I am a beginer and have heard all kinds of pros and cons of creatine. Gaining water weight, and bulking up I have no idea what is going on. Any threads on here or good info about using the stuff, diet, or water intake changes I needto make?
I don’t have the links right handy, but yes, there are good articles on here about Creatine.
Basically, it does have benefits above and beyond bodybuilding. Also, some people are non-responders, it seems.
Yup check out the product thread, search the articles as well as the post and youll have MORE than you need.
Might even look at pub med do a search and get tons. Not only for physical activity but things like cognitive function etc.
Thanks alot, I did some reserch and found that it is not for the every so often use. I only get to lift three days a week at most, and I don’t understand taking it inbetween workouts, too much fluid retention.?
fluid retention hydration GOOD!!! Keeps liquid and nutrients in muscle and shuttles bad waste out. Only time this may be an issue is for endurance atheletes etc. but then they still need to weigh the options and see if the performance aspects of the creatine out weight the added water/hydration.
It’s as simple as this, if your goal is to lean up and get cut; don’t take creatine, if you goal is to bulk up and gain mass: take creatine. 
[quote]Guardian_Entp wrote:
It’s as simple as this, if your goal is to lean up and get cut; don’t take creatine, if you goal is to bulk up and gain mass: take creatine. :)[/quote]
I disagree.
Creatine doesnt make you fat it rasies intramuscular fluid retention. Raises the ATP stores etc.
For that it may actually be more beneficial for someone dieting and trying to lean out. The added fluid retention will help keep the muscles full while glycogen levels are likely low during dieting and usually some form of carb restriction. This keeping of the fludi is not only good for aesthetic purposes but the shuttling of nutrients and waste in and out of the muscle tissue.
Then you have the enhanced ATP. This could be more beneficial to a someone on a hypocaloric diewt well because they are hypocaloric. They dont have the excess fuel of that of someone looking to gain. They need all the extra they can get and that creatine and the ATP excess it causes may mean the ability to get that extra rep or to or keep that intensity just that little bit higher in times of limited intake. This is grerat for keeping gains, muscle and strength while cutting fat.
My 2cc anyway,
Phill
Read this: Creatine Update 2006
I never said anywhere that creatine makes you fat. I said if the goal is to gain mass and bulk then creatine is a good choice. Anyone dieting down for contest or other such purposes does not include creatine as a fat burning mechanism. I am trying to keep it simple, since this is a beginners board and the guy is only 16.
It is as simple as I stated, take creatine to gain mass and bulk, don’t if you are trying to lean up and get cut.
Actually Berardi recommends BCAAs and creatine on his Get Shredded Diet (if you haven’t had a chance to check it out).
[quote]Guardian_Entp wrote:
I never said anywhere that creatine makes you fat. I said if the goal is to gain mass and bulk then creatine is a good choice. Anyone dieting down for contest or other such purposes does not include creatine as a fat burning mechanism. I am trying to keep it simple, since this is a beginners board and the guy is only 16.
It is as simple as I stated, take creatine to gain mass and bulk, don’t if you are trying to lean up and get cut. [/quote]
has anyone here never taken or doesn’t take creatine anymore? reasons?
just wondering since i’ve never taken creatine supplements (but have been considering it lately)
Now that creatine is relatively cheap there is no reason not to give it a try. It is after all naturally found in most meat products.
It isn’t a steroid, steroid like, dangerous, unhealthy or any other misguided nonsense that commonly makes the rounds by word of mouth or totally incompetent media reports.