dogg]

It is not a result of the creatine.

[JTyrell710]

wow i dont get bloated that much- i can see about 4 abs, not amazing defination but i can still see the general outline of my abs (outer edge mostly) when im on creatine, maybe you had just eaten or had high sodium recently or something.

[kr632]

does the water only go to the muscles or under the skin to, like they were saying up there

[Shao-LiN]

Creatine is supposed to draw water from the subcutaneous layer into your muscle cells.

[Shark]

its precision engineered hardcore creatine powder

From what I know that's just micronized creatine with a snazzy name so I can't see why it would be causing funky side affects. Even if you were taking way too much you would just be pissing out the excess.

[TheGimp]

Creatine is supposed to draw water from the subcutaneous layer into your muscle cells.

So it should enhance the look of your abs (or any other muscle for that fact) right?

No one's answering the original question lol. Don't know myself but I'd think it would be a matter of days.

[TBone4Eva]

Creatine will give you a smoother appearance while you're on it. You will lose definition. It was my belief that the creatine made your body absorb more water from the fluid around your muscle cells not from the subcutaneous layer. Of course, I'm no expert so I may be wrong. Again, as no one else seems to notice, I will say increase your water intake to about a gallon a day for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference.

[chris mason]

It relates to the purity of the product (to a large degree). A lot of creatine products use creatine that is relatively impure. These impurities can cause the subcutaneous bloat that some people experience when using creatine.

I would suggest you switch to a brand which uses Creapure (such as AtLarge's Creatine 500). I think you will find that you will not bloat nearly as much.