Creatine Questions

[13utler]

Hello,
I have just started lifting again after taking the summer off. I am 16 (almost 17) and I had some questions about creatine.

I have decided to ask around about the drug before using because I have heard mixed thoughts and opinions about it. Also, the general facts about it are a little shakey. It would be great to get some un-biased answers.

Should a 17 year-old even consider creatine, seeing how they are still in puberty and can gain muscle easily anyways? To add to that, I have some acne due to high levels of testosterone, dunno if that means anything.

I play basketball during the winter. I have heard that creatine makes you bruise easier. Is this true?

I have heard that after going off creatine, it becomes more difficult to gain muscle (compared to gaining muscle before ever taking creatine). Is this true?

Are there any long-term side effects? I know that they tried to tie kidney failure to creatine back in 1998, is this still true?

Thats all of the questions I wanted to ask that I remember. If you have anything else helpful to add, it would be appriciated.

My main goal is to bulk up some muscle for basketball season, but also just to get stronger and look better. I have heard that the results from creatine are huge and so I was going to give it a try.

Thank you
Regards,
butler

[God's_Warrior]

[ QUOTE ]
Hello,
I have just started lifting again after taking the summer off. I am 16 (almost 17) and I had some questions about creatine.

I have decided to ask around about the drug before using because I have heard mixed thoughts and opinions about it. Also, the general facts about it are a little shakey. It would be great to get some un-biased answers.

Should a 17 year-old even consider creatine, seeing how they are still in puberty and can gain muscle easily anyways? To add to that, I have some acne due to high levels of testosterone, dunno if that means anything.

I play basketball during the winter. I have heard that creatine makes you bruise easier. Is this true?

I have heard that after going off creatine, it becomes more difficult to gain muscle (compared to gaining muscle before ever taking creatine). Is this true?

Are there any long-term side effects? I know that they tried to tie kidney failure to creatine back in 1998, is this still true?

Thats all of the questions I wanted to ask that I remember. If you have anything else helpful to add, it would be appriciated.

My main goal is to bulk up some muscle for basketball season, but also just to get stronger and look better. I have heard that the results from creatine are huge and so I was going to give it a try.

Thank you
Regards,
butler

[/ QUOTE ]

Read these 1st then ask questions if you still have any.

Creatine Myths and Facts (http://abcbodybuilding.com/creatine%20myths%20and_facts.php)

Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation – A literature Review (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/creatineresearch1final.php)

Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation – Practical Applications (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/creatineresearch2.php)

[book]

Creatine isn't a drug for startes, it is the most studied supplement ever with no studies indicating short term (or even long term) negative effects.

I guess if you were to take insane amounts per day with little hydration..then yeh kidney failure could occur. But that's not creatines fault, its the irresponsibility of the user and could happen with any other supplement

[13utler]

thanks, i searched the forum for cratine stuff, but forgot to search the whole site!

regards,
butler

[13utler]

[ QUOTE ]
Creatine isn't a drug for startes, it is the most studied supplement ever with no studies indicating short term (or even long term) negative effects.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, drug just kinda slipped out, didnt mean it.

The 2nd link didn't work :/

Anyways, I read the other 2. It cleared up a lot.

So am i correct in thinking:
Creatine does not speed up the recovery process so you still lift 3-4 times a week and not more. Also, for a lifter who doesn't mind spending money and will follow instructions, creatine has no negatives.

Also, a quick question:
So I have heard of creatine loading. 1 week loading, 3-6 weeks normal dosage, 2-4 weeks off. For someone who has never been on it before, should I take a longer time (6 weeks) on it before going off? Also, in one of the articles they were talking about how some people never come off it once they are on it. What do you guys do?

One last thing:
In the basketball season in like 3 months, I will stop lifting to gain muscle and do more endurance excercises and lifting only to prevent injury. Would you suggest I stop using creatine for the season?

Thank you so much for all of your help!

Regards,
butler

[alkalinekid]

isnt loading a bunch of crock? i heard u just piss out the extra

[ryancostill]

[ QUOTE ]
isnt loading a bunch of crock? i heard u just piss out the extra

[/ QUOTE ]


No, loading is absolutely not a "bunch of crock". While the creatine and creatinine levels in urine are elevated when your undergo a loading phase, there is significant uptake of creatine into the musculature, far more than if one was taking just a single dose per day.

However, low dose supplementation can also increase muscle creatine content to a similar extent, it just takes longer (20-30 days as opposed to 5 days with loading).

[ryancostill]

[ QUOTE ]


The 2nd link didn't work :/

<font color="blue"> the lit. review article is currently offline as "the author" is in the process of having an article on creatine supplementation published with the NSCA and the abc article had some similarities to it. It should be uploaded again before too long. (this is also the case with the HMB article I believe)
</font>



[/ QUOTE ]

[klosey]

why does everyone starting out have the misconception creatine is a drug? i'm gonna make a big banner that says creatine is natural and can be found here..... and havce a picture of a cow lol

[Growth In Motion]

[ QUOTE ]
why does everyone starting out have the misconception creatine is a drug? i'm gonna make a big banner that says creatine is natural and can be found here..... and havce a picture of a cow lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Thats why we call it ATP-CP

[13utler]

@growth in motion:
Gee, I havn't taken my maxes anytime recently just because for the past few months I have had a broken thumb and now with the brace, anything lift with the bench bar just becomes that much harder.

Other stats:

age: 16
height: 6'2"
weight: 170

bulking is priority right now :/

[iLLa]

this is just my opinion but im not a big of kids taking tons and tons of supliments while they are still growing. i would say drink a protien shake or two a day, along with multivitamins, and maybe some amino acids.