Creatine
 

What are your recommendations regarding creatine in terms of loading and dosage for a weightlifter? Is it effective? Phosphate or monohydrate?

I REALLY like Creatine. If you search the CrossFit Message board you will find some pretty good threads on the topic. Why do I like it? Beyond its performance enhancing characteristics (of which ~25% of the populations are non-responders) Creatine has some interesting properties like decreasing oxidative damage (both from exercise and eschemia/reperfusion injury) and it decreases circulating cortisol levels and may increase growth hormone release if taken before bed. Not bad stuff when you consider it is nearly cheap as dirt!

Regarding dosages I would stick with an inexpensive monohydrate and go anywhere form 5-10g per day. As I mentioned above taking it prior to bed may be good with regards to enhancing growth hormone release. I do not see a need to load or take it with some kind of insulin spikker. When you run out of a bottle maybe wait a week before starting the next one. Buy your Creatine in ½ kilo sizes if possible to ensure freshness as it will hydrolyze if exposed to air for too long.

HI Robb--

Can you recommend a Creatine for us to take??

I try to avoid sugars at all costs and all the Creatines I have taken in the past had the insulin spiker. I was told it is not as effective without the spiker. Would love to use it without the spiker as long as it is effective.

Thoughts?

Hey Sam!
Any Creatine monohydrate is fine. Unflavored, unsweetened. 5g/day. Inexpensive but effective.

Does that mean 2.5g-5g per twice per day or 5g-10g at once (right before bed apperently).


Is there a way to know if I my creatine has gone bad?

other than it getting it's tounge pierced and talking back to me

Thanks for reminding me of my early 20's (5 years ago). I still have that hole in my tongue.

I thought they healed up in 'hours' (according to all the people I know that have/had them).

They close up in hours. Mine was out for 8 hours and was so difficult to get back through that I tossed it out the window and said "Oh well, that phase of life is over." The scar and indention in my tongue exist for posterity.

Are there any contraindications for those with celiac? If not, then what is your perfered ingestion means? Straight up water and down the hatch?

Not to highjack the thread but we are running out of post exercise/snack meals for the high school kid. Anything you can prepare in 5:00 minutes?

I never did get my answer on how you can tell if the Creatine has spoiled either.