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2008-08-21 6:20 PM

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Subject: Creatine?
I am looking for some advice on Creatine use among recreational athletes.

I have a friend who is a swimmer - she swims 3-4 times a week and works out in the gym 2-3 times a week. She's middle-aged (50's), has a good base fitness/health level, and has recently started taking Creatine as she claims it boosts her back 25 in the pool and she believes it will help her muscle strength and health into old age. She regularly competes at swim meets and says she's noticed a drop in her times since she's started taking Creatine. She's asked my opinion (I work in health care) but unfortunately I don't know much about it. I've tried doing research online and at the library, but there's so much information out there I don't even know where to start. I can't trust a lot of the sources.

However I can trust my BT crew - so anyone have any thoughts on this? Any first-hand information or knowledge regarding Creatine use?



2008-08-21 6:29 PM
in reply to: #1619913

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Subject: RE: Creatine?

We managed to get the last creatine thread deleted.

Without getting into all that, I think most people will concede that there's little benefit to endurance athletes.

2008-08-21 6:31 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
DerekL - 2008-08-21 7:29 PM

 

Without getting into all that, I think most people will concede that there's little benefit to endurance athletes.

Unless they happen to sell creatine.

2008-08-21 6:44 PM
in reply to: #1619934

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Subject: RE: Creatine?
DerekL - 2008-08-21 7:29 PM

We managed to get the last creatine thread deleted.

Without getting into all that, I think most people will concede that there's little benefit to endurance athletes.

And those people are stupid idiots!

2008-08-21 6:47 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
actually beta alanine is also very good for endurance
2008-08-21 6:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
One of the negative side effects of creatine is dehydration which of course leads to cramping.


2008-08-21 7:00 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?

rmst09 - 2008-08-21 7:55 PM One of the negative side effects of creatine is dehydration which of course leads to cramping.

Thats also a possible side effect of exercise. Easily avoided by taking in more fluids.

2008-08-21 8:33 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
Only personal experience ...
I feel that creatine was a benefit when I was into weight lifting and focused on building muscle, but I did not realize any benefit when I focused on endurance training.
... my two cents.
2008-08-21 8:50 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
Creatine is great for sprinting, weight lifting mostly fast twitch type activities. General consensus is it's not very helpful if not detrimental to slow twitch/endurance type athletes.

2008-08-21 10:47 PM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.
2008-08-22 6:33 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

I'm confused. "Does improve" or "it is basically useless"?



2008-08-22 6:40 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

Feel free to cite any of these studies.

There are plenty to show that it has a beneficial effect for shorter events and explosive/sprinting type of events but not for endurance.

2008-08-22 8:33 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
DerekL - 2008-08-22 6:40 AM

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

Feel free to cite any of these studies.

There are plenty to show that it has a beneficial effect for shorter events and explosive/sprinting type of events but not for endurance.



I found this: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0864.htm

Basically, the article says that if you do high-intensity intervals as part of your training, creatine will increase the quality of these sessions, which in turn will improve your overall performance. So it's an indirect benefit.

There is a supplement out there, relatively new, that does improve longer duration endurance performance by preventing the burning you feel in your muscles, which BTW is NOT caused by lactic acid.
2008-08-22 9:02 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
the bear - 2008-08-22 7:33 AM

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

I'm confused. "Does improve" or "it is basically useless"?



Thank you, Bear. I was getting a headache trying to wrap my head around that logic...
2008-08-22 9:23 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
Concretechris - 2008-08-22 10:02 AM
the bear - 2008-08-22 7:33 AM

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

I'm confused. "Does improve" or "it is basically useless"?

Thank you, Bear. I was getting a headache trying to wrap my head around that logic...

 

Sorry 'bout that..does NOT improve.......Wink

2008-08-22 9:24 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 11:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

Sorry for the brainfart.....it should state does NOT improve.



2008-08-22 9:26 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
the bear - 2008-08-22 7:33 AM

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

I'm confused. "Does improve" or "it is basically useless"?

 

Once again....brain fart while typing....does NOT improve Tongue out

2008-08-22 9:35 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
MikeJ - 2008-08-21 7:00 PM

rmst09 - 2008-08-21 7:55 PM One of the negative side effects of creatine is dehydration which of course leads to cramping.

Thats also a possible side effect of exercise. Easily avoided by taking in more fluids.

 

As someone still learning the science of hydration why would I add a substance into my diet that would increase my risk of dehydration?

2008-08-22 9:41 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
ANy creatine supplement you take will give you specific instructions to take in more water. You just need to keep this in mind when training.
2008-08-22 9:47 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
rmst09 - 2008-08-22 9:35 AM

MikeJ - 2008-08-21 7:00 PM

rmst09 - 2008-08-21 7:55 PM One of the negative side effects of creatine is dehydration which of course leads to cramping.

Thats also a possible side effect of exercise. Easily avoided by taking in more fluids.

 

As someone still learning the science of hydration why would I add a substance into my diet that would increase my risk of dehydration?



The theory would be that the added risk of hydration comes with the possible benefit of extra strength which would also in theory possibly lead to extra muscle gain. Besides, the dehydration/cramping really seems to be more of an old school myth than anything that is a huge worry. Of course you will always find people who say, "I took creatine and got horrible cramps." What is that worth? I don't know.

Now, as far as benefits of creatine to an endurance athlete, you are getting iffy. I definitely feel it does have benefit to a strength training athlete. When it comes to sports "supplements" I like creatine because it is studied in much greater depth and for a much longer period of time than some of the newer fads like the aforementioned beta alanine (which could possibly hold promise), and also because it is dirt cheap. Of all the things to experiment with, I think creatine isn't a bad option because of the price and the longer track record of safety than you'll find with other "performance enhancing" (or not) supplements.
2008-08-22 10:05 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?

Here is a good read from Rice University

Please read:

Creatine Supplementation in Athletes: Review

by Mark A. Jenkins, MD

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/creatine.html

Key Point for endurance athletes:
Thus, "slow twitch" athletes cannot generate the speed and force of their "fast twitch" cousins, but they can do their thing for a long time. If an endurance athlete needs to dip into the anaerobic range, for a sprint or hill climb, the needed extra energy primarily comes from anaerobic glycolysis of glucose (yielding lactic acid, and that wonderful muscular "burning" sensation.). The ATP-creatine system is not important for endurance athletes

 

Edit: Here is some info to back all that stated endurance athletes do not need creatine



Edited by reconbyfire 2008-08-22 10:13 AM


2008-08-22 10:42 AM
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Subject: RE: Creatine?
reconbyfire - 2008-08-22 9:23 AM
Concretechris - 2008-08-22 10:02 AM
the bear - 2008-08-22 7:33 AM

reconbyfire - 2008-08-21 10:47 PM There are numerous studies that show creatine does improve an endurance athletes performance. ATP is produced and used roughly1:1; the same throughout the exercise because of the lenghty time frame involved. So it is basically useless.

I'm confused. "Does improve" or "it is basically useless"?

Thank you, Bear. I was getting a headache trying to wrap my head around that logic...

 

Sorry 'bout that..does NOT improve.......Wink

Gotcha.  That makes a lot more sense.

I'm not anti-creatine either.  I'm just for using it in the appropriate population.

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