# Creatine results



## BlueStumpy (11 mo ago)

I've been taking creatine (creatine monohydrate - 5g/day) and it seems to help with my climbing skills. I'm making it up rocky climbs that until recently, I would stall out on half way up. A few weeks ago, I also rebuilt my rear shock, serviced my front fork and changed the geometry (flip chip) which makes for a stiffer ride. So it does make me wonder if the improvements are from the supplements or the set-up tweaks ... or both. Anyone else see results from taking creatine?


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Negative. I retain water like crazy when I take it, and gain 5+ pounds. From what I understand, it assists with short explosive movements, but is either neutral or detracts from aerobic exertion. The weight gain alone impedes my climbing. Much better off (for me at least) to avoid it entirely, even when lifting regularly and heavy.

After decades of supplements, my advice is to save money, save your body, avoid supplements entirely (apart from maybe a good quality multi-vitamin), and eat sensibly.


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## Suns_PSD (Dec 13, 2013)

I use to train and experiment a lot with legal, and some not so legal supplements.'

Creatine sucks, you just retain a bunch of water, look soft, and gain explosive strength but tire out very quickly.


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## joe2022 (8 mo ago)

I started taking it a few months back since I didn't feel like I was gaining in improvements claiming hills. It was probably because of a low protein in my diet.

After a few weeks, I started to feel like I had more energy than before. Since then, I have doubled my ride from 12 miles to 21 miles. Short breaks between rounds and I am good.

Last Wednesday, I had a good workout at the gym and hours later I took a 10 mile bike ride from home to the local dam.

Supplements work with good diet and exercise. I ain't young anymore but I feel better than I did 5 years ago.

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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

BlueStumpy said:


> I've been taking creatine (creatine monohydrate - 5g/day) and it seems to help with my climbing skills. I'm making it up rocky climbs that until recently, I would stall out on half way up. A few weeks ago, I also rebuilt my rear shock, serviced my front fork and changed the geometry (flip chip) which makes for a stiffer ride. So it does make me wonder if the improvements are from the supplements or the set-up tweaks ... or both. Anyone else see results from taking creatine?


As an aside, what kind of creatine are you taking? I have used every single variant extensively and found that for size and strength gains, plain old creatine monohydrate was most effective. But again, that’s weight gain consisting of water retention. If you like that look, great. I always felt like a bloated stuffed sausage but kept with it in hopes of getting HUGE. Lol.

If I could turn back time, I would never go near the stuff. Or any other supplements. What a scam (IMHO). And it’s not benign - even the GNC stuff. Whatever you do, make sure you cycle it.


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## Hexsense (Aug 10, 2021)

Only took creatine back in my muscle building days. And stopped it when I'm more serious about cycling.
Now, I convert to Beta-Alanine instead, but only when I plan to do hard intervals.
I'm not taking any supplements continuously, too often.


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## Suns_PSD (Dec 13, 2013)

mtnbkrmike said:


> As an aside, what kind of creatine are you taking? I have used every single variant extensively and found that for size and strength gains, plain old creatine monohydrate was most effective. But again, that’s weight gain consisting of water retention. If you like that look, great. I always felt like a bloated stuffed sausage but kept with it in hopes of getting HUGE. Lol.
> 
> If I could turn back time, I would never go near the stuff. Or any other supplements. What a scam (IMHO). And it’s not benign - even the GNC stuff. Whatever you do, make sure you cycle it.


GNC sells products more dangerous than real gear, ask me how I know.


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## Hexsense (Aug 10, 2021)

On the note of geometry change:
Yes, rear suspension setting can change how you climb a lot.

I have a bike with a huge dose of anti-squat (approach 190%) and another bike with neutral anti-squat (~95%). On flat, they ride the same.
When I attack hard climb, weight transfer to the back so the one with neutral anti-squat rotate me back. Rear sag further, fork rise as there's less weight on it.
The one with huge anti-squat value put me in a noticeably more neutral position. Rear suspension doesn't sag as much (thanks how anti squat value works when I attack the climb) which result in the fork sag more and my position is more neutral.

A stiffer rear suspension should help you the similar way my bike with higher anti-squat help... Until you hit some edge and the stiff suspension stall out.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Hexsense said:


> Only took creatine back in my muscle building days. And stopped it when I'm more serious about cycling.
> Now, I convert to Beta-Alanine instead, but only when I plan to do hard intervals.
> I'm not taking any supplements continuously, too often.


I used to take Gaspari Anavite multi-vitamins. The beta-alanine in it used to make my skin tingle from head to toe. Does it have the same effect on you?


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## Suns_PSD (Dec 13, 2013)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I used to take Gaspari Anavite multi-vitamins. The beta-alanine in it used to make my skin tingle from head to toe. Does it have the same effect on you?


You didn't ask me, but yes, this happened to me as well.


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## Hexsense (Aug 10, 2021)

Suns_PSD said:


> GNC sells products more dangerous than real gear, ask me how I know.


Yeah, I wouldn't put GNC in the list of trusted brand.
Thorne brand seems to be a class above on ingredient quality and research, but they tend to recommend overdose. Like, the recommend dosage is too much for anyone under 200lbs. So... I'd recommend Thorne over GNC any day of the week. But reduce the number of pill/capsule you take from what they recommend.



mtnbkrmike said:


> I used to take Gaspari Anavite multi-vitamins. The beta-alanine in it used to make my skin tingle from head to toe. Does it have the same effect on you?


Yes, I got that too. It's a known side effect which is not dangerous (based on research). But the fact that I can feel its side effect at all is a bit concerning.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Hexsense said:


> Yeah, I wouldn't put GNC in the list of trusted brand.
> Thorne brand seems to be a class above on ingredient quality and research, but they tend to recommend overdose. Like, the recommend dosage is too much for anyone under 200lbs. So... I'd recommend Thorne over GNC any day of the week. But reduce the number of pill/capsule you take from what they recommend.
> 
> 
> Yes, I got that too. It's a known side effect which is not dangerous (based on research). But the fact that I can feel its side effect at all is a bit concerning.


At the time, I actually was comforted by the tingling effect. At least I knew I was paying for _something_. I did find it to be a bit of a creepy feeling doing cardio after taking it. Lifting was fine. Cardio, not so much.

One of many cupboards of wasted money, BITD:


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## Carl Mega (Jan 17, 2004)

That^ really takes me back. BITD I was completely immersed in gym culture leaning towards what would eventually lead into fitness model. Despite being what I'd now consider to be muscle bound, I didn't have the mass that the local or national body building type 'leaders' would sort of set as a target. No matter how much you were into lean physiques, the was a gravitational pull into "size" and your lift #s. You start to get into normalization of what other ppl were doing in their pursuits of these ambitions - supplementation was about as routine as putting on your socks in the morning. 

I remember my friend Richard (who was older than me) telling me "you don't know whats in there" and "you are probably taxing your kidneys and organs"...."eat food" be healthy for the long haul. Of course being young I didn't really give his opinion much weight as I was thinking he was outdated and not up on things - modern times! So many voices in the industry & scene espousing products.

Fast forward some 30 years and you couldn't pay me to take any of that stuff; I'm firmly with Richard. Do supplements work? Maybe. But I don't even think that's the question anymore - for me, it's are the purported benefits worth the uncertainty and risk? I'm a hard *no *there. Times change and so do sensibilities... I think many of us who matured out of the scene/culture have common experience and shared outlooks but there's always another crop who get their turn at this experimentation.

I reminded of an old fishing saying: "Most lures are only proven at catching fishermen".


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Carl Mega said:


> That^ really takes me back. BITD I was completely immersed in gym culture leaning towards what would eventually lead into fitness model. Despite being what I'd now consider to be muscle bound, I didn't have the mass that the local or national body building type 'leaders' would sort of set as a target. No matter how much you were into lean physiques, the was a gravitational pull into "size" and your lift #s. You start to get into normalization of what other ppl were doing in their pursuits of these ambitions - supplementation was about as routine as putting on your socks in the morning.
> 
> I remember my friend Richard (who was older than me) telling me "you don't know whats in there" and "you are probably taxing your kidneys and organs"...."eat food" be healthy for the long haul. Of course being young I didn't really give his opinion much weight as I was thinking he was outdated and not up on things - modern times! So many voices in the industry & scene espousing products.
> 
> ...


I couldn’t agree more.


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## WhiteDLite (Mar 4, 2016)

Only supplements I take are a protein shake with milk in the AM for breakfast. 
I also mix this stuff, AMINO ENERGY, with water throughout the day at 1/2 serving per 32oz ozark trail cup. This stuff is less than $0.50 a serving and even less since I'm cutting it in half.


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## BlueStumpy (11 mo ago)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I used to take Gaspari Anavite multi-vitamins. The beta-alanine in it used to make my skin tingle from head to toe. Does it have the same effect on you?


Can't say I've felt anything like that but I'm not taking supplement mix. For creatine, I'm buying straight-up pure creatine powder (I believe it's made in Germany). I do mix it with some electrolytes but I'm also getting those as individuals powders and mixing them myself. 
On weight gain, It may have added 3-4 pounds (I'm 225) but it does seem to settle in my muscles vs unwanted places (according to my wife's expert analysis). I'm still a long ways off from worrying about buying carbon fiber small bits to save weight. 😀


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

This thread has brought back some really fond memories of exciting times.

Who else used to buy frozen Welch’s grape juice by the half dozen so that you could take your creatine monohydrate during an insulin spike? Coulda been a bunch of bro-science. I didn’t care. My freezer was full of frozen grape juice.

That was a super cool era of my life.


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## b rock (Jan 5, 2017)

mtnbkrmike said:


> This thread has brought back some really fond memories of exciting times.
> 
> Who else used to buy frozen Welch’s grape juice by the half dozen so that you could take your creatine monohydrate during an insulin spike? Coulda been a bunch of bro-science. I didn’t care. My freezer was full of frozen grape juice.
> 
> That was a super cool era of my life.


no grape juice for me, I paid through the nose for pomegranate juice instead. I can still taste that weird, bloody fruit juice and the poorly mixed creatine


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## joe2022 (8 mo ago)

I've been taking creatine pills with some food a few hours before I workout or ride.

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## Dogbrain (Mar 4, 2008)

It absolutely makes my steep climbs better, even when I'm just grinding them out. I've run the experiment enough to be sure.

Creatine is the most widely researched supplement that exists and has no meaningful negative effects unless you have kidney damage or severe bipolar disorder. The positive effects go way beyond strength/power. From mood to neurological performance, there are many benefits for most people. I didn't start taking it for performance gains, that's just a nice little side effect. 

Most folks don't need to full 5g to get a benefit though. I usually do about 3g.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

mtnbkrmike said:


> Negative. I retain water like crazy when I take it, and gain 5+ pounds. From what I understand, it assists with short explosive movements, but is either neutral or detracts from aerobic exertion. The weight gain alone impedes my climbing. Much better off (for me at least) to avoid it entirely, even when lifting regularly and heavy.
> 
> After decades of supplements, my advice is to save money, save your body, avoid supplements entirely (apart from maybe a good quality multi-vitamin), and eat sensibly.


I tried it twice, years ago, separated by a few years.

Both times i sprained badly my Achilles.
Could be coincidence, but i read that creatinine weakens tendons.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

Hexsense said:


> On the note of geometry change:
> Yes, rear suspension setting can change how you climb a lot.
> 
> I have a bike with a huge dose of anti-squat (approach 190%) and another bike with neutral anti-squat (~95%). On flat, they ride the same.
> ...


Interesting. My bike has also a lot of anti squat, similar to yours.
I feel that on steep rocky terrain, the rear suspension feels very stiff, almost like I'm stalling when the rear wheel hits a rock.



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## ballisticexchris (Jun 14, 2016)

Pedialyte sport here in water bottle on each ride. Before they had formulas for adults I used the baby Pedialyte mixed 50/50 with water for long rides on bicycles as well as hard enduro trail rides on moto bike. 

Creatine was a hot fad in the 80's for my powerlifting buddies getting big. It was a great alternative to bull semen or anabolic steroid injections. I have never heard of it being used for sustained energy or bursts of power on a bicycle.


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## TylerVernon (Nov 10, 2019)

Never tried creatine but leg day has had a huge effect on steep climbs.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

TylerVernon said:


> Never tried creatine but leg day has had a huge effect on steep climbs.


…in a good way I assume. I heavily got into 5x5 power lifts a few years ago over fall and winter and in the spring I increased my front ring by 4 teeth. I could have gone 6.

I’m lifting a lot lighter now. Still good. Different purpose. Smaller front ring 😝


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

Suns_PSD said:


> GNC sells products more dangerous than real gear, ask me how I know.


 What products are you referring to from GNC? 

There are different rules and regulations for what supplements can be sold in the US compared to other countries, such as here in the UK, so I’d like to know.


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## cvbrewer (Sep 9, 2020)

Creatinine is generally regarded as safe used as directed (dosing and water intake) and helps anaerobic endurance so that you can train harder. When I take it I can do more reps. Intramuscular water increases, which hasn’t ever made me look soft. Just bigger. Which I like. 

I’ve used it on and off over the years. Off now. Straight powder with water for me though taking with sugar can increase uptake I’ve heard.

I wouldn’t expect it to help cycling directly as much except for burst power like short climbs. Indirectly you’d be bigger and stronger if you were also weight training I’d say.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I didn't read much of this thread....

Creatine plays a role in the Krebs cycle and stimulates ATP PC production. I'd imagine for some this would enhance aerobic activity and increase at least short bursts of muscular effort. I reckon these effects would very wildly from person to person depending on how much red meat you ate and how well your body metabolizes creatine. However I'd imagine after your cells are saturated in creatine 5g daily would just be something else your body has to deal with to excrete,... ie would not want to get dehydrated consuming that much a day. Also the Krebs cycle just as any other system in the body is extremely complicated in that we don't really understand it, especially in pleiotropy with many other mechanisms.


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## Suns_PSD (Dec 13, 2013)

WR304 said:


> What products are you referring to from GNC?
> 
> There are different rules and regulations for what supplements can be sold in the US compared to other countries, such as here in the UK, so I’d like to know.


I used some off the shelf 'Testosterone booster' type product from GNC about 13 years ago for a period of weeks, began to feel really weird & experience some issues in the bedroom. 
Blood tests soon afterwards revealed that my endocrine system was wrecked and I was essentially making no natural T any longer.
My doc attempted to jump start me but my T levels kept falling to the floor. I mean really low, numbers common in women which is way below a typical male diagnosed with low T. My doctor (a long time ex-gfs father who I knew well and who used steroids himself) said it was probably just a high dose of a very anabolic steroid and it would have been safer using the real thing. Understand that anyone with a sink to mix ingredients and a label maker can sell supplements in the US. 
I was training hard and eating well and was shredded even without the assistance of T.
After many attempts at restarts I have been on HRT for about a decade now. 
It's certainly possible it was coincidence, hereditary, whatever. But it certainly was initiated by those GNC supplements at that particular moment. 



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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Suns_PSD said:


> I used some off the shelf 'Testosterone booster' type product from GNC about 13 years ago for a period of weeks, began to feel really weird & experience some issues in the bedroom.
> Blood tests soon afterwards revealed that my endocrine system was wrecked and I was essentially making no natural T any longer.
> My doc attempted to jump start me but my T levels kept falling to the floor. I mean really low, numbers common in women which is way below a typical male diagnosed with low T. My doctor (a long time ex-gfs father who I knew well and who used steroids himself) said it was probably just a high dose of a very anabolic steroid and it would have been safer using the real thing. Understand that anyone with a sink to mix ingredients and a label maker can sell supplements in the US.
> I was training hard and eating well and was shredded even without the assistance of T.
> ...











Straight from GNC. Same issues as reported above. Fully reversible, thankfully.

Every person I know who did supplements, shall I say “heavily”, experienced multiple bad side effects of varying natures and duration. And I’m talking GNC supplements.


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

I tried creatine once and my kidneys did not like processing it whatsoever. 

IMO there are some worthwhile supplements. Vit D and Mg are often low and can be very helpful, not risky unless you go overboard, like anything. Low Vit D has some really negative effects including depression, low functioning immune system, addiction to opioids is much more likely, and ill effects from covid much more likely. 

I've been trying David Sinclair's regiment of NMN and resveratrol, and use exercise and fasting instead of Metformin or Berberine. NMN has so far been proven in human trials to make muscles more sensitive to insulin. I also take a few things that supplement methyl groups which are used when NMN is processed including TMG, methyl folate and pterostilbene. Anyways, worth googling if you're not familiar. Been doing this for a long time and bloodwork was fine last time it was checked. 

A new study has found some benefits to taking a multi vitamin but a ton of evidence points to the contrary. IDK.


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