Creatine

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Minnow

Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Posts: 19

Creatine Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2005 9:13 pm

Creatine powder supplements are supposedly helpful for bodybuilders / weightlifters etc to help in energy production during workouts and other various effects. However, i would like to know if any endurance athletes have any experience with creatine reducing fatigue. A few years ago i competed in a half marathon, then backed up the following day with a 5km event. Standing around at the awards ceremony after made my legs stiffer than an elm tree. The following day i could hardly move, but the next day i consumed some creatine and went for a short jog, still feeling quite sore. The following day i had no soreness whatsoever, and was able to go straight back to my regular training schedule.

Rickshaw
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
San Francisco, CA
Joined: 26 Nov 2004
Posts: 1157

Re: Creatine Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:35 am

I've never used it myself, but as far as I'm aware, it's not common among runners or other endurance athletes. I thought creatine was primarily used by body builders for increasing muscle mass? I did some web searches to try to learn more, but all I found were places that wanted to sell me creatine, and so had a pretty biased report on the pros and cons of using it. If the main effect is to help build muscle mass, then I could see how it might be helpful to runners up to a point. I would guess it would take a while to provide a benefit though-- probably longer than the one day between when you took some and your soreness disappeared. But that's just my guess. Do you know of a good online information source about creatine?

mfox

South Orange, New Jersey
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 367

Re: Creatine Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:26 pm

As I understand it, the use of Creatine requires that you load up on it the first day by taking something like 5 times the normal amount. Then you have to take a regular dose EVERY day. If you miss more than a day you have to start over with the initial load again.

Pretender
Runworks 2005 5M Racer
Kansas, OK
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 100

Re: Creatine Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 12:48 pm

I read a lengthy article on this subject a number of months ago. Basically, it won't help you much in endurance events. But it can help a little. However, for most the trade off is too high (you need to drink even more fluids than you normally would). Probably great for a sprinter, but if you are running marathons, forget it. If I find the article I will post the link.

Machforce1

Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 9

Re: Creatine Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:32 am

Creatine is good for short bursts of power such as weightlifting, powerlifting or sprinting. It is used up very quickly and thus, wouldn't really help an endurance athlete very much at all. On the down side, excessive creatine use can destroy your kidneys regardless of what the marketing hype would have you believe.

Ross Dunton

Tennessee
Joined: 30 Apr 2005
Posts: 1

Re: Creatine Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:16 am

The basic energy system is composed of ATP which is backed up by CP (Creatine Phosphate). At max effort/speed, the ATP is good for about 2 seconds. The CP is the converted to ATP, adding about another 6 seconds. At max effort/speed, the ATP/CP will last for about 8 seconds, which is why sprinters are starting to slow down near the end of the 100. The Creatine that you purchase is CM (Creatine Monohydrate) which is converted by the body to CP. There have been a lot of studies on CM, some showing that it helps, some showing that it doesn't. It is virtually impossible to conduct a double blind study because you know when you are on it. It causes the muscle cells to absorb more water and the user gains about 6 pounds. It "puffs up the muscles", which is why body builders take it before a show. Most runners don't want to haul around that extra weight.

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