Creatine Use

If im taking creatine after my workouts and Im working out 4 days a week currently, Do I take it on my days off and at what time of day is good to take it if Im not in the gym that day?
Tnx

Take it every day.Most take it post workout but I have read alot that says it doesnt really matter as long as you are consistant and you get enough water.

[quote]McDog wrote:
If im taking creatine after my workouts and Im working out 4 days a week currently, Do I take it on my days off and at what time of day is good to take it if Im not in the gym that day?
Tnx[/quote]

No offense, but this question is asked seemingly every day.

You should be able to find all the info you want on creatine by using the search engine even though its abilities are limited.

Take it in warm water everyday whenever you get a chance, be it in the morning or with meals.

Taking it your off days is not as important as taking it following your workout.

Remember- You grow and get stronger on your off days. Thats recovery.

McDog, here is my answer from yesterday’s creatine timing thread, you may find it useful:

JMac, we don’t have enough scientific data to actually suggest a time to take it, although with a PWO drink is most common.

The only pre-workout consumption study of which I am aware, showed that it had no effect on the ensuing exercise.

In terms of how often, you only need it after workouts, and no dose on days you don’t train. I discuss this in detail in the following article: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459369

Hope this helps!

[quote]
McDog wrote:
If im taking creatine after my workouts and Im working out 4 days a week currently, Do I take it on my days off and at what time of day is good to take it if Im not in the gym that day?
Tnx [/quote]

[quote]ChrisKing wrote:
McDog wrote:
If im taking creatine after my workouts and Im working out 4 days a week currently, Do I take it on my days off and at what time of day is good to take it if Im not in the gym that day?
Tnx

No offense, but this question is asked seemingly every day.

You should be able to find all the info you want on creatine by using the search engine even though its abilities are limited.
[/quote]

The problem I think is that there is such an incredible amount of conflicting opinion on this, from a wide variety of largely reputable sources. There is not even close to a consensus on the best types of creatine to use, the most trustworthy brands, and the best way to use it.

Now while this is true about many athletic supplements (or for that matter almost any subject in life) creatine in particular is a really tricky one, in that (to me anyways)it feels like it should be straightforward…that there is a ‘right answer’ but that it’s just not been put out there yet. No definitive creatine info source to clarify it all and make us feel truly informed.

I have gone through the forums, read the articles, seached the web, had personal experiences with it, and still a satisfying conclusion still eludes me.

For me it’s the issue of sub-cutaneous water retention versus muscle water retention…the second one being good, the first one being,…well…‘bloaty’.

I still don’t get this whole sub-Q water thing. I really think it stems from people misunderstanding the whole “water retention” concept.

Despite hundreds of subjects being tested it has yet to be observed in the scientific literature.

While absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, we need to look at the whole picture:

  1. there is no physiological explanation

  2. despite being studied hundreds of times, it has never been seen

  3. there is a plausible explanation for why is could be psychological

Thoughts?

Cheers

[quote]v_m wrote:
For me it’s the issue of sub-cutaneous water retention versus muscle water retention…the second one being good, the first one being,…well…‘bloaty’.
[/quote]

Well I can understand the argument that the differences between the body’s reaction to the Tricreatine malate versus the monohydrate, for example, would be subject to a psychological factor. Someone expecting one thing from an experience would possibly find evidence to support their expectations. So the manufacturer of Product A claims: All the benefits of monohydrate with no subcutaneous water retention! Then the user looks for evidence to support the claim the bought into when buying the product. So on and so forth. That’s fine.

However, let’s examine the original claim. Why were the manufacturers even discussing subcutaneous water retention? For the same reason that I never got far on monohydrate in the past. Loved the workouts…but started to take on serious amounts of water.

Now, to be clear, I know what water retention is, what it feels like, and/or if I’m mistaking it for anything else. It’s pure water retention…that’s for sure. Comes on within the first week of using it…and goes away about 1 to 2 weeks after stopping it.

The water retention in the muscles is good. Naturally. That’s part of it’s benefit. But the overall water retention is another matter, and one that not everyone seems to experience.

However, all this being said…I’m such an admirer of David Barr’s writing and opinions that I’m going to perform an experiment. I’ll report back on this thread.

I’m going to get a very high quality micronized monohydrate powder. This being crucial because I’m basing my opinions on monohydrate from essentially two stocks of mono that I’ve owned. One that was an attachment on protein powder I bought years ago, and one that I bought from a healthfood store here in Canada that was ‘store brand’, my suggestion here being that maybe my experiences were tainted with somehow inferior monohydrate, (possibly contaminated?)Since each time I tried it again, I had a similar result…I may have attached ideas about monohydrate to what were essentially just bad products.

I’m going to take my weight before and after, I’ll possibly take some pictures too. I’ll carefully examine the effects that it has. It still won’t be a scientific offering, but it’ll be more carefully analyzed personal experience.

The thing is, about 1 in 10 or so of the people I talk to about creatine reacts immediately to the subcutaneous water retention subject…could it be that this is a mix up? That we tried tainted product? That we were retaining water for completely unrelated reasons and associated it with the creatine, though I’d never heard about creatine 'causing subcutaneous water retention until years after I’d thought it was something that was unique to my reaction as it wasn’t warned about in any of my research I’d done before ingesting the ‘white powder’ I got for free with my whey.

I guess what I’m saying is that Dave Barr and a lot of other bright people have managed to keep my mind open on the subject. So I’ll continue to explore it…the one issue I do have though is a part of me can’t help but wonder though…why is it that there seems to be this association? Why the ‘smoke’ if there’s no ‘fire’?

I’ll report back on this thread.