Creatine...

Guest

If you don't want to put on weight, you just need to make sure that you use more energy (i.e. kcals) than you eat.  If you want to use creatine with carbohydrate, you should consume these carbs in place of other carbs in your diet (and not in addition to the diet).

Is there any research to suggest that carbs will help creatine be absorbed faster?  Or is it just some sales ploy?

Guest

Sounds like a job for . . . Lab Rat. . .  (tan, tan, taaaaaaahh!!)

I am looking for some decent supplementation, so I'm not really using any other products.  I'm also usinig a pretty regular training program so I'll be a Lab Rat.  (This product is not tested on animals ;D)

Shall we do an online progress report.  This is what I propose in principle.

I, Lab Rat, will document my daily training routine.  First as is.

I will then buy some creatine and use it, recording dosage and will continue to record my daily training routine.  I will include how I felt during the ride, how hard I worked and what everyone wants to know, am I getting faster.

Anyone interested in this little experiment?

Guest

Ah, Lab-Rat, good idea.  I was thinking more on published research, however this could be interesting!

But remember that creatine is only of any real benefit for riders involved in events which have a partern of sprint, rest, sprint, rest...  Typical of this are track sprint heats or BMX heats.  Creatine is unlikly to have a great benefit for things like TT or road racing as there are no really explosive sprints or sufficent rest!  The reason for this is that Creatine suports the Alactic (or ATP-PC) energy system and this is used very little in endurance events!

You might want to read the post from 08.05.2002 jsut to clear the above point up.  I'd be interested in hearing about your experiment though!

Vo2

Pinky and the Brain...Brain...Brain... ;D

Sounds good, Rat! Could be interesting.

__________________
Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

Guest

I'll just hack off my training buddies by sprinting off often ;D

Well I do road cycling, Triathlon, MTB and Adventure Racing so I can give feedback for people doing these disciplines.  I fancy myself as a sprinter anyway.

Lets at least see what happens.  It would be interesting and beneficial for me anyway, coz I'll be looking at my performance with a fine tooth comb.  What a way to stay focussed through winter. ;D

One small step for man, one giant leap for the RAT . . .  I'll need some input as to what info you will require.  Unfortunately I only have a Polar M21 HRM so can't give you graphs.

Hmmm, let's see.  What info do we need for starters?
Height, Mass, Age, Measurements?, Body fat %.  Do you want a before and after photo  ;D

Vo2

I know this post is off topic, but I'm a firm believer that carbo's won't/don't make you fat. In fact, I believe that consuming more CHO will speed up your metabolism, burn fat deposits and help build lean muscle mass. Starches (sugars) don't make you fat. Fat makes you fat.
Just my opinion...

__________________
Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

Guest

So, how do you recommend we record this little project.  Shall I start another topic called "Project Creatine" and then use the postings as entries into a training diary?

I don't have a web site to post any info to, and to tell you the truth, I'm a bit of a dunce behind a PC.  (Still haven't figured out how to post piccie poohs)

Alternatively, I could do the data capturing on excel and send it to someone on e-mail.  Any suggestions?

Guest

Yeah, it would be a good idea to start another string.  You might want to think about an objective measure of your performance, that isn't influenced too much by other factors like environment, other competitors, etc.  This would be needed to assess the real improvement that takes place!  How are you going to seperate the training and supplementation related improvement in performance?

Eldron

Hi everyone - my names Eldron and I'm an ex creatine user - HI the group choruses and tell me I'm barve and to take it one day at a time

Here's my creatine story:

Decided to try it based on the ATP TCP CTTP (never get the letters right) principle that it would help me be more explosive on short steep climbs, attacks on the the bunch and finishing sprints (I'm a sprinting animal with serious white line fever!).

The took 3g per day on an empty stomach (before breakfast). For the first 3-4 weeks I was unstoppable sprinting for every lamp post, speed sign and village name plate I could find. Over the next couple of months I kinda became 'normal' again but continued using it for about 9 months. I gave it up about 3 months ago and went through a nasty couple of weeks (no energy, lazy etc). Now I'm back to normal and feel just as strong as I was taking creatine. Same snap in the sprints same explosive power up the short hills.

As far as the weight thing goes I put on about 2kg almost immediately after I started taking creatine and lost it within days of stopping. I weigh 80kg and am 6'2".

My summation is that the body gets used to whateer you're taking - either you need to keep increasing the dosage (which I'm dead against) or you need to keep changing your supplements (which is too time consuming and expensive for me).

The only supplements I take are a general mulitvitamin (Centrum) washed down with an effervescent Barocca Calmag (Calcium Magnesium Vit B and C).

Viva completely clean cycling viva!

Guest

2LAP, you've made some very valid points which I have been giving quite alot of thought to.  Further, we won't have the benefit of a control against which we can benchmark the difference between using creatine, and not using creatine.

I have a consistent training program so I should get a little stronger as we go along, but I am sitting in the 54 - 58 range of the Polar OwnIndex, so I doubt whether I'll have substantial changes in my overall fitness.

One of the points I want to document is my recovery after the two hills on the course.  I will indicate ride tempo etc and how hard the group was pushing.  (I don't think I have the motivation to do time trials over the middle of winter all on my lonesome, so that is not ideal)

The idea is to document how I felt on each ride and whether I found I was feeling stronger while trying to keep everything else as consistent as possible.

As for dietary developments, I am often slated for my healthy eating habits.  (Prepare to reel).

I don't eat breakfast and I usually either have a steak & kidney pie and chips, or a chicken burger and chips for lunch.  Dinner is usually a bit healthier, so either grilled skinless chicken, or pasta with Salmon or something like that.  I'll document my diet during the process.

Guest

I would love your diet, sounds like bliss!

Looking forward to the daily updates next week!

Brizza

How did it go?
I'll take a one-off dose tonight before track training.
I wait to read the results before I buy enough to take some daily.