ExRx.net

I have been reading a little bit about creatine and it's effects on power.

I tend to train a lot for 'functional' strength, that is strength without the weight gain.

As I understand extra creatine in the body will allow a person to work the '30ish' second ATP-CP energy system for longer and/or harder.

This is good for me because I am looking to gain sub-maximal power in the form of off road cycling/running.

Are the weight gain issues associated with creatine likely to outbalance the gain in the sub-maximal power from creatine in the context of mountain biking / XC running?

Opinions appreciated :D

Also, which is better: creatine monohydrate or Creatine ethel ester?

Thanks
Dan

Creatin monohydrate works.

Kenny Croxdale

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Thanks TimD.

Acutally I have a quick question about creatine too...let's say you are taking it twice a day, but then one day you miss your doses of it. Does this have a really negitive impact, or is ok to miss it every once in awhile?

When taking creatine, it saturates the muscle. Once you get the muscles saurated, either by loading or not loading, IMO it doesn't matter, it will stay that way for a while, whether or not you take it once a day or multiple times. Missing a little every once in a while isn't going to matter. In fact, I read in one test that after a subject had taken regular for a period of two months, then laid off, his levels took about two weeks to go bak down.
Tim

With the better stuff that I use, a single 5 gram serving per day is enough. Taking more yielded no further results. These results are identical to the results some experts that wrote an article on tnation got.

So you take creatine, but protein is too unnatural?

Heh, I have considered taking creatine, I am not taking it yet. The problem is with stuff like this is I tend to be forgetful. The only reason I would consider it is because I am doing both heavy weight and cardio training. But...I would still rather just eat more for protein ;).

I started taking creatine about 1.5 months ago. I'm also a beginner with this weight lifting thing, so all the following is purely anecdotal and should be taken with a grain of salt.

I'd been having trouble maintaining strength through my workouts, and within sets themselves. I'd tried some stuff nutritionally, which all helped but I was still feeling burned up when I shouldn't been. Just plain old muscle fatigue and it started almost right away, like the food I was eating just wasn't being used. I started reading on creatine and found what you've found, so I bought some creatine monohydrate and gave it a spin.

My results were great. I'm now able to get through my workout without feeling spent, regardless of what I've eaten before hand (I still eat to maximize my performance). I do recover faster between sets and unless I've just increased my weight on a movement I can usually go for one or two extra reps at the end.

I've been very happy with the creatine. I take 5g each day, and take an extra 5g after a workout. It does exactly what I was hoping it would.