DanBoy's Creatine Experiement Journal...
Discussion
Day one.
Started loading today.
One level scoop, four times a day for the first 4-5 days.
Observations:
It is a very fine powder indeed.
It bloody fizzes up like anything when you add water!
It tastes bloody horrible, even when it's supposed to be orange flavoured.
Errrrr... That's about it. No adverse effects, and no noticable increase in strength (no surprise at this stage).
Tum te tum... :)
[small]Yes, I am very bored and am just trying to find lazy ways of passing the time.[/small]
Started loading today.
One level scoop, four times a day for the first 4-5 days.
Observations:
It is a very fine powder indeed.
It bloody fizzes up like anything when you add water!
It tastes bloody horrible, even when it's supposed to be orange flavoured.
Errrrr... That's about it. No adverse effects, and no noticable increase in strength (no surprise at this stage).
Tum te tum... :)
[small]Yes, I am very bored and am just trying to find lazy ways of passing the time.[/small]
Never taken Creatine, but been reading up on it on the muscletalk.co.uk forum, and it seems that the latest and greatest thing in the world of creatine is Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE). Main benefits comapared to Creatine Monohydrate are that there's no loading phase required, and it gets into the muscle cells much more easily (aparently monohydrate needs to be taken with dextrose otherwise it just sits outside the muscle cells and causes water retention).
The foul taste seems to be a common complaint. Personally I'd get around this by going for the capsules, but another tip I read was to take it with orange juice rather than water, which makes it taste a lot better.
Good luck with it, and let us know how you go!
The foul taste seems to be a common complaint. Personally I'd get around this by going for the capsules, but another tip I read was to take it with orange juice rather than water, which makes it taste a lot better.
Good luck with it, and let us know how you go!
thegreatsoprendo said:Water retention's how creatine helps build muscle...to begin with, the water retention just bulks the muscles up a bit, but then it helps to tear the muscle fibres thus creating newer, bigger, and better fibres!
...(aparently monohydrate needs to be taken with dextrose otherwise it just sits outside the muscle cells and causes water retention)...
fid said:
...(aparently monohydrate needs to be taken with dextrose otherwise it just sits outside the muscle cells and causes water retention)...
Water retention's how creatine helps build muscle...to begin with, the water retention just bulks the muscles up a bit, but then it helps to tear the muscle fibres thus creating newer, bigger, and better fibres!
I'm sorry, just not true, destroy muscle fibres and they just die never to return. In body building you are encouraging the size of your muscle fibres not the number.
Ask anyone whos had a tear in a muscle big enough to see whether their muscle grew back.
Wish we could regrow muscle cos then I'd have a cure for every heart attack.
Used to use plain old Creatine Monohydrate a few years back and definitely noticed the difference. I remember reading (think it was on www.sportsci.org/ ) that taking it with grape juice helped its absorbtion into the muscle, so always took it like that. Used unflavoured stuff, and couldn't taste anything in the grape juice.
Also found drinking it through a straw helped suck up the power with the liquid, as opposed to trying to swill the liquid round all the time to stop the powder settling but still ending up with a big load of powder in the last swig.
Also found drinking it through a straw helped suck up the power with the liquid, as opposed to trying to swill the liquid round all the time to stop the powder settling but still ending up with a big load of powder in the last swig.
Julian64 said:Which bit isn't true? I said nothing about 'destroying' muscle fibres, nor muscles growing through making more muscle fibres!
I'm sorry, just not true, destroy muscle fibres and they just die never to return. In body building you are encouraging the size of your muscle fibres not the number.
Ask anyone whos had a tear in a muscle big enough to see whether their muscle grew back.
Wish we could regrow muscle cos then I'd have a cure for every heart attack.
Creatine helps to draw water into the muscle cells, and this makes it easier to pull a muscle (which is what I mean by tear...), and I didn't mean a tear big enough to see, I meant individual fibres, which are pretty small. It's the over-compensation when the fibres repair that increases the muscle mass, in the same way that anaerobic excercise increases muscle mass, whereas aerobic excercise has little effect.
Ahhhhhhh... It is this kind of debate that sparked the curiousity that lead to the experiment I am now conducting on myself.
Well, tomorrow is the last day of loading.
Thus far there have been no noticable ill effects. On Tuesday I felt a bit funny, but I think that was down to the fact that I was knackered and spent all day in a totally artificial environment - It always sucks the life out of me when the only light I get is artificial and the only air I get is conditioned.
Have been to the gym three times since I started loading (on Monday) and have seen some fairly noticable increases in stregnth (moreso than I'd expect from one week to the next) but this may be because I took a full week off last week. I can't rule out the possibility of some kind of subconcious mental association with creatine and increased performance either. And I've changed my diet (tis even better now than it ever was, and it wasn't bad before)!
So, basically, after a week, I've not really noticed any definite creatine-related improvements/changes, but then a week is such a short period of time anyway...
I am getting used to the taste now, and am almost starting to enjoy what is - at least in terms of flavour - essentialy a cold, orange flavoured Lemsip. Hmmmmmmm...
If anybody is curious, I'm using Creatamax8000, which certainly sounds impressive!
>> Edited by DanBoy on Thursday 3rd November 21:02
Well, tomorrow is the last day of loading.
Thus far there have been no noticable ill effects. On Tuesday I felt a bit funny, but I think that was down to the fact that I was knackered and spent all day in a totally artificial environment - It always sucks the life out of me when the only light I get is artificial and the only air I get is conditioned.
Have been to the gym three times since I started loading (on Monday) and have seen some fairly noticable increases in stregnth (moreso than I'd expect from one week to the next) but this may be because I took a full week off last week. I can't rule out the possibility of some kind of subconcious mental association with creatine and increased performance either. And I've changed my diet (tis even better now than it ever was, and it wasn't bad before)!
So, basically, after a week, I've not really noticed any definite creatine-related improvements/changes, but then a week is such a short period of time anyway...
I am getting used to the taste now, and am almost starting to enjoy what is - at least in terms of flavour - essentialy a cold, orange flavoured Lemsip. Hmmmmmmm...
If anybody is curious, I'm using Creatamax8000, which certainly sounds impressive!
>> Edited by DanBoy on Thursday 3rd November 21:02
Sounds OK so far Dan! I've just ordered some of this so we'll see how that goes. Are you taking protein skakes too?
Yeah (@ Soprendo).
I'm not using it 100% regularly as my diet is pretty high in protein and carbs (I'm eating lots of big chicken and pasta salads, which are lovely) at the moment, but on days when I've had to forego a significant amount of protein for whatever reason, I reach for the Designer Whey.
Generally speaking I try to get sufficient (and regular) protein in my day-to-day diet - Keeping in quality Whey protein is even more expensive than keeping up the Creatine intake! I think it's important to remember that Whey is a supplement and not an essential part of the body-building diet, providing you eat properly and at regular intervals during the day.
I was using MetRX Whey but have switched to Desinger (Whey) Protein simply because it seems to blend more easily with semi-skimmed!
My mind is now moving towards cutting just after Christmas, which is a bloody scary thought!
As for Cartman in South Park, I'm not sure, but Jimmy was shooting up with steriods for the special olympics. That was a quality episode. God Bless South park.
>> Edited by DanBoy on Thursday 3rd November 22:30
I'm not using it 100% regularly as my diet is pretty high in protein and carbs (I'm eating lots of big chicken and pasta salads, which are lovely) at the moment, but on days when I've had to forego a significant amount of protein for whatever reason, I reach for the Designer Whey.
Generally speaking I try to get sufficient (and regular) protein in my day-to-day diet - Keeping in quality Whey protein is even more expensive than keeping up the Creatine intake! I think it's important to remember that Whey is a supplement and not an essential part of the body-building diet, providing you eat properly and at regular intervals during the day.
I was using MetRX Whey but have switched to Desinger (Whey) Protein simply because it seems to blend more easily with semi-skimmed!
My mind is now moving towards cutting just after Christmas, which is a bloody scary thought!
As for Cartman in South Park, I'm not sure, but Jimmy was shooting up with steriods for the special olympics. That was a quality episode. God Bless South park.
>> Edited by DanBoy on Thursday 3rd November 22:30
fid said:
I'm sorry, just not true, destroy muscle fibres and they just die never to return. In body building you are encouraging the size of your muscle fibres not the number.
Ask anyone whos had a tear in a muscle big enough to see whether their muscle grew back.
Wish we could regrow muscle cos then I'd have a cure for every heart attack.
Creatine helps to draw water into the muscle cells, and this makes it easier to pull a muscle (which is what I mean by tear...), and I didn't mean a tear big enough to see, I meant individual fibres, which are pretty small. It's the over-compensation when the fibres repair that increases the muscle mass, in the same way that anaerobic excercise increases muscle mass, whereas aerobic excercise has little effect.
fid said:
but then it helps to tear the muscle fibres thus creating newer, bigger, and better fibres!
Sorry, I thought its what the above quote meant. Maybe I'm just being over sensitive in picking on you but I hate the idea of body building, its just not healthy.
DanBoy said:Cant you use a dog as a lab rat?
Ahhhhhhh... It is this kind of debate that sparked the curiousity that lead to the experiment I am now conducting on myself.
Not sure about this myself, I would go with the medical experts advice.
Aircraft enthusiast standing at Simpleton Airport: “Great day for flying, I don’t have a license buy who cares? I know alot about flying, How much damage can I do?”
Experienced Pilot: “I wouldn’t do that if I where you…earn your license, do things sequentially, methodically and be proud of what you achieved”
Aircraft enthusiast: “Thanks for the advice” climbing into the cockpit.
Experienced Pilot: “I wont stop you but I can give you directions to the local flying school”
Aircraft enthusiast: Fires up engine and sets off down runway.
Experienced Pilot: Watches at a loss as aircraft races down runway taking air and ascending rapidly only to stall and fall to ground.
911 call from Pilot: “Hello, can I have an ambulance out to Simpleton Airport? There has been an unfortunate but predictable ‘accident’ at the end of the runway.”
On a wing and a prayer I suppose for some.
Julian64 said:Not healthy? Oh please. You'll be suggesting that all bodybuilders are thickos next.
I'm sorry, just not true, destroy muscle fibres and they just die never to return. In body building you are encouraging the size of your muscle fibres not the number.
Ask anyone whos had a tear in a muscle big enough to see whether their muscle grew back.
Wish we could regrow muscle cos then I'd have a cure for every heart attack.
Creatine helps to draw water into the muscle cells, and this makes it easier to pull a muscle (which is what I mean by tear...), and I didn't mean a tear big enough to see, I meant individual fibres, which are pretty small. It's the over-compensation when the fibres repair that increases the muscle mass, in the same way that anaerobic excercise increases muscle mass, whereas aerobic excercise has little effect.
fid said:
but then it helps to tear the muscle fibres thus creating newer, bigger, and better fibres!
Sorry, I thought its what the above quote meant. Maybe I'm just being over sensitive in picking on you but I hate the idea of body building, its just not healthy.
Most folk who get into bodybuilding learn plenty about what is healthy and what isn't. They quickly learn what they should and should not eat, and why. They exercise regularly (though sometimes to excess, admittedly), and they are acutely aware of their health. They stop and often reverse the skeletal muscle loss which is generally accepted as a normal sign ageing.
What exactly is it about bodybuilding that is so unhealthy?
I don't know why people bother with this creatine stuff.
A friend of mine once did, and he bulked up quite a bit, but his new muscle mass needed working to stay in tone, otherwise it went flabby, which it did after his long holidays and he had to go back to work.
Muscle/fitness is really a long term thing. Only add what you CAN sustain.
Just start doing 40 pull ups with palms facing away, and 40 pull ups (right down to arms straight, and right up to chin over bar) with palms facing towards you.
Then do 50 slow controlled press ups, then 20 mins on an exercise bike at a steady pace but with high resistance, then do some sit ups.
Give it a year and you'll be built like a brick shit house. You might not have super definition, but it'll stay there, and it'll be toned like steel underneath.
Met loads of people into all this and the strongest person I know was very slight built, like Bruce Lee in a way, and all he did was stone masonry work! Slow and steady, lots of reps, good control. All bulk does is make you look stupid and not be able to find clothes that fit after a certain size
Just my opinion imho, but if you need "supplements" to build it up, your gonna need either a BIG lifestyle change to sustain it, or keep on supplementing your body to do it.
Dave
A friend of mine once did, and he bulked up quite a bit, but his new muscle mass needed working to stay in tone, otherwise it went flabby, which it did after his long holidays and he had to go back to work.
Muscle/fitness is really a long term thing. Only add what you CAN sustain.
Just start doing 40 pull ups with palms facing away, and 40 pull ups (right down to arms straight, and right up to chin over bar) with palms facing towards you.
Then do 50 slow controlled press ups, then 20 mins on an exercise bike at a steady pace but with high resistance, then do some sit ups.
Give it a year and you'll be built like a brick shit house. You might not have super definition, but it'll stay there, and it'll be toned like steel underneath.
Met loads of people into all this and the strongest person I know was very slight built, like Bruce Lee in a way, and all he did was stone masonry work! Slow and steady, lots of reps, good control. All bulk does is make you look stupid and not be able to find clothes that fit after a certain size
Just my opinion imho, but if you need "supplements" to build it up, your gonna need either a BIG lifestyle change to sustain it, or keep on supplementing your body to do it.
Dave
Mr Whippy said:
I don't know why people bother with this creatine stuff.
A friend of mine once did, and he bulked up quite a bit, but his new muscle mass needed working to stay in tone, otherwise it went flabby, which it did after his long holidays and he had to go back to work.
Muscle/fitness is really a long term thing. Only add what you CAN sustain.
Just start doing 40 pull ups with palms facing away, and 40 pull ups (right down to arms straight, and right up to chin over bar) with palms facing towards you.
Then do 50 slow controlled press ups, then 20 mins on an exercise bike at a steady pace but with high resistance, then do some sit ups.
Give it a year and you'll be built like a brick shit house. You might not have super definition, but it'll stay there, and it'll be toned like steel underneath.
Met loads of people into all this and the strongest person I know was very slight built, like Bruce Lee in a way, and all he did was stone masonry work! Slow and steady, lots of reps, good control. All bulk does is make you look stupid and not be able to find clothes that fit after a certain size
Just my opinion imho, but if you need "supplements" to build it up, your gonna need either a BIG lifestyle change to sustain it, or keep on supplementing your body to do it.
Dave
Oh no, where were you 16 years ago when I started bodybuilding ? I've just wasted all that time when all I needed to do was a few sets of chins and pressups and I would've been a toned like steel brick shithouse..
Look I'll cut to the chase here because this post gave me a laugh, you really really don't have a clue what you're talking about.
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