Thread: need help by tonight, please

you wont lose size or strength ......, and why do you not want people to know you take creatine?

Originally Posted by Ngordyn

you wont lose size or strength ......, and why do you not want people to know you take creatine?

thanks for the quick reply, i just dont want my brothers and parents to know, not too sure why, i would rather they just think its happened from diet, protein shakes and training.

so if i come of it i wont suddenly lose a load os size.

and wht about if i never use it again after 3 months, will the size and strenght still remain as long as i still workout and have a hight protien diet.

if your diet and training are set up good then you will have no problems coming off of it , you will continue to gain without it as well

Keep your diet up and it won't matter. Are you tracking it yet? or do you want to waste creatine by eating a subpar diet while using supplements?

Originally Posted by Merkaba

Keep your diet up and it won't matter. Are you tracking it yet? or do you want to waste creatine by eating a subpar diet while using supplements?

i am tracking it as best as i can. i read anything with a lable, and foods without lables i try to research on the internet.

the problem is because i still live at home i pretty much eat whatever is made by my mum. but i try and keep i routine as beast as ican.

meal = breakfast is always 3 full eggs, two slices of bread, and a bannana.

meal = at some point during the day i also have a whole can of tuna with two slices of bread and a can of sweetcorn.

i also have one protien shake straight after a workout with a bannana, and another protine shake about hafe an hour before bed.

as well as all this every day i have two other meals which change day to day depending on what my mum has cooked, but what i can say is that she usually cooks meat (chicken or lamb) about 3-4 days a week.

what ever is cooked is eaten twice a day and so makes up two more meals.
this makes four meals a day, plus two protine shakes. i try to space all this out for every 2.5-3 hours.

i hope all this pluse some ceatine capsules means i can start gaining some muscle.

Well at first glance it seems like you might be getting at least 2000 calories. What are your stats?

Creatine is food. It's in steak, chicken, fish...

I don't know why you wouldn't want your family to know you're using something that's naturally in your diet and in your body.

Besides, it's good for older people. I have my seventy nine year old mother taking it. Good for angina. Just get plain creatine monohydrate and take a teaspoon a day (five grams)

IMHO even if you loose every gain that was a direct result of the creatine you would still be left with 95% of your gains (at least)... in other words: proper diet and training routine = 95% of your gains... any supplement aside from phs or as (including creating) = maximum of 5% of your gains

Originally Posted by Built

Creatine is food. It's in steak, chicken, fish...

I don't know why you wouldn't want your family to know you're using something that's naturally in your diet and in your body.

Besides, it's good for older people. I have my seventy nine year old mother taking it. Good for angina. Just get plain creatine monohydrate and take a teaspoon a day (five grams)

think about it this way, testosterone and other hormones are in your body naturally but it wouldn't go down well you using steroids would it??

I know what he means, my mum dislikes me using protein shakes and doesnt know i'm using creatine/glutamine/zma

Originally Posted by sendit08

IMHO even if you loose every gain that was a direct result of the creatine you would still be left with 95% of your gains (at least)... in other words: proper diet and training routine = 95% of your gains... any supplement aside from phs or as (including creating) = maximum of 5% of your gains

I'd say protein shakes and weight gainer shakes are quite alot more % of that.
Fair enough it you would be able to get by with just a natural diet but because of human eating habits/limits it's almost impossible to get all your diet requirements with just food. I'd say 10% is from supplements.

Think of "natural" bodybuilders who don't take protein shakes.....

Originally Posted by T_man

I'd say protein shakes and weight gainer shakes are quite alot more % of that.
Fair enough it you would be able to get by with just a natural diet but because of human eating habits/limits it's almost impossible to get all your diet requirements with just food. I'd say 10% is from supplements.

Think of "natural" bodybuilders who don't take protein shakes.....

Thats not what is meant by a 'natural' bodybuilder.

'Natural' means somebody who doesnt use AAS, not creatine.

Built dont lie-creatine is made of donkey jism and cow shit. god I dont know why people insist on spreading this steak rumor around.

Seriously, all creatine is a combination of Arginine, Glycine and Methionine.

Read this for a quick primer on the stuff:

• What is Creatine?

Creatine is a compound that can be made in our bodies or taken as a dietary supplement. The chemical name for Creatine is methyl guanidine-acetic acid. That sure is a mouth full - which is why it is much easier to just call it creatine. Here is the chemical makeup of creatine -

Creatine is made up of three amino acids - Arginine, Glycine and Methionine. Our liver has the ability to combine these three amino acids and make creatine. The other way we get creatine is from our diet.

• How much Creatine do we have in our body?

This varies based on the amount of muscle mass you have and your weight. On average a 160 pound person would have about 120 grams of creatine stored in their body.

• Where is Creatine stored in our body?

It is believed that 95 - 98% of the creatine in our body is stored in our muscles. The remaining about 2- 5% is stored in various other parts of the body including the brain, heart and testes.

• So what does creatine do?

Now is when the fun begins. First, before we answer this question - understand that the theory of what creatine does - is just that - theory. It is amazing how little we actually know about what goes on in our body. Anyway, we will outline what the majority of research currently agrees on in terms of what role creatine plays in our body.

1. Provide additional energy for your muscles
Time for a quick and simple biology lesson. In your body you have a compound called ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). Think of ATP as an energy containing compound. What is important to know about ATP is that the body can very quickly get energy from a ATP reaction. You have other sources of energy such as carbohydrates and fat - but they take longer to convert into a useable energy source. When you are doing an intense quick burst activity - such as lifting a weight or sprinting, your muscles must contract and need a quick source of energy. This immediate energy comes from ATP.
Okay - still with us? Here is where it gets interesting. When your muscles use ATP for energy a chemical process happens where the ATP is broken down into two simpler chemicals ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) and inorganic phosphate. This process of ATP turning into ADP releases the energy which gives your muscles the ability to contract. Unfortunately, we do not have an endless supply of ATP. In fact, your muscles only contain enough ATP to last about 10-15 seconds at maximum exertion. In case you were wondering - no, the ADP can not be used to create more energy for your muscles.
Here is where the creatine comes in - or more specifically the creatine phosphate (CP). We don't want to go into great detail on creatine vs. creatine phosphate now (that is in a later article) - all you need to know now is that the majority of creatine that is stored in the muscles bonds with abundant phosphorus stores in the muscles and is converted into Creatine Phosphate (CP). CP is able to react with the ADP in your body and turn "useless" ADP back into the "super useful" energy source - ATP. More ATP in your body means more fuel for your muscles.
2. Volumization of your muscles
Looks like we just made up that word -Volumization - doesn't it? Actually, it's just a fancy name for the process of pulling fluid into the muscle cells and thus increasing the volume of the muscles. Creatine has been shown to pull water into your muscle cells, which increases the size of your muscles. Don't get to excited - it is not clear how great an effect this has. Point #1 is a much clearer benefit of creatine.
3. Buffer Lactic Acid build-up
New research has shown that creatine can help buffer lactic acid that builds-up in the muscles during exercise. This leads to that nasty burning feel you get in your muscles. Scientifically it is a complicated process - basically the creatine bonds with a Hydrogen ion and that helps delay the build up of lactic acid. More research needs to be done to see if this point is true.
4. Enhances Protein Synthesis
There is some data to indicate that creatine helps put the body in a more anabolic state where protein synthesis can occur. The more protein synthesis - the greater the muscle gain.
Well - there you have what creatine does in a very simplified nutshell. Of all 4 points - point #1 is the most use of creatine in the body. The other points are more debated - but still look to be valid.

• Is the 120 grams of creatine in my body enough?

Maybe. The whole idea behind taking creatine as supplement is that if you workout you burn-up a lot of creatine. If you take a creatine supplement you will have more energy - because the ATP energy cycle can go on for a longer time. We go into supplementation in another article - but here is the quick run down. Unfortunately your muscle's creatine supply is not limitless. The average human has between 3.5 and 4 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle. Once you use up the creatine in your muscle you have to rest your muscles and wait a while before you can exercise the muscle again. Studies have shown that the human muscle can store up to 5 grams of creatine per kilogram. So, by taking a creatine supplement you can raise your levels from 3.5 to 5 grams of creatine - and thus enjoy more of the benefits of creatine.

• What happens to creatine that is not used by the body?

Excess creatine is eventually converted into the waste product creatinine and excreted from the body.

I stole that from another site.

if your parents are not ok with creatine or protein or anything else that is from natural food then they are ill informed or have listened to the media about bodybuilders, show them the article juggernaut just copied and explain about whey proteins benefits of other types in meat or milk etc, inform them and they will realize the benefits


unless they are like my dad and are dutch and stubborn :P

Originally Posted by Ngordyn

if your parents are not ok with creatine or protein or anything else that is from natural food then they are ill informed or have listened to the media about bodybuilders, show them the article juggernaut just copied and explain about whey proteins benefits of other types in meat or milk etc, inform them and they will realize the benefits

its not that they would'nt understand its more to do with money. times are hard as you all must know, and well they buy me protien shakes and because of me they also are buying more eggs and tined tuna on weekly basics, which they are already a bit pissed of about. so if they knew i was also snding money on creatine they wouldnt be happy.

My dad is very inteligent, (unlike me who propable spelt inteligent wrong) so if i expalnied a bit about creatine to him and got him to do some research on it i know he would be fine about me haveing it IF we had the money.

this is why i want the capsules because i can them in my room with some water quickly. but with the powder i would have to mix it downshairs in the kitchen which will take longer and then wash up. basicaly its easier hiding that im takeing capsules, then if i was to take the powder.

tell em to call me. I'll give them an offer they cant refuse. Either their brains or their signature will be on the contract.

I don't mix the powder - I just put a teaspoon in my mouth and knock it back with water. It's tasteless.

The capsules are a LOT more expensive than the powder.

MA that's fucking nasty. Of course, youre Built. Battery acid is like Scope to you.

Roflmfao!

Originally Posted by T_man

Think of "natural" bodybuilders who don't take protein shakes.....

LOL seriously

hey a few more questions for all you guys if you dont mind.

all you lot that take creatine (powder or capsules) how many of you do the loading phase then the miantances phase, and how many just have a regular amount without loading?

i have just brought some creatine capsules. they are 800mg each and there are 375 of them. it says to have 5 capsules 5 times a day for 5 days for the loading phase (25 a day in total) which means 125 for the 5 day loading phase. this leave 250 and the pack says to finish the remaining capsules by having 2 capsules 2 times a day, (4 a day in total). this means the 250 capsules will last 62 day pluse the 125 capsule on the loading days, meaning 67 days in total.

do you think it would be ok if i skiped the loading phase and just had the recomended maintance amount of 4 capsules a day (2 capsules 2 times a day) meaning the 375 capsules would last 93 days.

i have heard people saying they have 5g of creatine a day, (maintance mount). my pack says 4 capsules a day as maintance amount, but this is only 3.2g a day. wouldnt it be better if i took 6 capsules a day (3 capsules 2 times a day) which would be 4.8g a day.

basicaly would all the following methods be ok and get results:
1-follow exactly what they say and do loading, then maintance as recomended.
2-follow just there maintance amount of 3.2g a day (4 caps) no loading.
3-go against what they say and have just 4.8g a day (6 caps) no loading.

You can load or not.

If you don't load, take enough to get in 5g a day and be done with it.

Next time, buy the powder, it's cheaper.

Originally Posted by Built

You can load or not.

If you don't load, take enough to get in 5g a day and be done with it.

Next time, buy the powder, it's cheaper.

thanks built.

i think i wont load and just have 3 caps 2 times a day (6 each day which is 4.8g)

after listening to all the advice given i think once i have used these caps i will buy powder next time i want creatine.

once again thanks for everyones advice, end of thread.