Creatine Mono and sugar?

[spickidy]

I take my mono with about 30-35 grams of dextrose to deliver it but do not like taking that much sugar in except after workouts. Has anybody taken Creatine Mono with nothing but water and still get good results?

 

[Rosie Chee]

I take my mono with about 30-35 grams of dextrose to deliver it but do not like taking that much sugar in except after workouts. Has anybody taken Creatine Mono with nothing but water and still get good results?

If you only take your creatine post-workout, then you should have SOME simple sugars, simply because your muscle glycogen needs replenshing, and in the first hour after training is the best time to do it, and simple sugars get digested faster.

If you take your creatine pre-workout, then taking with water is fine.

However, you SHOULD be making sure that if you use creatine, you have it POST-workout (if only using once), since that's the most important time for it.

You don't need to use creatine on NON-resistance training days.

 

[poison]

I recently saw a study that showed that pre-workout is the best time, and part of the success of the old-school loading phase was that invariably a dose would fall shortly pre-workout. They inferred that perhaps circulating creatine had a greater impact than stored creatine. Or something.

BTW, eating steak raises your bodies creatine stores. If your body can utilize creatine in a low>carb-free steak, with the slow digestion thereof, you can see that you don't need to pound sugar to get results. Creatine ain't that fussy.

Besides, creatine supplementation increases your stores by around 15-20%. You can get there quick by loading 20gr a day, or slow by doing 5gr a day. Either way brings you to the same point, and once there, you're not going to go farther. If you do, how much farther will you go? 2% more? You're willing to down 35gr dextrose for that?

Meh.

 

[GeekPoop]

i get all bloated when i take mono w/ sugary juice n what not. i take it post workout w/ water, been doing fine no difference

 

[Rosie Chee]

Besides, creatine supplementation increases your stores by around 15-20%. You can get there quick by loading 20gr a day, or slow by doing 5gr a day. Either way brings you to the same point, and once there, you're not going to go farther...

This is true. Your body has a creatine muscle threshold of ~150-160 mmol/kg dw, and once you reach this level you cannot saturate your muscle creatine levels further. 4-6 doses of 5g (~20g) of creatine monohydrate per day for 5 days will increase your muscle creatine content, and 20% of it will be stored as phosphocreatine, with saturation ocurring in 2-3 days. Using 5g of creatine per day would take ~28 days to reach muscle creatine saturation (Burke, et al., 2006). However, co-ingestion of creatine with carbohydrates DOES enhance creatine accumulation (Greenhaff, et al., 1996).

 

[spickidy]

When I take it pre-workout, I will just use water and take some taurine and ALA with it. Post is no prob as I will already be taking high glycemic carbs. Thank You guys.

 

[Jag]

When I take it pre-workout, I will just use water and take some taurine and ALA with it. Post is no prob as I will already be taking high glycemic carbs. Thank You guys.

Is the Taurine and ALA REALLY neccessary? Not trying to be a smart-ass, just asking

I got good results from CM taking a spoonful with water pre workout and sipping on a Gatorade/Whey shake and water during the workout then having another spoonful post workout. Loads of water during the day as well.

It's the only Creatine that worked for me. Just gotta make sure it's the German one, Creapure.

 

[Jag]

This is true. Your body has a creatine muscle threshold of ~150-160 mmol/kg dw, and once you reach this level you cannot saturate your muscle creatine levels further. 4-6 doses of 5g (~20g) of creatine monohydrate per day for 5 days will increase your muscle creatine content, and 20% of it will be stored as phosphocreatine, with saturation ocurring in 2-3 days. Using 5g of creatine per day would take ~28 days to reach muscle creatine saturation (Burke, et al., 2006). However, co-ingestion of creatine with carbohydrates DOES enhance creatine accumulation (Greenhaff, et al., 1996).

One thing i noticed doing it over a longer period was that i didn't get as watery as when i loaded in 5 days.

Plus i don't like consuming that much sugar in a day and sugar is needed to stop the bloated feeling. With me anyway.

 

[Rosie Chee]

Is the Taurine and ALA REALLY neccessary? Not trying to be a smart-ass, just asking

No, it's NOT necessary. But everyone has different preferences.

One thing i noticed doing it over a longer period was that i didn't get as watery as when i loaded in 5 days.

Plus i don't like consuming that much sugar in a day and sugar is needed to stop the bloated feeling. With me anyway.

If you're drinking lots (as you should be anyways), then having extra carbohydrates (i.e. sugar, as you call it) will ENHANCE any "bloated" feeling that one may have, since you're adding weight to your body and filling your cells with water and glycogen.

You should NOT be bloated on creatine (creatine stores water INTRAcellularly, which gives fuller, pumped muscles; it does NOT store water EXTRAcellularly, which gives the "bloated" look/feeling). If you ARE, then you're not drinking enough or your diet is not right.

 

[Jag]

If you're drinking lots (as you should be anyways), then having extra carbohydrates (i.e. sugar, as you call it) will ENHANCE any "bloated" feeling that one may have, since you're adding weight to your body and filling your cells with water and glycogen.

You should NOT be bloated on creatine (creatine stores water INTRAcellularly, which gives fuller, pumped muscles; it does NOT store water EXTRAcellularly, which gives the "bloated" look/feeling). If you ARE, then you're not drinking enough or your diet is not right.

My diet usually is low carb, moderate to high fat and protein. I experimented a lot with Creatine and found a higher carb diet worked the best overall so i change to that and have very little fat at all when using Creatine Mono.

I still had quite good results while on a low carb diet but had regular bouts of bloatedness and a general uncomfortable feeling.

I'm starting again next week which is why i'm looking at CM threads.