JohnnyO

Hey I'm about to start a few months of intense training in the winter and I was thinking about taking creatine. I run mid distance track (800 meter, mile) in a few months in the spring. If I take creatine now while I lift (I'll be lifting heavy and the goal is to increase strength) will this make me much heavier and thus slow me down for the spring?

I know that I will naturally gain weight from lifting, but will the creatine excessively tack on weight? And if so, will it be mostly water weight that comes off shortly after I stop taking creatine?

Finally, I heard that creatine will give runners cramps. Now, is that only while taking the creatine, or will the cramps stay with me for a long period of time after I stop taking it?

There's so much information on creatine out there that I can't tell which is accurate and which is bull, so I hope someone on this forum can cut through the crap and just give me a straight answer, hopefully from experience. Thanks

m11

"Does a bigger motor slow the car down? No. But a bunch of junk in the trunk does." -Rippetoe

You'll only gain weight if your caloric intake is above maintenance.

Water retention and creatine is a myth. Perhaps the connection between water retention and creatine arises from poor quality creatine products that contain high amounts of sodium. High intake of sodium may briefly cause water retention.

This is fiction.

Anyway, you're an athlete -- you should be drinking plenty of water as is.

You won't cramp due to creatine.

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ItsAParadox

I am taking creatine right now and can tell you what m11 is all true.

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PushAndPull

I've tried lots of different brands of creatine monohydrate, and always gained weight (roughly 5lbs)

Regardless of what causes this effect, water weight or some other volumizing property of the creatine, my weight always returned to normal about a week after I stopped taking it.

You should feel this weight in your muscles(e.g. your shirt should feel a little tighter, due to your chest/arms getting bigger) Most importantly, you should be able to train a little bit harder and longer than normal.

JohnnyO

exactly what I needed to hear. I'll give it a whirl for a few months see how I respond to it. Thanks fellas