Consumer Review: I've Been Lifting Weights For 18 Years And I'm Convinced That Creatine Is Worth Taking.
I have been lifting weights and training for 18 years and have never taken any type of supplementation. In November 1999 I begin training again after taking approx. 5 months off. I am 6 feet tall and weighed approximately 230 lbs at the beginning of this cycle. During the first two months of training and dieting, my weight dropped from 230 lbs to 212 lbs (a loss of 18 lbs). The weight loss was mainly due to increased cardio and a fairly restrictive diet in the 1800-2200 calorie/day category. My split is usually 40-50-10 (protein/carb/fat).
At this point, I began taking Creatine (approx. 12 grams per day) with lots of water. After two days on Creatine, I had gained 7 lbs (!!) of water. My weight has stabilized at approx. 217-219 lbs over the last month of Creatine use, yet my overall hardness has increased, and my waist has lost approx. 1 inch during this time (trunk measurements are 35" waist/50" chest expanded). My waist was 36" and my chest expended was 48" prior to beginning training.
I have had no discernable side effects. No diarrhea or cramping, and have been very careful to drink 10 glasses a day or more of water. My schedule has been 3 days on, 1 off. My poundages are good, but are not at my personal bests in any lift (squat, bench etc). I have taken Creatine for 1 month, and I plan on taking off a couple weeks off of it now.
Conclusions: After 18 years of training, my body has a lot of muscle memory, so my gains after taking some time off will not be indicative of standard increases. However, I have noticed that Creatine has provided me with a benefit in my training (through actual or perceived benefit, I cannot quantify). Since I have had 0 side effects, I will continue to take it.
Tim
The
NutritionalSupplements.com Bible
If you appreciate the unbiased information that you get on this
site, check out The NutritionalSupplements.com Bible. This book will
help you avoid wasting money on ineffective products by giving you the
actual experiences of real consumers who have used them. Click
here for more info.
