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Okay..so what do you guys (and girls) think about creatine? Yes, no, sometimes, maybe? From what I've read about it, it isn't a "steriod", but I want to know what some of you think about it before I do anything with it.

First off, why do you want to take creatin?
Second, How old are you?
Lastly, what kind of training are you currently doing?

Personally, i've never messed with the stuff and don't intend to either.

First off, why do you want to take creatin?
Second, How old are you?
Lastly, what kind of training are you currently doing?

I'm not saying I want to take it....just looking into things so I will be more educated about the whole process.

I am 16.

Weights one day, running the next and so forth.

Honestly, there are positives and negatives. Proven and unproven words.

Some people who take it swear by it and others don't.

Some people take it wrong and blame it on creatine. Some people take it right and blame it on creatine.

creatine is an important part of muscle contraction because it is essential in forming ATP.

ADP + creatine phosphate (PCr) --> ATP + creatine

creatine supplementation is meant to increase intramuscular levels of either total creatine stores, or PCr stores. Supplementation would increase the rate of the resynthesis of creatine phosphate into the above formula leading to more ATP- it's a vicious cycle .

creatine supplementation only helps anaerobic exercise, but that shouldn't be a problem since you're a vaulter . also, if you choose to supplement, there is no research on the long term health effects of creatine's dietary supplementation, though short term (around 2 months) intake has been deemed ok.

one underlying side-effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain as a result of an increase in interstitial fluid levels. This mainly occurs in the muscles as this is where 95% of your body's creatine stores are found.

as far as my opinion goes, i don't think your average joe athlete needs to use creatine because they get enough in their diet- about 50%. although, if an athlete were a vegetarian, then, because they do not have enough creatine in their diet, supplementation would be understandable. My advice is just to work with what you have in order to reach your natural potential- it would be more rewarding.

i hope this helps...? also, feel free to correct me as i only have a basic knowledge of muscular chemistry and such .

Thanks for the info. I've got to learn to start using that search feature up there!

so it sounds as though, in your explanation, that creatine's purpose is to boost energy levels...what about its effects on muscle growth? is it significant? or is the purpose the 'weight gain' for football players. in other words, will it help you get stronger, or only heavier with more energy?

damn peepers..... And dude, be sure to drink TONS of water! creatine takes water from elsewhere in your body and puts it into your muscles in order for them to recover more quickly. If you dont drink enough water, dehydration will DESTROY YOU!. atleast makeyou puke all over and give you a terrible headache. I took it for some time, and didnt really see any significant benefits. However, what i do suggest is i high protein diet. somewhere abouts 40 - 60 g per day is considered high. Your body cant deal with much more than that. If you do take more, its no problem. It just passes through quite beautifully. good luck with your training!

Creatine stores in muscles to use in a burst of energy. Cells use it up in about 40 seconds, then refuels after several minutes. There is no muscle building, and no growth changes. This doesn't work for football players or marathon runners because the body doesn't have time to reload. It only works for short duration sports like weight lifting or POLE VAULTING. If your growth plates are open, DON'T USE IT because there are no studies on this. The molocule is large and therefore holds some extra water in the cell, thus some minor weight gain. It can also be hard on the kidneys if you don't give it a rest every couple of months. No other harmful effects have been documented that I know of. Creatine is not a steroid or grownth hormone.

rabbit1 wrote:The molocule is large and therefore holds some extra water in the cell, thus some minor weight gain.

Yes creatine causes water to be retained in the muscle tissue. How does the size of the molecule cause water retention?

Water moves across semi permiable membranes (which a cell membrane is) due to concentration gradients, pressure differences, and due to net or local charges on a molecule. If a moelcule has net or local + or - charges then the size of the molecule may be a factor because there is more potential sites to attract a water molecule. But it is the charge on the molecule not the size that causes water to be retianed.

There are molecules large and small that are hydrophobic and repel water.