Road Cycling - One more creatine question

I have decided to try using creatine since I lift weights and ride as well and based on some comments from my earlier thread (thanks for all the responses!). I took my first load yesterday and found that it gave me a low grade nausea. Anybody else using it have the same experience. I understand you are supposed to take it 3-4 times per day for the first week. Don't know if I can handle the nausea. Any thoughts? Thanks and may the tailwinds be with you.

A friend of mine tried taking creatine while running track. he found that it made him really inflexible, and starting having trouble with cramping. it was actually pretty pathetic to see him on distance runs, becuase his stride would be so locked up...lol...its pathetic when 140 pound skinny people try to get big...they'll do anything.

The benefits of creatine are evanescent, and dissipate
in perhaps 15-30min of effort. It can be useful for
explosive activity such as competitive weight lifting
but its benefit for cycling and long term weight training
is not going to be perceptible beyond the placebo effect and as you found side affects occasionally
happen. Steve

I've used it when weight training, and use it early in the cycling season when I'm working on low cadence hill power. I haven't experienced nausea, but it can give an upset stomach and bloating. How much are you taking at one time? I never take on more than 5g at once, and usually mix that with orange juice.

I've heard of the "loading" phase where you take 20+g/day, but haven't really done that. I did find that creatine helps me to lift longer, and when I was lifting a lot, it seemed to help with strength increases. I believe there is sufficient science behind this to justify its use, at least for weight lifting, but I'm not sure how relevant it is to cycling.

Also, I have noticed one significant side effect for cycling - cramps. I now never take creatine on a day when it is hot, or I know I'm going to be riding a lot of long hills.

to get back to your original question about the nausea. i never took the 'full loading dose' recommendation. in time you will achieve fullness and strength weather you load or not.

hopefully you are taking the powder form.

careful of your tendons, ligaments and joints. take it from an almost 40 year old.

Whitemax, are you using a powder or liquid creatine? My boyfriend suggested trying the liquid. (he has used both) There isn't a "loading" phase, so you would only intake it momentarily before you work out. He found the powder to be more effective for weightlifting, but has never used it for cycling purposes. Hope this of some help to ya :D

The creatine thing can be confusing since there is so much misinformation and myth...

Cramping: If you cramp, it's because you are not hydrating properly - period! There is nothing about creatine in it's mechanism within the body that causes cramping. What it does do is displace water in your body to the cellular walls of your muscle. You're not retaining water as in being bloated, the water is actually absorbed and held within the cell walls - that's being a little simple about it, but that's basically what happens. If you exersise intensely and sweat heavily, you're going to need more water. Anything less than a gallon a day is just kidding yourself. You may in fact cramp and won't receive benefits anyway since your body does not have enough water to fully support the process. Nausea is typically common due to worsening states of dehydration. Drink a lot of water. I can't stress that enough.

Powder, liquid, evervecents: Don't waste your money on marketing hype. Just buy and try regular creatine powder from a reputable source (ProLab, EAS, TwinLab, even GNC). Some individuals have difficulty with the uptake of creatine and may need the insulin spike to facilitate the process. In that case, some of the creatine sold with transports may be your ticket (EAS Phosphagen HP or XT, Lebrada, etc.) The dextrose formulas spike your insulin which aids in the uptake of creatine.

Loading: YOu don't need to cycle creatine, so unless you just want to speed up the initial saturation, you don't need to load. Your normal dose of 5 - 10 grams/day will get you there just fine. The best time to take your dose (along with your vitamins, protein shakes, etc) is right after an intense ride or workout. The hour after an intense workout is your body's prime time for the absorbtion of supplements.

Hope this helps.

creatine will f you up. end o story.

creatine will f you up. end o story.

Do you have any links or references to back that up? From what I've been able to find, creatine is reasonably safe when used at normal dosages (e.g., 5-20 g/day).

Of course, anything will f you up if used to excess (e.g., Krispy Kreme donuts, beer, etc.). :p

creatine will f you up. end o story.

Lovely insight ;)

I havent taken creatine, but i am taking Whey Protein and it really really works. I have seen strength increases over the 4 weeks i have been taking it. I dont know if its all in my head, but im getting stronger..havent really seen it help on my rides though but its ok

i am taking Whey Protein and it really really works. I have seen strength increases over the 4 weeks i have been taking it.
How much do you use? I've read that 1 gram of protein per day is needed for each pound of body weight.

Merton: If you have an opinion contrary to all the research that's out there, if you're keen to experience, or have completed your own in depth scientific research that trumps all others... than fine, lets hear it and lets see if you can communicate those thoughts in a way that doesn't make you sound like someone with an IQ less than the tooth count on my small ring.

HammerTheHill: What you're experiencing with Whey protein supplementation is not in your head. Think about it. You don't build muscle while you workout, you break it down actually and it actually continues for some time after you stop lifting... it called catabolism. You only repair/grow muscle during rest and recovery. Taking a whey protein shake (which is the type of protein that is assimilated by your body) right after you workout imediately halts the breakdown and begins facilitating the repair process. By injesting protein, you're flooding your body with the building blocks you need to repair/grow your muslces. It's not in your head.

I take a 50 gram WHEY shake after any intense workout or exercise, a 50 gram shake of a blended protein (slower protein - think time release over a longer period of time) and 25 gram blended protein shake before bed time.

what's that whey stuff cost?

what's that whey stuff cost?

It can be very expensive if you buy it at health food stores or GNC. I normally get mine from http://www.nutritionexpress.com (around $25 for 5 pounds), but recently picked some up from CostCo for $22 for 6 pounds.

there is no need for you to load like the directions say. all you need to do is take 5 grams (1 teaspoon) after you bike or lift, preferably after you lift. make sure to take it with sugar. all creatine does is fill your muscles with water which makes them look bigger and makes you stronger. but once you get off it, you are back to normal. i would personally not recomend it because you get jacked and get excited then all the sudden you quit, and its really depressing to see your muscles shrink. creatine isnt that good for biking because it causes dehydration and is mostly used for high intensity, short term exercises. it also causes liver and kidney problems. i would recomend that you use whey protein powder rather than creatine. it will not poop out on you and is better for you. your muscles need protein, not creatine.

the best protein powder out there can be bought here......http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html

about that whey- the guy who I mentioned above was also taking whey protien...he said that it tasted so bad it made him gag...I think he used chocolate syrup or something to get it down...

Thanks muchly for all the kind responses. I started to take the powder and actually, I have the whey protein as well and I take it after a workout for the very reasons mentioned above. Could be this particular brand of creatine makes me get slightly nauseated which I wont be able to tolerate. I will continue with the whey and maybe cut back on the creatine a bit to see if I can get by without any nausea. Thanks again for the input.

I have decided to try using creatine since I lift weights and ride as well and based on some comments from my earlier thread (thanks for all the responses!). I took my first load yesterday and found that it gave me a low grade nausea. Anybody else using it have the same experience. I understand you are supposed to take it 3-4 times per day for the first week. Don't know if I can handle the nausea. Any thoughts? Thanks and may the tailwinds be with you.

So how much did you take? How (what kind of liquid) and at what time (empty stomach or full)? Like others have said, don't bother with the load phase. Just take around 5 mg/day and mix Creatine with a high-glycemic, non-acidic juice (e.g. grape juice or water).

I take this stuff LINK. (http://www.allsportsnutrition.com/productshow.php?productid=10)

More info HERE. (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/microcrea.htm)

BTW, I recently generated a spreadsheet on various brands of Whey protein that compares all the nutritional values as well as cost/serving that I used to buy my Whey protein. If anyone wishes to have the spreadsheet emailed to them just PM me.

Also, I'm NOT advocating the use of any supplements or the use of any merchants listed here. Use them at your own risk!

I try to ingest 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight...so in a single day i try to get atleast 200 grams of protein, i weigh 240

Itschris, you take in 50grams of protein after a workout..i would love to take in that much but i remember reading on a workout site that the body could only digest 30grams in a sitting..was it wrong? could you shed some light on this?

Most protein powders have about 20gms of protein/serving. So 200 gms minus all protein ingested in other forms (e.g. meat, nuts, etc.) leaves xx protein shakes.