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Originally Posted by DugoutStories  I play high school baseball, and am pretty small for my age. I've been working out, but it really doesn't seem like I'm gaining that much muscle. I've been considering Creatine...has anyone taken this? Does it work? Did you experience any side effects? Is there another sports supplement you would recommend? What are your thoughts?
I am 16 years old, and am only 5"5', 110 pounds. Should I take it???
Thanks! |
hey dude,
well your 16 so yes your safe to start using creatine, like some of the other guys have posted so far, creatine mono is a tried and proven product, if your new to the creatine supplement a few things you`ll benefit from while using it,
1) load for the first week
2)maintain 10-20 grams each day
3)stay hydrated all day , drink at least a gallon of water, not all at one time of course but instead of a soft drink, grab some water , also through out the day, its a good idea to drink water, just thought i would throw that out to ya,just in case..
4) this has nothing to do with creatine but was brought up in the other posts,
your diet should be in real good order, at least 5 meals a day, does not have to be huge meals but quality meals of protein/carbs and low fats, steer clear of junk foods , learn to cook and prepare your meals tailored to what you enjoy eating,
chicken, tuna, eggs, turkey breast, whey protein powder , all good sources of protein,
oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat breads( check for high fructose corn syrup,steer clear of breads made with that in the label) pretty much anything that is whole grain, whole wheat will be a good carb source,
now as for any particular brand of creatine, well check out orbitnutrition.com and find one that is on sale, its all pretty much the same when it comes to plain old creatine mono powder,, a good way you can take it is to mix one teaspoon of creatine with grape juice , below is a bunch of common things about creatine, and a loading phase and cycle time recommended.
Crash course: Creatine 101
What is creatine?
It's a nonessential amino acid that occurs naturally in foods such as beef. It is a nonessential amino acid because our bodies can produce it. Most of the creatine, approximately 95%, is stored in our muscle cells.
How does it work?
To put it very simply, creatine allows your muscle cells to store more Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) than normal and to help
replenish ATP that has been used through exercise. So what is ATP? It's an energy-containing compound that is utilized for fast bursts of energy. For instance, ATP is utilized during lifting weights or sprinting. Creatine supplementation for one to two months has been shown to increase strength (5-15%), lean body mass (1-3%) and sprint performance (5-8%). The more ATP your body has, the more fuel for your muscles.
Creatine is also a muscle volumizer. It has been shown that creatine helps pull water into the muscle cells, giving a person a much fuller and tighter appearance. This explains the weight gain that many see while supplementing with creatine. The pumps one gets from a workout are also much better because of the extra water in the muscle cells.
Is creatine safe?
Creatine is one of the safest supplements you can take. There have been literally hundreds of studies done on creatine showing the safety of this supplement. There are very few reported side effects with creatine use. Drinking plenty of water, which one should be doing anyway, can minimize most of these.
There have been some anecdotal reports that claim athletes who train with creatine in hot or humid conditions experience severe muscle cramps. The cramps have been attributed to changes in the amount of water or salts in muscle. Studies have shown that the cramping is due to muscular fatigue and dehydration while training in heat. It is not related to creatine supplementation.
There have also been anecdotal reports from athletic trainers and coaches suggesting that creatine causes muscle strains and pulls. Out of all the studies done to date, not one has documented an increased risk of injury from creatine supplementation during training. This being the case, even though highly trained athletes have been studied during intense periods of training.
It is also important to note that creatine will not affect hormone levels. You will not have side effects like mood swings or bad skin.
How should one use creatine?
Loading phase 1 week: 10g creatine twice a day
5-7 weeks: 5g twice a day
Total cycle length, 6-8 weeks.
Off for 3-4 weeks, then start all over.
keep in mind, creatine is not a miracle supplement nor is any of the supplements out there, if your not training and eating properly then your wasting your time, but if you are getting everything above taken care of then creatine will help you in your goals in the gym,,
hope this helps bro.
mike
