Training & Nutrition - Newbie question..........Anyne here ever use....

CREATINE? Just curious if it helps?

I used to use it, in a liquid form. It was for runners though. I didn't notice a big difference. I think that the key is to eat foods with some creatine in them, but more importantly, make sure your body is getting enough protein.

It makes your bones week. At school one of our best athlets broke his femer because he took creatine. He was a senior too, and was going to state for his 3rd time.

I dont see the advantage

It makes your bones week. At school one of our best athlets broke his femer because he took creatine. He was a senior too, and was going to state for his 3rd time.

I dont see the advantage

It happened to a guy I knew who knows someone else and heard it from their sister's best friends cousin.



I have always had good experiences with creatine. It has helped me to build strength in the past. I know some people have complained of digestive problems caused by it, but I've never had any issues. You will retain some water though, make sure you stay hydrated. It's like with anything else though, unless you're busting your butt, it won't do anything but make you poop more.

no help for bike racers.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=311491&highlight=creatine

It happened to a guy I knew who knows someone else and heard it from their sister's best friends cousin.


You have never heard that it makes your bones weak? Mabe you should start looking into what your drinking more carfully.

But let me change somthing a little. It has bad effects on young people who have not fully grown. Teens and some young adult in there 20s. Yes it dose work for bodybuilders, but it weakens your bones and to me its pointless to take.

You have never heard that it makes your bones weak? Mabe you should start looking into what your drinking more carfully.

But let me change somthing a little. It has bad effects on young people who have not fully grown. Teens and some young adult in there 20s. Yes it dose work for bodybuilders, but it weakens your bones and to me its pointless to take.

Can you site a reference for this bone weakening effect?
I have not heard of this with creatine. Creatine is a component used by cells to create ATP in an anaerobic environment. It provides energy for extremely strenuous efforts of less than 10 seconds. There is some concern that it could interfere with kidney function (per my doctor, but I'm a diabetic and this may just be him being overly cautious).

I've heard the kidney concerns are from taking too much of it as your kidneys have to process the excess as waste.
if you take the proper dosage there is no concern.
take plenty of water with it and you will notice performance gains.

Creatine is natuarly in your body. You get it from fish and stuff, that is what I remmember from one of my old coach. Like anything when you bring too much of somthing into your body you mess it up.

I cant find anything agenst it, there has been no studies on children so there is the possability that it may not cause fragial bones. Im still looking though.

take plenty of water with it and you will notice performance gains.


in strength sports only.

A coach said it, therefore it must be true. Nevermind the fact that coaches generally don't know their you know what from a whole in the ground when it comes to supplements.


Ok. The thread linked wasn't real helpful. Isn't leg strength a part of cycling? If you're lifting weights trying to gain strength, creatine can help with that. I'm not advocating the supplement, just stating that I have never had any noticable bad side effects.

Isn't leg strength a part of cycling? If you're lifting weights trying to gain strength, creatine can help with that.


No.

MAP is not a function of leg strength....have a look at the Tour de France maillot jaune for proof.

Creatine isn't going to help you log 1000km a week and smoke your local criterium scene

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u164/Enthalpic/intervalcaloricbalacechart.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u164/Enthalpic/creatineinfood.jpg


Here are some cycling related links. At the very least the jury is still out on this one. Do I think that cyclists should be loading up on 20g/day? No, but 1-3g/day from food or supplement may be a valuable weapon in the athletes arsenal. Higher dosages may be helpful if worked into a periodization program (extra water weight out of competition won’t hurt).

Improves time to exhaustion at high intensities
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=9562365&query_hl=21&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=10393351


Improves recovery in cyclists after high intensity efforts.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11834115&query_hl=3&itool=pubmed_docsum

Reduced dose creatine helps endurance cyclists deal with midrace surges
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0438.htm

I took creatine in high school during football, and I felt more energized. But it's not going to do you much good in cycling.

I took creatine in high school during football, and I felt more energized. But it's not going to do you much good in cycling.

American football is the perfect kind of sport where creatine supplements would be an advantage.

I take 5 grams after strenuous workouts or rides. But I'm a vegetarian, so don't get it from meat sources. It does definitely help with surges and late ride sprints. I tried using bodybuilder doses, but all I got was heavier and crampier, so quit that immediately. I'd say if you're a meat-eater, probably don't bother. If you're a vegetarian, yes, consider it or try it. Low doses like 5-7g/day, when used in a recovery situation, shouldn't have any side effects at all.

I thought creatine just stored water in your muscle fibres in a glucose suspension that ended up making your muscles LOOK larger but had no real effect on strength.

No.

MAP is not a function of leg strength....have a look at the Tour de France maillot jaune for proof.

Creatine isn't going to help you log 1000km a week and smoke your local criterium scene


I understand the fact that someone who can squat 500 lbs may not be a great cyclist, but how can stronger legs not be beneficial to cycling? That makes no f'n sense to me, I'm not trying to be a dick. I just can't follow that logic. Do you have any proof? Are you saying professional cyclists don't ever lift weights to increase their leg strength?

I understand the fact that someone who can squat 500 lbs may not be a great cyclist, but how can stronger legs not be beneficial to cycling? That makes no f'n sense to me, I'm not trying to be a dick. I just can't follow that logic. Do you have any proof? Are you saying professional cyclists don't ever lift weights to increase their leg strength?Well, it has more to do with muscle-efficiency rather than pure-strength. Cyclists don't need ultimate high-strength, but they do need medium-high strength for hours on end. So rather than being able to squat 500-lbs, they'd rather be able to squat 400-lbs with 100 reps.

Most of the winter weight-training programme is to increase muscle-efficiency; being able to generate more power for any given volume of O2. Strength is increased through recruitment of dormant fibres, through increased mitochondria density, etc. You really don't want to increase size and weight too much as that would be detrimental to performance.

It also depends upon the type of events you're doing. A hillclimber will work mainly on their aerobic system and form. A time-trialist will focus on muscle-efficiency and aerodynamics. A sprinter would do some weight-training, much more than the hillclimber or time-trialist. Track sprinters will train almost exclusively in the gym lifting weights.

I take 5 grams a day
no side effects here. it seems to help with my riding but it could all be in my head :)
it does however help me with lifting

Well, it has more to do with muscle-efficiency rather than pure-strength. Cyclists don't need ultimate high-strength, but they do need medium-high strength for hours on end. So rather than being able to squat 500-lbs, they'd rather be able to squat 400-lbs with 100 reps.

Most of the winter weight-training programme is to increase muscle-efficiency; being able to generate more power for any given volume of O2. Strength is increased through recruitment of dormant fibres, through increased mitochondria density, etc. You really don't want to increase size and weight too much as that would be detrimental to performance.

It also depends upon the type of events you're doing. A hillclimber will work mainly on their aerobic system and form. A time-trialist will focus on muscle-efficiency and aerodynamics. A sprinter would do some weight-training, much more than the hillclimber or time-trialist. Track sprinters will train almost exclusively in the gym lifting weights.


That makes sense. Once again however, that in no way shows that creatine has zero benefits for cyclists.

My kidney failure was not caused by taking anything, but if my kidney transplant ever fails, maybe I'll see you on dialysis. Creatine? Pardon my French, but are you people nuts! Improve your performance through training and exercise if you need to, but don't take chances with your future health like that for dubious incremental gains in the present. That's just insane.

any benefit would be so marginal that it's basically the same as tossing your money in the toilet.

studies show that drinking additional liquids during excerise increase performance. that's proven. nothing is even proven with creatine.

so, have an extra glass of water or gaterade while you cycle. there, i just saved you $30 bucks.

A coach said it, therefore it must be true. Nevermind the fact that coaches generally don't know their you know what from a whole in the ground when it comes to supplements.


This "coach" is a doctor at The Bellin Heath Fitness Center in Green Bay.

What ever the Facts are about it I will not ever recomend it or take it.

That makes sense. Once again however, that in no way shows that creatine has zero benefits for cyclists.Well.. it might have some effect with sprint training and improving your jump. But that's a small 2-5% of total training time for most cyclists. Won't do squat for your average-speed (TT) or your hillclimbs.

studies show that drinking additional liquids during exercise increase performance. that's proven. nothing is even proven with creatine.

so, have an extra glass of water or gaterade while you cycle. there, i just saved you $30 bucks.

I would like to see that evidence. As long as you don’t get more than 3% dehydrated additional water does essentially nothing. Even during prolonged exercise where dehydration is a risk performance gains due to water consumption cap out at the surprisingly low amount of only 200mL/hour. The performance enhancement from sport drinks comes almost entirely from the carbohydrates, electrolytes and the mental relief of having a drink. Of course you would have to rehydrate more after the competition, and may feel worse, but that is independent of performance.

The notion that fluid consumption should match sweat losses during exercise comes from logic not fact.


This "coach" is a doctor at The Bellin Heath Fitness Center in Green Bay.

What ever the Facts are about it I will not ever recommend it or take it.

You take it every time you eat meat; like it or not. Your bone weakening concerns are related to creatine phosphate not creatine monohydrate. Excessive P consumption can lead to Ca metabolism problems but in the quantities we are discussing those fears are unwarranted anyways. PO4 is recycled extremely well in the human body and P stores are gigantic. All energy comes from the ATP -> ADP + PO4 system….


Well.. it might have some effect with sprint training and improving your jump. But that's a small 2-5% of total training time for most cyclists. Won't do squat for your average-speed (TT) or your hillclimbs.

I agree it will do nothing for your TT or hillclimbs, but the jump should not be overlooked as so insignificant. Getting dropped from the group during an attack will result in you losing your draft which basically means you lost even if 95% of your training time went into developing a wicked aerobic system. You need to survive the jumps period.

“It’s not the speed that gets you, it’s the accelerations”

Once again I am not saying take creatine, I just get annoyed with the level of unwarranted closed mindedness and paranoia. It is possible to think about it without becoming polarized to one end of the spectrum!

Are you saying professional cyclists don't ever lift weights to increase their leg strength?


Yes. find the interview with Peter Van Petegem on cyclingnews.com where he says he;s never been to a gym (but somehow managed to be one of the greatest classics riders ever...)

Strength is not an issue....anyone can pedal a bike.

Endurance and maximal aerobic power make great cyclists and you can't find this in the gym.