I took creatine in combination with weight training and got stronger. But I was never sure what proportion to attribute to the creatine vs the training itself. I stopped taking it for a few weeks and got ~10% weaker again. And then, after resuming creatine, I was back to where I was. From that point I was fairly convinced that yes, creatine actually does something.
I can't say I noticed any cognitive changes though.
byproxy · 24m ago
A 10% in strength drop after stopping creatine intake seems like quite a bit. Creatine certainly helps out in resistance training (if you're a responder), but generally by way of maaaybe being able to add another rep to a set at a given weight or maaaybe being able to add 2-3% more weight to a given set. This has cumulative effects, of course, but I wouldn't expect such a steep decline.
Unless you are a super-responder, that is!
Retr0id · 2m ago
I'd like to emphasise that my ~10% figure is very vibes-based and I don't have hard numbers to back it up (I don't track my progression in great detail - and even if I did, I am sample size 1). My max rep counts for bodyweight exercises definitely went down, and I reduced the weight I was lifting to hit the same rep counts as before.
anotherpaul · 42m ago
I can recommend the science vs Podcast. They did an episode on it.
I'm a strong believer in the "no free lunch principle"
Through a lifetime of experiences with different substances, the body always adjusts to whatever you're taking. Taking a stimulant? the brain will down regulate dopamine receptors. Putting lotion on your face? The skin will produce less oils.
There is always a downside
Rather than excess in one area, we should strive for perfect balance.
karel-3d · 40m ago
I don't know, that's a strange concept; what about cleaning your teeth? Should I stop using fluoride toothpaste to strengthen my teeth naturally?
edit: on a second thought... it IS making the frogs gay... so.. maybe
herval · 36m ago
Drinking water? The body will get more and more thirsty!
Taking vitamin supplements because the modern diet doesn’t provide all the nutrients your body needs? The body will start demanding more vitamins!!
maplant · 31m ago
This is demonstrably false in a lot of cases. For example, if you eat excess calories your metabolism wont adjust. You’ll just get fat.
rglullis · 24m ago
No one eats excess calories as any type of supplement or natural enhancement, so your example does not work as a counterpoint to the free lunch principle.
Is eating plenty of carbs to have good performance during exercise a “free lunch”? It’s more like it’s just optimising what you eat to give the body what it needs during exercise, no?
Creatine is pretty much in that category. It’s just a natural source of energy, essentially. You get it in some food as well. And you don’t get much benefits unless you’re doing strength exercise.
There may be some benefits for the brain as well, especially in older individuals. I doubt that there’s any significant downsides in general.
byproxy · 43m ago
Eating food? You'll eventually die.
gruez · 33m ago
>There is always a downside
Are you claiming that the downsides of creatine outweighs the benefits, or only that there's some non-zero amount of "downside"?
SubmarineClub · 18m ago
And yet...
The people I know with radiant, flawless skin all use Asian-style skincare with a meticulous nightly regime of like 10 syrups, oils, and unguents.
Everyone I've ever met who says that people shouldn't use shampoo/lotion/face wash because it makes the body stop producing oils has been NOT as attractive - putting it kindly.
yapyap · 38m ago
> Putting lotion on your face? The skin will produce less oils
dont you want the skin to produce less oils? so you dont get such an oily nose and such for example
jappgar · 37m ago
Dry cracked skin is a lot worse for your health. The body is producing oils for a reason
mhb · 47m ago
What happens when a Pro Climber takes Creatine for the First Time?
Yes, if you are healthy and active, creatine is safe and proven to be effective.
andsoitis · 54m ago
And if you're older, creatine supplementation along with regular resistance training and well-balance diet may offset muscle mass loss that happens as we age (age-related sarcopenia).
There are also cognitive benefits:
- memory enhancement
- processing speed and attention
The brain is extremely energy demanding and creatine:
- increases cellular energy reserves (ATP)
- improves neurotransmitter function (e.g. increasing synthesis of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine)
- reduces oxidative stress damage to brain cells
- enhances synaptic efficiency and plasticity crucial for learning
ant_li0n · 57m ago
it wrecks my guts. so, no.
drdirk · 47m ago
When I first took creatine from an Amazon dealer I had gut problems. I later bought a "micronized" creatine (similar to https://bulevip.com/es/3418-optimum-nutrition-creatina-powde...) and did not experience any gut problems. Taking the same product now for 3 years. Inbetween I used some other variant from time to time and have the theory that some vendors sell a not clean product that interferes with your gut.
byproxy · 45m ago
It does that to me, on occasion. It's usually due to taking too high a dose at once and/or taking it in combination with caffeine. Now, it's not a guarantee that those conditions mean I'll get some gastrointestinal discomfort, but they certainly increase the likelihood.
mhb · 50m ago
How much did you try taking?
mnky9800n · 43m ago
I take 5mg a day with no side effects. I think this and dietary fiber are probably the only supplements worth taking. I have yet to find another supplement that has any noticeable effect but I’m happy to try if people have recommendations.
IMO The best supplements to any lifestyle are
* 2-3 days a week strength training
* 1-2 days a week of cardio
* Good sleep schedule
* creatine
* dietary fiber
* positive attitude even if you have to fake it some days (this is the hardest supplement imo)
At least that’s my belief.
mhb · 33m ago
I agree and I do all that as well. I started with the creatine a few years ago and have never had any issues which is why I was wondering if, for the people who experience them, the amount causes the stomach issues or the brand or just the creatine of any kind.
cenamus · 32m ago
That's a good point. I also used to have problems with >10g/day, but when slowly ramping it up (and not taking it all in one dose of course), I can get to 20g/day pretty easily.
ses1984 · 19m ago
I think there’s not much benefit over 5g/day.
Husieandr · 36m ago
No mention of potential hair loss. That alone makes it not with the risk. If you happen to be one of the unlucky ones who has that side effect, you'll spend the rest of your days of inceldom wishing you could go back to being a lion-maned twink.
For anyone considering taking creatine, this kind of mentality is much more of a problem then whether you have to look like Bezos.
egypturnash · 18m ago
He's getting creaky and wrinkly now but I'm pretty sure you could still find a lot of people who would be delighted to bone Patrick Stewart.
gruez · 35m ago
>No mention of potential hair loss. That alone makes it not with the risk.
source?
ifwinterco · 31m ago
It's controversial/almost a meme at this point.
There is one study of rugby players done 20 years ago that claims creatine supplementation raises DHT levels, but it's never been replicated. I think the reason is everyone knows it probably won't replicate and rightly or wrongly nobody in academia cares about failed replication studies
andrewstuart · 35m ago
Beautifully worded.
ren_engineer · 45m ago
bodybuilders once again 10-20 years ahead of mainstream science
exe34 · 33m ago
that's not a bad idea - if you want to trial a potentially dangerous substance on people, put out some rumours that it will help you lose weight, gain muscles, makes your pp longer, etc, and there will never be a shortage of young men willing to give it a go.
I got a little worried after reading some reports on Reddit about creatine and hair loss.
eth0up · 20m ago
Note that in the US, there is one company that produces and sources its creatine from the US. This company is CON-CRĒT. The rest is almost exclusively sourced from and produced in China.
One exception, though they'll not reveal their source company, is VitaminShoppe, which has one single version sourced from US. That is Kre-Alkalyn.
NOW, LifeExtension, etc, all of them, along with the majority of their other products are sourced from China, with NOW, in my opinion, the only one conducting rigorous testing to ensure product integrity. The supplement industry in general has become a product of China.
This is up to the individual to glean meaning from, but it remains reality.
For those interested, my inquiries with Life Extension were met with flagrant hostility. Those with NOW resulted in a long, amiable conversion with someone in direct, frequent contact with research scientists. Hostility is more common than friendliness with the dozens of inquiries I've made, but mostly when pressed past the initial superficial aloofness of the template reply.
Edit: with our corporatism paradigm, product origins are increasingly difficult to determine, with many companies now excluding origins from product labels, but most using weasel words, eg "Proudly packed in the US from globally sourced ingredients", which has one meaning which has nothing to do with the US. As one of myriad examples, go into a Treacherous Joe's and try to find origins for their teas. Pay attention and you'll see this behavior is expanding into many products, and actual food products.
I can't say I noticed any cognitive changes though.
Unless you are a super-responder, that is!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creatine-a-hack-to-get...
As per usual: supplements are not that marvelous as the influencers say.
Through a lifetime of experiences with different substances, the body always adjusts to whatever you're taking. Taking a stimulant? the brain will down regulate dopamine receptors. Putting lotion on your face? The skin will produce less oils.
There is always a downside
Rather than excess in one area, we should strive for perfect balance.
edit: on a second thought... it IS making the frogs gay... so.. maybe
Taking vitamin supplements because the modern diet doesn’t provide all the nutrients your body needs? The body will start demanding more vitamins!!
Creatine is pretty much in that category. It’s just a natural source of energy, essentially. You get it in some food as well. And you don’t get much benefits unless you’re doing strength exercise.
There may be some benefits for the brain as well, especially in older individuals. I doubt that there’s any significant downsides in general.
Are you claiming that the downsides of creatine outweighs the benefits, or only that there's some non-zero amount of "downside"?
The people I know with radiant, flawless skin all use Asian-style skincare with a meticulous nightly regime of like 10 syrups, oils, and unguents.
Everyone I've ever met who says that people shouldn't use shampoo/lotion/face wash because it makes the body stop producing oils has been NOT as attractive - putting it kindly.
dont you want the skin to produce less oils? so you dont get such an oily nose and such for example
https://youtu.be/0VMQk8Box-U?si=0mD26i5P8xVVsE6x
There are also cognitive benefits:
- memory enhancement
- processing speed and attention
The brain is extremely energy demanding and creatine:
- increases cellular energy reserves (ATP)
- improves neurotransmitter function (e.g. increasing synthesis of neurotransmitters like acetylcholine)
- reduces oxidative stress damage to brain cells
- enhances synaptic efficiency and plasticity crucial for learning
IMO The best supplements to any lifestyle are
* 2-3 days a week strength training
* 1-2 days a week of cardio
* Good sleep schedule
* creatine
* dietary fiber
* positive attitude even if you have to fake it some days (this is the hardest supplement imo)
At least that’s my belief.
source?
There is one study of rugby players done 20 years ago that claims creatine supplementation raises DHT levels, but it's never been replicated. I think the reason is everyone knows it probably won't replicate and rightly or wrongly nobody in academia cares about failed replication studies
ten years later, you have your study.
One exception, though they'll not reveal their source company, is VitaminShoppe, which has one single version sourced from US. That is Kre-Alkalyn.
NOW, LifeExtension, etc, all of them, along with the majority of their other products are sourced from China, with NOW, in my opinion, the only one conducting rigorous testing to ensure product integrity. The supplement industry in general has become a product of China.
This is up to the individual to glean meaning from, but it remains reality.
For those interested, my inquiries with Life Extension were met with flagrant hostility. Those with NOW resulted in a long, amiable conversion with someone in direct, frequent contact with research scientists. Hostility is more common than friendliness with the dozens of inquiries I've made, but mostly when pressed past the initial superficial aloofness of the template reply.
Edit: with our corporatism paradigm, product origins are increasingly difficult to determine, with many companies now excluding origins from product labels, but most using weasel words, eg "Proudly packed in the US from globally sourced ingredients", which has one meaning which has nothing to do with the US. As one of myriad examples, go into a Treacherous Joe's and try to find origins for their teas. Pay attention and you'll see this behavior is expanding into many products, and actual food products.