Training & Nutrition - Creatine or Other Supplements

I'm a big guy...someone threw up the idea of creatine...I am not too informed of these supplements and I don't want to walk into GNC clueless as to what I should want....I want to lose fat build muscle...that's my goal. Losing FAT being the main thing....what would be something for me to look into?

bump?

Creatine's a power supplement. If you want to lift heavier weights, or sprint harder, it'd be useful, but it is *not* a fat-loss supplement. It also draws more water into the muscles so you'll gain weight and look, as my gym-teens call it, "swole". I've read studies (sorry, I can't remember the links) that look at creatine's usefulness and for endurance work it is nil. So if you're spending a couple of hours on the bike, save your money, but if you're dong power circuits, spend away :)

There are no magic pills, just hard work.

Ride more, eat better, and the weight will go away.

Don't know about creatine. How about some Soy Bean flour? For 30g it's 0 Fat, 15 Protein, 6 Fiber, and just 2 sugar, all of which adds up to 80 calories.

I also always tell myself this:
Enjoy the feeling of being hungry. Try to eat just enough to be a little hungry all day, except immediately after eating. If I'm not starving in the morning then I ate too much the night before. Try to get 75% of dinner calories from veggies.

I agree with the above statments, although I do not practice what I preach sometimes, but eating well and biking more will be the best way.

Creatine only builds up bulk and "swole", while a light muscle workout and lots of protein and calcium will help with the lean muscle mass burn some fat while the biking will do the rest.

Creatine will definitely not help you lose fat and gain muscle. Creatine will make you retain lots of water weight, which is probably not something you want. There really aren't supplements that can help alot.

If you are fairly heavy right now, I'd suggest lifting ALOT. Not alot of weight persay, but you should be lifting every part of your body until exhaustion (lifting a bottle of water afterwards should feel like trying to curl 65#). The body buids muscle much much quicker from excess fat, and the extra muscle also boosts your metabolism

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I did some study on Creatine a couple of years ago. My sister's kids were wanting to use if for high school football and I wanted to see if it would provide any benefit for my riding. My sister decided the kids didn't need it, and I came to the conclusion that it would be more trouble than it was worth. It may provide some benefits for riding, but only if you are more of a "power rider". I wouldn't recommend it...you won't get much out of it. As mentioned above, it's probably best suited for weight lifters, etc.

I take creatine as supplement and DON'T recommend it if for cycling. Creatine gives you energy for weightlifting. Creatine is not appropiate when doing endurance since it dehydrates your body fast! When I'm on creatine, I don't ride my bike, and viceversa.

Read here: http://www.discussfitness.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7 , the topic "Creatine FAQ"

It has worked for me to gain weight when combined with whey protein. I can't think of a reason why it should help you lose weight though...

Another issue: if you go into supplements, make sure you go with a good brand. Optimum Nutrition is a very good manufacturer of Creatine Monohydrate and other stuff. I buy it for cheap at www.muscleshoppe.com

Take it from me if your wanting to loss weight the key is a good balanced diet that each day gives you a calorie def. First thing I would ask you is what is your current weight? Using that we can figure out what your daily protein needs are and roughly figure out how many calories you need a day to maintane your current weight.

Also above all even as a cyclist or what not plan your carbs well. For example eat your biggest carb meal of the day in morning this will give you the energy you need to get through the day then by the time you eat dinner get carbs only from veggies and fruits not pasta/rice/potato type foods.

Is it always easy? No! But I promise you if you are eatting your recommended protein amounts for the day you wont get hungry even though you are cutting calories.

Hi everybody. This is my first post to this forum although I have read the discussions for several months. I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth to the creatine discussion.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the legitimate supplement industry. Most of the products on the market do nothing to directly increase strength or muscular development. ( Steroids are a notable exception to this but that is another topic) Creatine, like most supplements, works to shorten recovery time between workouts. The reasoning being that the quicker you recover the more intense workouts you can perform.

Creatine is found naturally in the body and is naturally found in red meats. Its primary function is to attract water to muscle tissue to properly hydrate the tissue as well as flush lactic acid and other contaminants out of the muscle. The theory for supplementing is that if a little water in the muscle tissue is good then a lot will be better. From my experience and others I have spoken with the theory is sound. I use liquid creatine during intense training periods to shorten recovery times. It is not recommended for continuous use but is perfectly fine for periodic use as part of an organized training schedule.

Keep in mind that the supplement industry is nearly completely overrun with fraudulent and over-hyped products by unscrupulous companies. Any excursion into supplements should come only after doing your homework and weeding out the miracle cure all claims and finding a reputable manufacturer. If you approach supplements from an educated perspective then one can make an informed decision about whether supplements are for you.

-Mike