Topic: Thoughts on Creatine

[Matt Erdman]

I've taken it many times and never noticed weight gain.

Even if you do gain water weight, that would be easy to lose before a competition.

[Jim Hooper]

Andy, If you are not operating in the glycolytic system, what's the point?  Read up on the neuromuscular energy systems, especially the Krebs cycle:  the conclusion will be obvious.  There is convincing data that creatine can be helpful for wrestlers, 400-milers, bodybuilders, etc. -- athletes who perform at high intensity in the 30 secs plus range.  But there is no data to support any benefit for lifters doing low-rep high-intensity movements -- if you find any controlled data to the contrary, show me, and if its a good study, I'll change my mind immediately.  (But there isn't any.)   Rest 3 minutes after your 1-3 rep sets and Mother Nature will snap phosphagens off your normal creatine phosphate and rebuild your ADP into ATP as fast as she can.  It doesn't matter if the tree holds 1,000 apples or 100 -- your system will pick the apples at a fast enough rate to have you ready to go again when you launch the next set.  (For wrestlers, 400-800 runners, etc., performance depends in part on their ability to rebuild ATP molecules DURING THE PERFORMANCE itself, which is where the benefit of having a higher local availability of creatine provides some marginal benefit -- they are picking apples for 6 minutes straight, and can conceivably pick the tree bare -- but you will never come close to that in any conventional weightlifting training.)   For weightlifters, commercial creatine supplements appear to be a really expensive way to exercise your kidneys.  Of course, as I always say, a placebo effect is still an effect. 

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Any money spent on creatine and other supplements would be FAR better spent on excellent nutrition, massage, and trips to go train with clubs across the country/world. Not only do I think its a waste of money, but I think taking supplements is counterproductive as it is not conducive to optimal performance to be looking to pills and powders for help. It is the wrong mindset. I also think the encouragement for athletes, often young athletes, to use this stuff is clouding the border between cheating and not cheating, making it more likely that some will cross the line to banned substances.