getting bigger - esp for Rob

you need protein not creatine. 1-2grams of protein per pound of body weight.

ps. what old physique :-))

pps. see sfuk thread re. shops in newcastle for creatine

Got me Creatine, and it's just boosted me body back up, that's what I was after, another 12 weeks or so and I'll give it up.

I'm eating sensibly now anyway, just needed that quick boost.

But the info is good, and I'm sure it'll help others. However, not always easy to know how much protein you're getting in a freshly cooked chicken from Morrisons. :-p

Did I miss some of this post? It seems as if some of it is missing...

Just taking up an old topic I posted on SFUK.

Mmm..creatine....thirsty as hell whilst your taking it.....p*ssing out the Amazon when you come off it:-O

Not really thirsty as hell, but shows ya need more when ya pee, that's for sure! :-O

Not sure I remember the Amazon when I stopped taking it a year or so ago tho, just kept me hydrated all the time - although, that obviously stopped at some point. :-)

the reason 'it boosted you up' is that it dilutes the cells in your muscles, drink plenty of water.

So... what's the lowdown on Creatine then? Have you gotta work out to get the benefits? What does it do?

Yeah you've gotta work-out, it does what andy just said, helps you get a few more reps out when training.

Also good for a hang-over I've found! :-)

i meant to write dilate not dilute

Creatine is found naturally in the muscles of the body but is depleted from them during activity, as it depletes the muscles tire & lose efficiency and lactic acid builds up. Exactly how creatine is involved in this process is still not very well understood, maybe it is the dilation of the cells / increase surface area allowing more oxygen uptake. Over time during rest the creatine re-establishes in the muscles, lactic acid disperses and muscles return to max efficiency.

Building up additional creatine in the body (through creatine delivery supplements) then taking a regular maintenance dose enables the muscles to replace the creatine after exercise more quickly (from the surplus in the bloodstream) hence faster recovery.

Faster recovery means you can train harder, more often, and it is the extra training which stimulates the muscles to take in more food and build themselves up to support the workload.

The maintainance dose in the system will match the rate at which it is being used, any excess will just be wasted by the body.

research shows that there is no need to do a loading phase with creatine

Good post guys! Thanks!

Andy, I've always wondered what the point was in loading up, getting the body used to it maybe? But even that is purely overkill.

who cares, you dont need to do it!!!

Nah true, I noticed I was building back up with just normal weights and eating far too many chickens! Still not sure why I decided to get back on it, plus it always makes me a bit ill after loading up, or after I stop taking it.

Anyone else seen that? Or how to stop it once you stop taking it? Or am I the only one?

I wouldnt touch the stuff guys. Christ knows what its doing to your insides! Train right and eat the right foods and you dont need supplements.;-)

What about the good ol' protien shakes? Seen plenty of people tucking into those after training? Any advice?

I thought the body used creatine to "recycle" lactic acid back into usable fuel so
lactic acid build up is slowed enabling you to train for longer

As for protein shakes...

weight training produces microscopic tears (or dirty great big ones if you get it wrong)
in the muscles. The body uses protein to repair these tears. A source of protein should be consumed within
90 minutes of finishing your weight training. This is the time when protein most easily
absorbed.

you need about 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, it doesnt matter how you get this.

Creatine has been thoroughly tested and shown to be safe, there were reports of american collegiate wrestlers dying of kidney failure from taking creatine, the reason was actually that the wrestlers were cutting weight before a tournament, using an exercise bike, wearing a sweat suit in a sauna, they basically dehydrated and their kidneys exploded.