Creatine Loading

[CaptainObvious]

I was pretty much chronically sore this past week. The sorest I have ever been to be honest with you. My legs were sore for 7 days straight. My chest and back were abnormally sore for many days as well.

After doing some digging, I've concluded that the increased soreness was caused by creatine. I found this on Clarence Bass' website:

"After three weeks of either creatine or placebo supplementation, 40 male varsity athletes were interviewed and filled out a questionnaire detailing all side effects during the double blind study. Two side effects showed the greatest difference between the creatine and placebo group: sleep irregularity (creatine 47%, placebo 7%) and muscle soreness (creatine 53%, placebo 14%).

The researchers didn't attempt to explain how creatine might cause soreness, but my speculation is that muscle fibers packed with creatine may be more subject to damage as a result of heavy weight training. It also seems logical to assume that muscle soreness might cause restless sleep. Personally, I don't sleep as well when I'm sore after a hard training session.

The next question, of course, is whether the resulting soreness is harmful. I doubt that anyone knows the answer at this point. This does, however, strengthen my resolve not to train again until a few days after soreness subsides. Remember, Dr. Smith believes soreness "occurs to reduce activity during a critical time of healing."​

I'm not stopping the creatine, but I'm glad I have a logical explanation as to why I've been so sore.

If you're doing the exact same workout, with the exact same weights, then it would make sense to conclude it's the creatine.

 

[eurusdzn]

I was thinking its "everything" . Creatine induced increased intensity of workouts, increased systemic recovery response, higher bp,hr,metabolism, all disrupting ability to relax/ sleep.
I can get all these responses intentionally from a single workout by doing much more than what the body is used to. Probably not a good thing to do.

 

[CaptainObvious]

On the other hand most everything I have read about creatine eludes to it helping relieve muscle recovery and soreness. The same articles state that muscle cramping is possible, even likely, if you don't stay properly hydrated and since creatine soaks up the water you should be drinking more H2O than normal while using creatine.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I was pretty much chronically sore this past week. The sorest I have ever been to be honest with you. My legs were sore for 7 days straight. My chest and back were abnormally sore for many days as well.

After doing some digging, I've concluded that the increased soreness was caused by creatine. I found this on Clarence Bass' website:

"After three weeks of either creatine or placebo supplementation, 40 male varsity athletes were interviewed and filled out a questionnaire detailing all side effects during the double blind study. Two side effects showed the greatest difference between the creatine and placebo group: sleep irregularity (creatine 47%, placebo 7%) and muscle soreness (creatine 53%, placebo 14%).

The researchers didn't attempt to explain how creatine might cause soreness, but my speculation is that muscle fibers packed with creatine may be more subject to damage as a result of heavy weight training. It also seems logical to assume that muscle soreness might cause restless sleep. Personally, I don't sleep as well when I'm sore after a hard training session.

The next question, of course, is whether the resulting soreness is harmful. I doubt that anyone knows the answer at this point. This does, however, strengthen my resolve not to train again until a few days after soreness subsides. Remember, Dr. Smith believes soreness "occurs to reduce activity during a critical time of healing."​

I'm not stopping the creatine, but I'm glad I have a logical explanation as to why I've been so sore.

It's good to have a possible explanation, but I'd still be a bit concerned about such chronic and intense soreness; I wouldn't just dismiss it. You've used creatine in the past, and I gather you probably didn't experience such soreness then, otherwise you'd probably have remembered the experience. So why would it be different now? If you're taking other stuff presently that you weren't taking the last time, then you may wish to look into the possibility of interactions.

I tried creatine in the late '90s and was planning to give it another go less than a year ago, but I decided against it at the last moment (after I bought and opened the jar!).

 

[volente_00]

I was pretty much chronically sore this past week. The sorest I have ever been to be honest with you. My legs were sore for 7 days straight. My chest and back were abnormally sore for many days as well.

After doing some digging, I've concluded that the increased soreness was caused by creatine. I found this on Clarence Bass' website:

"After three weeks of either creatine or placebo supplementation, 40 male varsity athletes were interviewed and filled out a questionnaire detailing all side effects during the double blind study. Two side effects showed the greatest difference between the creatine and placebo group: sleep irregularity (creatine 47%, placebo 7%) and muscle soreness (creatine 53%, placebo 14%).

The researchers didn't attempt to explain how creatine might cause soreness, but my speculation is that muscle fibers packed with creatine may be more subject to damage as a result of heavy weight training. It also seems logical to assume that muscle soreness might cause restless sleep. Personally, I don't sleep as well when I'm sore after a hard training session.

The next question, of course, is whether the resulting soreness is harmful. I doubt that anyone knows the answer at this point. This does, however, strengthen my resolve not to train again until a few days after soreness subsides. Remember, Dr. Smith believes soreness "occurs to reduce activity during a critical time of healing."​

I'm not stopping the creatine, but I'm glad I have a logical explanation as to why I've been so sore.

That's called getting old

Still taking Carnivor ?
How much are you taking ?
Loading it or just normal consumption?

From my experience from using creatine off and on since 1995, it has always helped me with recovery and seems to reduce lactic acid build up when using it. When I'm not taking it I definitely feel more sore and recover slower from muscle fatigue.

The only negative issue I have ever had was kidney stones caused by taking too much and being Dehydrated. And that was many years ago. Once I realized I was exceeding the dosage for my body weight I have never had stones again.

 

[Baron]

That's called getting old

Still taking Carnivor ?
How much are you taking ?
Loading it or just normal consumption?

You mean Carnivor Beef Protein Powder? If so, I'm not currently taking any protein powders at all.

 

[volente_00]

Just to gain some more muscle mass a little more quickly. I've used it in the past, and it helped quite a bit. I'm pretty lean, but I still have some belly fat which doesn't want to go away. In my experience, creatine will help me do a few more reps of each exercise, which will help burn more calories while gaining a little more muscle definition.

I don't want to get bulky, I just want to be cut. I'm pretty lucky in that respect, as I come from an athletic family, and i have the body type for it. I'm 6' 0", 185 lbs currently. Was 215 lbs April 1st, and was 235 at my peak a couple of years ago. I've really been hitting it hard this year, and I want to keep the momentum going.

I'm 51, and other than when I was in high school football, I'm in the best shape of my life, by far. I feel great, but I want to look better. I'm also trying to show people what is possible at an older age. I have many friends who are over weight, and they say they should diet and work out a little, but they are convinced that being fat at our age is just normal so they don't follow through. Too bad.

Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the weight room

Depending on your bone structure you will probably need to cut more fat to get where they show. Also not sure what exercises you are doing but an ab wheel is very beneficial for sculpting the mid section. Just remember all the exercise in the world won't show if you don't get lean first. Are you taking any cutting supplements ? If you can handle caffeine I like Cellucor P6 ripped.

 

[volente_00]

You mean Carnivor Beef Protein Powder? If so, I'm not currently taking any protein powders at all.

Yes that one. I like it for the low fat , cholesterol protein angle and the 2.5 g of creatine per serving

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the weight room

Depending on your bone structure you will probably need to cut more fat to get where they show. Also not sure what exercises you are doing but an ab wheel is very beneficial for sculpting the mid section. Just remember all the exercise in the world won't show if you don't get lean first. Are you taking any cutting supplements ? If you can handle caffeine I like Cellucor P6 ripped.

I agree about the kitchen, but not about the ab wheel. I tried that thing a few times. You don't need it to get good abs, since most exercises, especially compounds work the area. That's not to say that a couple of ab exercises would hurt, but why the wheel from hell?

On the matter of caffeine, and since this is a creatine thread, I read that caffeine may reduce the effectiveness of creatine.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-creatine/art-20347591

 

[Baron]

On the matter of caffeine, and since this is a creatine thread, I read that caffeine may reduce the effectiveness of creatine.

Well if that's really the case, then creatine won't do anything for me because I'm a cold brew coffee addict.