Couple of Creatine questions

Hi folks

I've read a fair amount of information about Creatine and the goods/bads about it, but there's a few questions that never seem to get answered.

1. If I am taking creatine daily, and do not exersize, what will it do to me? Will I put on weight or will it just do nothing?

2. Because I have classes 3 times a week, I tend to only do weights 1-2 times a week. Do you have to be doing a certain amount of weights a week to get the benifit or can I use creatine only on the days that I do weights?

My goal is to gain some strength(for MA) and build some bulk/muscle/definition (because i'm vain).

If anyone has any answers then I'd be delighted to hear them.

Thanks

If your goal is to get muscle definition then creatine is absolutely not the way to go. Creatine binds water to your muscle fibers and will make them look thicker but you'll be bloated and not "ripped"

also with creatine, you do have to take it every day or it will leave your body quickly and you'll receive no benefit from it. since it binds to water in your body, if you dont keep replenishing the creatine you will urinate it away.

creatine is also meant to be cycled. that means you use it for maybe three months and then go off of it for three months. it can stress you kidneys so I find this to be particularly important.

personally I find creatine effective, but many people claim it doesnt work for them (I think they dont take it on off days though) but to be honest its only worth taking if you find your regular diet and exercise regimen have hit a wall and you're no longer making gains. then take the creatine for a month or more to break through that plateau

...and I can't stress this enough. drink tons of water if you do take it. I've read lots of stories about wrestlers who take it while cutting water weight dying or otherwise injuring their heart.


so anyway on to your questions =)

1. the creatine molecule itself provides energy to your muscles during anaerobic use (think weight lifting, and not running) so chances are in your off days you won't get your muscles into that anaerobic regime. So, for all intents and purposes it will do nothing on your days off. but other benefits have been found wth creatine. check this out http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3145223.stm

2. Yes you do have to lift weights to get the intended benefit. creatine doesn't put mass on you on its own (unless you count the water bloating) all it does is get you more bang for your buck in the gym. it is still your hard work that will get you anywhere. The major definig factor in the effectiveness of creatine is how consistent you are in dosing. so you still have to take it on days off.

sorry, no free ride =)

>> build some bulk/muscle/definition

Um, either you bulk or you define. You really can't do both at once...

And creatine is for bulking.

Creatine monohydrate when ingested is processed into Creatine Phosphate, and is used to prolong Anaerobic exertion by helping replenish ATP within the muscles.
If you have a naturaly high store of CP, then you will probably not percieve a big difference whilst taking creatine.
Any supplement, even anabolic steroids, would not change your physique/performance for the better without the appropriate training. An underused, lazy body will look exactly that.
Bulking/definition has little/nothing to do with creatine supplementation. Bulking is eating too much whilst undergoing regular training- this leads to the storage of unused (and therefore unnecessary) energy in the form of bodyfat.
Training for definition merely means that you are training as normal, but watching your diet more closely to achieve the correct energy balance, thus not leading to excess energy in the body, hence no increase in bodyfat.

Creatine making you 'hold water' or 'look smooth' is a consideration only to the truly 'ripped' prior to contest. A normal, active weight trainer, with a sensible healthy bodyfat level (8-15%) will percieve little/no loss of aesthetic quality whilst on creatine. Many who take creatine in an effort to get big, do so in conjunction with too much food, hence the 'bloating' they experience is good old fashioned fat gain due to over indulgence.

Ok, so maybe creatine isn't the right way to go.

I'm currently about 72kg, 5ft 11 , and have quite a slim build.
I seem to have hit a brick wall with my progress and was looking for something to help me push past it.
I currently eat a fair amount of red and white meat and eat pretty healthily, but was trying to see if there was something that will give me that extra push to get past the brick wall and start progressing again.

I used to be around the 80kg mark, but cut weight last year due to a lot of training. Not only did I lose a lot of fat, I lost a lot of muscle definition and am struggling to put it back on.

I have looked at protein shakes etc. but I'm not sure if any of this kind of thing will help me as I already have quite a natural high-protein diet.

Gaining muscle is a long and frustrating process that involves detail in the journey, yet having no short term destination. To put this in perspective, if you gain a genuine 4-5lbs of muscle in a year you are doing well. This statement is going to get a few posts saying 'well I have put on 15lbs in the last 6 months!' and the posters will have done that, its just not all muscle.
Pills and potions are not the answer to sticking points and performance plateaus. You have to look at what activities you are doing, and their frequency and intensity, and from there assess if its working. You need to change your routine every 3 months or so to provide the body with new challenges so that your improvement continues. This means that every year you have a quarterly self assessment and a new start from which to work from. Keeps you fresh and focused.
Either PM me your weekly training (weights/cardio/ma/other activities), or post it in the strength forum to get some feedback that may help

May I suggest trying Kre Alkalyn? It's by far the best Creatine I've ever used, no cycling, no bloating, and very little water retention. Definately worth a look. It varies from person to person, I respond well to Creatine and this was the best stuff for me, not too mention it's easier, pop a couple pills, no mixing of powders or anything. Take it on your off days as well.You lose very little weight when you stop taking it, I know having spent 2 months off of it, I lost very little. Definately worth a look.

http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information...e/creatine.html

I've read this myself. creatine sounds good to me. Bupa knows there stuff.

From my personal experience creatine is great. I stick with EAS phosphagen and love it. The strength gains and muscle addition is a definate increase. Some people are different of course. For instance it does nothing for some of my friends. Of course you must eat right and train hard and drink alot of water. But that should be nothing new to you. And also keep in mind everyones body reacts different when taking supplements.