whitemax

Anyone here know of any legal supplements that can enhance performance? Creatine is supposed to be good for bodybuilders. I was wondering if any here have used it and with what kind of results. Thanks

Avalanche325

Miles, miles, miles.

Oh yeah,

hills, hills, hills.

timtheroadbiker

I used creative all this winter, while weightlifting. I have gone from 159lbs to 171lbs. So I am hoping its muscle. Also I have my first training race this weekend. So I am hope that stuff payed off. Also it does make it where you can push a big gear for longer periods of time. B/c I had to do 10 minutes in zone 3 at 60rpm.

timtheroadbiker

In other words that stuff rules!!!!!!!!!! Try it!

Stochastix

Roughly speaking, creatine builds up mass by keeping more water in the muscle fibers. Because of this, one has to increase his water intake or face possible renal problems.

Personally, I don't think that it is recommended for cycling, where mass gain is not an advantage. Creatine will perhaps enable you to overtrain, but that again might not be what you want.

My advice; stick to protein shakes and power bars...

OneTinSloth

mmmm.......shake...

Sweetness

I agree with Stochastix. Although I have not personally taken Creatine, my better half has for weightlifting. There is a definite gain in mass. I wouldn't see the benefits of this during cycling. We are addicted to PowerBars though *giggle* Ya know you can buy them by the case on Ebay.. Yes, I am a sick, sick person.

Sweetness

Oh also try threads under:
Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Training & Nutrition > Supplements

I am sure there is some good stuff there

itschris

Being an avid weightlifter and someone who researches everything to the nth degree, I can offer some advice.

I have taken creatine in it's different forms for about 5 years. Without a doubt and you will plenty of research to back this up, endurance gains can be just as dramatic as strength and mass. There have been numerous studies on long distance runners that indicate significant gains in overall endurance. Considering that biking is both endurance AND power, creatine is a natural fit for our passtime.

The two main issue are hydration and absorbtion. Hydration is key to avoid cramping and actually allow the process to work... on average no less than a gallon of water a day, more if you're out on long rides sweating profusely. Absorbtion is the other issue. Not all individuals seem to absorb creatine the same. Typically, by introducing sugar (fructose, preferrably dextrose) the uptake of creatine in the muscles can be significantly improved due to the spike in insulin. Being that we have a tendancy to drink gatorade and other high carb energy drinks anyway, most will be able to simply take regular creatine with one of those drinks or you can spend additional money and buy creatine that comes with it's own transport like EAS Phosphgen.

It's safe, and as long as you drink enough water, you won't experience the number one criticism - cramping. Give it a shot for 6 to 8 weeks and I'll bet you'll notice a difference.

TrekRider

Remember the law of trade-offs. For every positive, there is a negative. The positives and negatives of steroids are well known, but the long-term negatives of creatine are not. Personally, I do not put anything into my body to artificially increase strength, endurance, or any other physical attribute.

Want to pedal faster? Practice sprints. Want to climb better? Practice on hills. If you need artificial enhancements to do "better," you must ask yourselves, are the possible detrimental effects down the road worth the momentary speed increases now.

While that is a purely personal answer, to me, unless you are on track to be the next Lance Armstrong, then I would say the possible negatives of creatine are not worth it.

RiPHRaPH

creatine, always taken in the powder EAS form is great for short bursts of energy like weightlifting. 5-6 years ago i used it and was benching 305+ x 10....

the curse is: people use it to get stronger. muscle mass greatly increases due to water getting into the microscopic areas of the muscle but.... it doesn't strengthen the ligaments and tendons/ and the joints aren't used to the great increases in effort you are now doing in such a short time.

if you are younger than 39-40 listen to me. your joints will be permanently f'ed up if you lift after using creatine and your eyes and mind want you to lift more than your support system is capable of doing.

not recommended for cycling. extra weight,mass....and the long term effects on the kidneys has not been proven. and creatine does nothing for endurance.

Saso

Being regional distributors for EAS, Designer Whey and Power Bar and the years I have in training and advising athletes I can offer my .02c.

In summary...
The Creatine supplies the muscles with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) The primary energy-producing molecule for bursts of energy such as weightlifting, sprinting etc. It also retains water in the muscles known as the 'volumizing' effect. This action helps create new muscles growth rapidly. For road racing or long distance cycling I would advise AGAINST using creatine because of the negative effects it will cause an endurance athlete.

Negatives- The Athlete will gain water mass/weight in the muscle causing a heavy or loaded effect , not something that hill climber or road racer wants.

The extra creatine will not be used unless the explosive energy bursts are used ...yet weigh this against the extra weight you will have to carry around.

SOme users get cramping from the extra creatine maybe because a lot of water is absorbed in the muscle and extra water is required to rehydrate (hence the water weight)

Creatine outweights the negatives and should be used only when the required ATP levels are needed for prolonged vigourous exercise such as sprints. Where the the ATP is needed all the time for full blast, in such cases it will prolong fatigue and enhance muscle strenght and mass.

To make a long story short, road racers can use protein and glutamine to reduce catabolism and rebuild muscle, and most importantly carbohydrates to restore glycogen levels before the muscle go catabolic...usually immediately after a ride or during long arduous training.

Its all about nutrition.

Sweetness

Wow, Whitemax... lots of info for ya!

Saso, I don't think I could distribute PowerBars, I think I am addicted to them..*grin* Can those be distributed to the end consumer in bulk?