Droping Creatine
 

I've decided to drop creatine and just go with eating right and working hard. I took it for about 2 months. Will I be able to notice any darastic changes in my muscle size, energy, and pounds I lifted before and after?

might have less energy during lifts and not be as dehydrated during the day. why did you drop it?

I have one container of Creatine and it will probable be the only one I use. Is it worth using for that one period of time?

you will definately see a change in size, strength, and your lifts. creatine is proven effective, any reason why your stopping?

Are you ever suppose to break from creatine?

Title: Effects of Long-term Creatine Supplementation on Liver and Kidney Functions in American College Football Players.

Researchers: Mayhew DL, Mayhew JL, Ware JS

Institution: Exercise Science Program at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501 and the Athletic Department at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO.

Summary: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of long-term Cr supplementation on blood parameters reflecting liver and kidney function.

Methods: Twenty-three members of an NCAA Division II American football team (ages = 19-24 years) with at least 2 years of strength training experience were divided into a Cr monohydrate group (CrM, n = 10) in which they voluntarily and spontaneously ingested creatine, and a control group (n = 13) in which they took no supplements. Individuals in the CrM group averaged regular daily consumption of 5 to 20g for 0.25 to 5.6 years. Venous blood analysis for serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, urea, and creatinine produced no significant differences between groups.

Results: Creatinine clearance was estimated from serum creatinine and was not significantly different between groups. Within the CrM group, correlations between all blood parameters and either daily dosage or duration of supplementation were nonsignificant.

Conclusion: Oral supplementation with CrM has no long-term detrimental effects on kidney or liver functions in highly trained college athletes in the absence of other nutritional supplements.

Discussion: Questions about creatine's safety are probably the most frequently brought up by people who don't like (and usually don't understand) supplements. This study by Mayhew and colleagues is a welcome addition to the already growing body of creatine safety research. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Most questions revolve around the effects of creatine supplementation on the liver and kidney. These are the two organs are involved in "processing" creatine once it is ingested. The Liver breaks it down and the kidneys excrete it. From this study, and others before it, we see that long term supplementation with creatine in doses usually taken by bodybuilders (5-20 grams) for extended periods of time do not lead to dysfunction of either organ, nor does it cause abnormalities in the indicators of liver and kidney function.

Considering that fact that creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance anaerobic exercise performance by increasing power output (8), muscular strength and work (9,10,11), and muscle fiber size (12), and to top it off, completely safe even with long term supplementation, its no wonder this is one of my first tier recommendation for effective and safe supplements for putting on muscle size.



Additional References:


1: Poortmans JR, Auquier H, Renaut V, Durussel A, Saugy M, Brisson GR. Effect of short-term creatine supplementation on renal responses in men. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1997;76(6):566-7.

2: Poortmans JR, Francaux M. Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Aug;31(8):1108-10.

3: Terjung RL, Clarkson P, Eichner ER, Greenhaff PL, Hespel PJ, Israel RG, Kraemer WJ, Meyer RA, Spriet LL, Tarnopolsky MA, Wagenmakers AJ, Williams MH. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17.

4: Robinson TM, Sewell DA, Casey A, Steenge G, Greenhaff PL. Dietary creatine supplementation does not affect some haematological indices, or indices of muscle damage and hepatic and renal function. Br J Sports Med. 2000 Aug;34(4):284-8.

5: Poortmans JR, Francaux M. Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med. 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70.

6: Schilling BK, Stone MH, Utter A, Kearney JT, Johnson M, Coglianese R, Smith L, O'Bryant HS, Fry AC, Starks M, Keith R, Stone ME. Creatine supplementation and health variables: a retrospective study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Feb;33(2):183-8.

7: Benzi G, Ceci A. Creatine as nutritional supplementation and medicinal product. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001 Mar;41(1):1-10.

8: Earnest CP, Snell PG, Rodriguez R, Almada AL and Mitchell TL (1995) The effect of creatine monohydrate ingestion on anaerobic power indices, muscular strength and body composition. Acta Physiol Scand 153: 207-209

9: Casey A, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Howell S, Hultman E and Greenhaff PL (1996) Creatine ingestion favorably affects performance and muscle metabolism during maximal exercise in humans. Am J Physiol 271: E31-E37

10: Vandenberghe K, Goris M, Van Hecke P, Van Leemputte M, Vangerven L and Hespel P (1997) Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J Appl Physiol 83: 2055-2063

11: Volek JS, Duncan ND, Mazzetti SA, Staron RS, Putukian M, Gomez AL, Pearson DR, Fink WJ and Kraemer WJ (1999) Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 31: 1147-1156

12: Volek JS, Duncan ND, Mazzetti SA, Staron RS, Putukian M, Gomez AL, Pearson DR, Fink WJ and Kraemer WJ (1999) Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 31: 1147-1156

I just feel I don't need it to become bigger and stronger. It just feels like a pain to take it 1/2 hour before I lift. I have no idea why, it's just me.

oh interesting, well your workouts will be less productive but after a while youll get used to it

Get the pills.

Take it postworkout. If you take a protein shake, it'll take you less than 4 seconds to take the lid off and pour a scoop in the mix.

that was great info 0311, and honestly if your too lazy to drop some powder in your pwo shake, how do you even get yourself in the gym to workout?

Yea really how hard could that be.

I just wanna go natural. It's been a week since I have taken it and I haven't really noticed a change, I'm still upping weight every week, and have just as much eneergy as I did when I took creatine. You DONT have to take creatine to become big. I just eat way more and a lot healthier.

And for the lazyness comment, it's not hard to get yourself to lift when you enjoy doing it 5 days a week.

The natural thing is cool but you should give it a little more than a week.

yea the creatine is still in your body i think its completely out after a month or so, but im sure the effects as far as energy are gone by now. but probably in a month youll relieze a reduction in size because your not holding water from the creatine

Good for you. Make sure you don't eat any meats because they have creatine in them too. :D

I take my shake when I get to Lifetime. I thought you were supposed to wait 1/2 hour before?

If Creatine is that important I guess I will stay on it. Is it good to take it after to lift along with before you lift.

why not before and after? pre and post divide your daily servings up so you have alot of energy in the gym then when thats wasted your post workout shake gives you back your energy again so you can go the rest of the day without being tired. how many grams are your taking daily?

I totally agree about being natural but let us not confuse natural with being legal and unnatural with being illegal, after all creatine is allready present in your body at birth and it is present in most all meats you consume. Creatine is a supplement that aides in your development as an athlete/bodybuilder and not a back-alley substance that gives you the runs while you are running from the law.

I have never taken it after working out cause I lift at night but my daily dosage is roughly a tablespoon

I do prework out shake with creatine then post shake with it too.

Is creatine worth using just for like container of it? I got some from my sister boy friend and if I do use it, it would probably be the only one I use.

I was thinking of doing the CEE-Pro for the container but after reading more up into it i plan to buy more.

Hi everybody,
I think all the negative press that creatine gets is a shame, especially since it's all rumors and media sensationalism. I've seen sevaral news reports talking about the dangers of prohormones, etc. where they show a container of creatine on the shelf right next to some hormone product without ever mentioning that creatine is not a hormone or anything like it. That kind of thing really confuses people.

I agree that pre and post workout is the way to go. It's gonna be even easier to get the creatine into your muscles after a workout, especially with the addition of simple carbohydrates into your shake.

I really don't see how creatine should be viewed as any more unnatural than taking a multi-vitamin or using protein shakes. And like the others have said, it works.

Can you get fat from Pro ComplexOptimum Nutrition?
Thanks
Jerwarev

Mr. moderator: shouldn't this be in the supplements section?

I used to do that but that just ruins a tasty shake. Now I just put it in my mouth and drink my water.