Training & Nutrition - Creatine and cramping

Anybody used creatine when road racing and not had ' heavy legs ' and get a bit of cramping?

I used to take creatine when I was weight training during the winter but have never touched it at all when I was road racing, but decided to try it during the race season as it is legal to see if it had any benefits, but all I really got was heavy legs from the water retention and slight cramping in my calves(usually never suffer from cramping)

Anybody found this when taking it?

Here is a copy of my post from another thread


Creatine has extensive and good clinical research in the sports physiology arena of medicine. It is relatively safe with the exception of those with kidney problems. Just be sure you realize most of the benefits are sustained by athletic preformances that require bursts of anarobic activity such as power lifting etc. I don't recollect trials showing much improvement in sports such as long distance running and swimming. Biking is different since it does involve endurance with bursts of speed or anerobic load (sprinting in road racing and hill climbing etc in mountain biking). In addition, the studies were more significant in the lab vs. field studies which were less impressive. Don't know safety data in pregnant women but I don't see why you need to worry. RWTD, correct me if I am wrong.


However, the most serious side effect besides diarrhea, cramping and dehydration in the medical literatures is a devastating case of rhabdomyolysis (sudden muscle breakdown causing kidney failure etc.) assoicated with a body builder. Also keep in mind, short term studies show no obvious deleterious effects but there are no long term studies.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/405777


Yes, cramping is a big, big side effect. Anectodal studies suggest it can be offset by hydration, magnesium loading (2gms/day) and salt loading, but no clinical trials to support this.In adition, we don't really know why this happens and if it's clinically significant across the spectrum of athletes. http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0084.htm

I take it before weight training only on days I train and all I've noticed is fuller muscles and increased anaerobic strength.I do not load creatine rather only take 5grams with some water and quick digesting carbs right before the workout and have never experienced the problems but do seem to still get the performance benefit.Maybe this is another case where more is not better.

Doesn't sound like your situation, but....

I don't use creatine, but have wondered if some creatine-induced cramping was the result of increased anaerobic effort. I can bring on cramps (calfs are first) with several good anaerobic intervals. So, after taking creatine and looking for more power (kind of a psychological thing), I wonder if just the effort would induce the cramps as much as the creatine.

i have used creatine on and off mostly for weight training for about 3-4 years - less the last 2 years.

i used to also and/continue to take it during heavy cycling training and i never noticed any problems...

i guess i always thought it wouldn't help much as cycling is an endurance sport, but as CBHungry mentioned maybe so b/c fast twitch is used in sprinting and building these muscles can help your cycling...

i avoided taking it on race days - my idea (no real proof for it) was that the creatine would allow me to more easily really work the fast-twitch muscles --- but in a race i don't want that as these are my reserve for attacks, steep hills or the final sprint.

i used to get cramping while cycling, particularly in the calves (worst in multisport after running) but this did not seem connected to creatine and was corrected by hydration and other nutrients (magnesiuam/calcium)

anyhow: i don't see it being a problem, but i also don't see it as helping a lot --- if you take it for something else should be ok.

There's no doubt that the risks of dehydration and cramping go way up with creatine usage. As long as you figure out how to compensate and recover, you'll probably do all right.

Be careful, the cramping and dehydration can "come on" much more suddenly after creatine usage. You may not notice symptons until you are in real trouble.