Whey and Creatine- How to Take Safely? (newbie)

[mashimaro_boy]

Hey guys, I am looking for instructions (and some links maybe) about taking Whey and Creatine for the first time, as supplements to my workout routine and weight loss diet.

I picked up 'Exact Creatine' and 'Whey Gourment Org' from the real Canadian Superstore. Only the Creatine had some instructions on the bottle: "Take 1 tsp. (5 g) per day, mixed with 1 cup (250 mL) of water or juice. For best results take immediately before exercise. CAUTION: Do not exceed recommended dose or prolong use except on the advice of a health care practitioner. To avoid dehydration always drink sufficient quantities of water throughout the day when taking creatine."

Looking for more detailed instructions and information,
- ie. is it safe to take the two together?
- any side effects?
- How 'long' should I take Creatine/Whey? When should I stop taking it?
- When/how often should I take Whey?
(I searched on Wiki, but didn't find much info.)

I've tried 'Slim-Fast' shakes previously, and lost about 10 pounds in the last month.

I am 24 male, 5'9, 165 lbs. Just got back to working out, after about 2 years of not doing any exercise. I go to the gym about 4 times a week, 20mins cardio, 20mins weights, bench press about 100lbs.

I am also taking Centrum Multivitamin currently.

Thanks guys!

[yuri35434]

To my limited understanding, taking whey and creatine aid the body in forming new cells. But muscle and fat come in the same package, so it wouldn't be easy to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time.

[Spray]

Step 1.
Hide before Peodua stumbles into this thread.

Step 2.
Put on flame suit if he does.

By the way your body will have more energy for weights if you do the cardio afterwards. I'm being trained by a pro athlete right now, one of the better trainers in the GTA. He advises me personally to take the protein shake about an hour before working out, then afterwards eat a meal with Protein in it (like chicken, tuna). He advises me as will most advise you, that dont even bother with creatine till you get a fundamentally sound diet and routine going on. "some benching" doesnt warrant taking a creatine regimine.

[bokep]

creatine makes your muscles look bigger by having more water in it, from what i understand (i might have been told the wrong thing)

but it creates a false impression of you having big strong muscles

[masterballer]

creatine makes your muscles look bigger by having more water in it, from what i understand (i might have been told the wrong thing)

but it creates a false impression of you having big strong muscles

Sorta, it wont make you the hulk with one dose...it just help you retain more water, mainly in your muscles.

[mashimaro_boy]

By the way your body will have more energy for weights if you do the cardio afterwards. I'm being trained by a pro athlete right now, one of the better trainers in the GTA. He advises me personally to take the protein shake about an hour before working out, then afterwards eat a meal with Protein in it (like chicken, tuna). He advises me as will most advise you, that dont even bother with creatine till you get a fundamentally sound diet and routine going on. "some benching" doesnt warrant taking a creatine regimine.

Thanks! I'll stick to the basic protein Whey stuff then, and work up towards a better diet and routine.

[marbss]

stick with protein for now. even cracking cans of tuna after working out it would be good enough.

creatine (pure creatine) is best absorbed with a high glucose drink - i.e. grape juice. the insulin spike caused by high sugar/glucose helps creatine.

Focus more on weights if you are going to use creatine. creatine will do little for your cardio. it's mainly for anaerobic, and explosive type activities that you will see benefits. I personally like the pump I get from creatine, but find I drink way too much water when using it.

there is no substitute for regular training, good form and remember to check your ego at the door.

[poedua]

Thanks! I'll stick to the basic protein Whey stuff then, and work up towards a better diet and routine.

If your ' primary goal ' in resuming training is to lose weight / fat - and not to ' optimize ' gains in muscle mass - you don't really supplements of any kind at this stage of your training IMO. Either way, for your weight, you probably only need about 115+/- grams of protein a day as it is - which you can easily get from food.

As for a better diet, simply try and be aware of how many calories you eat each day such that it is appropriate for your weight loss goals and activity level, make sure the majority of your daily nutrients ( i.e carbs, protein, fat ) come from carbs, and spread out your nutrient consumption ( i.e protein ) over 5-8 meals a day if you can....including well timed pre and post workout nutrition.

For a better routine, try and do a full body weight workout 3X a week on alternate days if you can. Depending on how you structure it, you may find it may eventually take a bit longer than the 20 minutes it takes you now to weight train. It may take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to complete. Not sure what your time and schedule constraints are for training, but that longer weight training session may prompt you to consider doing cardio on separate days ( i.e when you aren't weight training ) - the benefit being, you can dedicate more time to cardio in the process.

[UrbanPoet]

creatine aids in the energy transport in your body. So yes it will give you more energy or "power".

side effects are water retention... Nothing else. You have to make sure you are hydrated adequately. Creatine is most effective for body builders that reach a plateau. Its for the people that do 8 reps, but no matter how hard they try they cant hit 10 anymore... Thats who its for.

The main concept is that you use the extra energy it gives you to push yourself over plateaus and therefore build more muscle.

It wont give you muscle @ all. It'll only give you a small bit of extra energy, and what you choose to do with it is up to you.

[CSK'sMom]

Do the research and talk to a doctor before making the decision about creatine. Essentially, creatine can dehydrate your major organs and puts the water into your muscle tissue to make them look bigger. There have been people who have had major life long health problems after using creatine. Our own ped. has 2 teen boys in her practice who have permanent liver and kidney damage from creatine...

[icecold2021]

creatine can dehydrate your major organs

permanent liver and kidney damage from creatine...

isnt that why when on creatine you must hydrate yourself reguarly and its to be cycled not made a staple.


wheres the source for creatine being the cause of kidney/liver damage.

[UrbanPoet]

Do the research and talk to a doctor before making the decision about creatine. Essentially, creatine can dehydrate your major organs and puts the water into your muscle tissue to make them look bigger. There have been people who have had major life long health problems after using creatine. Our own ped. has 2 teen boys in her practice who have permanent liver and kidney damage from creatine...


ive searched around medical journals and havent found much...
the liver and kidney damage comes from people not hydrating themselves enough.
The same can happen if you eat a block of cheese everyday and not drink enough water.

[azn_dan]

isnt that why when on creatine you must hydrate yourself reguarly and its to be cycled not made a staple.


wheres the source for creatine being the cause of kidney/liver damage.

Creatine just like any supplement should be used under the correct conditions. For example the guy who died while using ephedra. The moron was some baseball player, who took some ephedra before practicing, ends up not drinking any water. On top of that he is standing out in the blistering sun and then they wonder why he died, and the only thing they can do is blame ephedra.... Just like those 2 kids that csk quotes, those kids probably overdosed with creatine and decided lets not drink water for a while.

My point is that if you use creatine just make sure you are getting enough water.

[CSK'sMom]

But that's exactly the problem, people hear the buzzword "bigger" and don't do any of the research. They don't know how creatine actually makes you look bigger. We had a long sit down with our ped who has many elite teen athletes in her practice. She explained to us and our son exactly how it works and what can (and does) happen. It's all well and great to say well as long as you drink lots of water you'll be fine but does anyone know for sure where that line is for each individual?

The one kid from our ped.'s practice will be needing a kidney transplant in the coming years. We actually talked to him. He was a star hockey player who felt he needed to get bigger to be competitive at the next level. He thought he was doing everything correctly, was cycling and thought he was keeping hydrated....

[icecold2021]

My point is that if you use creatine just make sure you are getting enough water.

so then you agree the problem wasnt creatine, it was the uneducated user.

which can be said about almost anything in life, driving, alcohol, food, work, rest. when not practiced properly can be hazardous to health.

[azn_dan]

yes my point exactly. There are no medical journals, really, about creatine and from experience its more of the user then the supplement that the problems are stemming from.

[df329]

I just gotta say I love the "informed" posts by CSK's Mom

every single post you make is wrong :lol:

you should also fire your "ped" :lol:

[CSK'sMom]

doofus.... opps, that should be df..... Do the research and find out exactly what creatine does and how it works. Personally, I wouldn't and won't trust a supplement company to provide even remotely accurate information considering they don't have to pass any kind of government agency testing. I can say that as I happen to know someone who owns a supplement company that is affiliated with a rather well known professional sport. As long as it's sold as a supplement there is for all intense purposes absolutely no regulations. Where is the documentation concerning creatine and exactly how much water is needed to prevent permanent organ damage? No one knows for sure and that is the point.

Our ped. happens to be a highly respected doctor who also has a great interest in student athletes and routinely conducts peer-reviewed research studies. Our ped. is sought out by some of the best student athletes in Ontario. Can you say the same? I thought not!

[icecold2021]

doofus.... opps, that should be df..... Do the research and find out exactly what creatine does and how it works. Personally, I wouldn't and won't trust a supplement company to provide even remotely accurate information considering they don't have to pass any kind of government agency testing. I can say that as I happen to know someone who owns a supplement company that is affiliated with a rather well known professional sport. As long as it's sold as a supplement there is for all intense purposes absolutely no regulations. Where is the documentation concerning creatine and exactly how much water is needed to prevent permanent organ damage? No one knows for sure and that is the point.

Our ped. happens to be a highly respected doctor who also has a great interest in student athletes and routinely conducts peer-reviewed research studies. Our ped. is sought out by some of the best student athletes in Ontario. Can you say the same? I thought not!


im still waiting for your source that provides documented scientific proof to the evilness of creatine.


ps i dont deny that if you have pre existing problems with the liver/kidney creatine can in fact cause damage, even with proper use.

[Alvito]

dont use creatine if ur a newb, u dont need it til u get ur noob gains.

[CSK'sMom]

Here's a mini study that a 2 second google search turned up with the key words "creatine supplement+organ damage". The 2 cases cited in this mini-study were a couple of the lucky ones that the renal damage was reversed after stopping creatine. Using "creatine+organ damage" brings up most of the mainstream medical studies in the accepted journals (which require a subscription or getting your doctor to print them out for you).

http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/reprint/2/4/757.pdf

[poedua]

creatine aids in the energy transport in your body. So yes it will give you more energy or "power".

side effects are water retention... Nothing else. You have to make sure you are hydrated adequately. Creatine is most effective for body builders that reach a plateau. Its for the people that do 8 reps, but no matter how hard they try they cant hit 10 anymore... Thats who its for.

The main concept is that you use the extra energy it gives you to push yourself over plateaus and therefore build more muscle.

It wont give you muscle @ all. It'll only give you a small bit of extra energy, and what you choose to do with it is up to you.

I tend to agree.

What people need to keep in mind is, within the context of trying to ' optimize ' muscle development, creatine isn't like a steroid.

As you correctly pointed out, an energy boost is one of THE main benefits you get from creatine - more energy is provided for your muscles. From a weight training perspective, more energy means that our muscles can work a bit harder - you can push yourself harder and longer in the gym. And as we've mentioned in many threads in this forum, intensity is what it's all about if you're serious about building muscle mass. A harder and more intense workout will lead to increases in muscle mass...and the increase in weight ( due to more muscle ) that you're looking for.

As for the water issue. The reason you will gain bodyweight with Creatine is because your muscles retain water when using it. With all this water your muscles actually " feel " a lot bigger, and from an aesthetic point of view - they " look " better too.

So gym rats shouldn't be fooled. This added size and weight gain you tend to see so quickly when first using Creatine is not related to any significant gains in tissue weight - i.e lean muscle mass / your muscles - but rather, water.

[poedua]

dont use creatine if ur a newb, u dont need it til u get ur noob gains.

+1

[NLI10D]

purple k if you choose to do creatine. you need to cycle 2 months up 2 months down. the reason for this is to give your organs a rest. it is relatively safe since creatine naturally occurs in the body. taking supplements just gives you a little bit extra. buffered creatine like purple k doesn't have negative side effects (water retention). you must cyle the use this is very important.

[UrbanPoet]

doofus.... opps, that should be df..... Do the research and find out exactly what creatine does and how it works. Personally, I wouldn't and won't trust a supplement company to provide even remotely accurate information considering they don't have to pass any kind of government agency testing. I can say that as I happen to know someone who owns a supplement company that is affiliated with a rather well known professional sport. As long as it's sold as a supplement there is for all intense purposes absolutely no regulations. Where is the documentation concerning creatine and exactly how much water is needed to prevent permanent organ damage? No one knows for sure and that is the point.

Our ped. happens to be a highly respected doctor who also has a great interest in student athletes and routinely conducts peer-reviewed research studies. Our ped. is sought out by some of the best student athletes in Ontario. Can you say the same? I thought not!

I understand your just a concerned person...
But your knowledge on creatine is wayyy off...
Its strange because i read peer reviewed studies also done by American Doctors in the field of sport science... I remember reading a list of like 15+ sources showing that it had no short or long term side effects.

Its a dietary supplement. Not some super killer chemical steroid.
It aids in the transport of energy cells in the body... I believe its called "atp". This is where the increase energy comes from.

There is no muscle gain from Creatine. Only water rentention.
WAter retention can come from many things. It can come from eating diets high in sodium.

[df329]

I understand your just a concerned person...
But your knowledge on creatine is wayyy off...
Its strange because i read peer reviewed studies also done by American Doctors in the field of sport science... I remember reading a list of like 15+ sources showing that it had no short or long term side effects.

Its a dietary supplement. Not some super killer chemical steroid.
It aids in the transport of energy cells in the body... I believe its called "atp". This is where the increase energy comes from.

There is no muscle gain from Creatine. Only water rentention.
WAter retention can come from many things. It can come from eating diets high in sodium.

I junst read your first 2 lines :lol:

CSKMOM's knowledge is way off on everything... training/supplements/everything I've seen posted in this forum.

I hear she knows alot about gardening though. should probably stick to that forum ;)

[CSK'sMom]

I understand your just a concerned person...
But your knowledge on creatine is wayyy off...
Its strange because i read peer reviewed studies also done by American Doctors in the field of sport science... I remember reading a list of like 15+ sources showing that it had no short or long term side effects.

Its a dietary supplement. Not some super killer chemical steroid.
It aids in the transport of energy cells in the body... I believe its called "atp". This is where the increase energy comes from.

There is no muscle gain from Creatine. Only water rentention.
WAter retention can come from many things. It can come from eating diets high in sodium.

Urban, we had a 2+ hr discussion with our ped. on the subject of supplements and creatine in particular. I have the hard copies of the relevant peer-reviewed papers. We also have had several discussions about supplements with several sports medicine doctors. I also happen to know the head of the dialysis unit at our local hospital and have had discussions about this. I will take their advice along with the peer-reviewed articles before the advice of a gym rat (sorry)... How many creatine users are routinely having renal and liver blood work done let alone even telling their doctors they are taking it? I would venture to guess that the numbers are really low thanks to the myth that if something is on the market and legally available it must be safe, both long and short term.

If you read the studies the problem (renal failure and liver failure)comes from the dehydration of the organs to over hydrate the muscle tissue. The real problem (IMHO) is that supplements do not have to go through any rigourous testing procedures unlike drugs. As long as a company uses the "supplement" label they are considered in the same category as foods. I know exactly what friends of mine had to do to get their supplement marketed and it wasn't much...

[soty_614]

To the OP, I think you should focus on getting a good routine and diet before supplementing with anything. Until you learn the basics, you'll probably only be losing weight in the wallet.

Anyway, as the thread has morphed, I believe CSK'sMom have a good point. How many people take supplements when they have no idea what they actually do or if they have side effects? Judging by some peoples responses here or in the gym, I don't think they have any idea what it is or what specific enhancement it will give them in the gym.

Luckily, creatine is safe (according to most recent studies). Other supplements, such as prohormones were completely legal a few years ago and flying off the shelves until they were banned. Prohormones were often regarded as "all the side effects and none of the gains of real anabolic steroids". I wonder how many peoples lives were affected by something they never looked into until the government banned its sale. The fitness industry is out to make money, they have released harmful products. Do your research before buying anything.


Here's a mini study that a 2 second google search turned up with the key words "creatine supplement+organ damage". The 2 cases cited in this mini-study were a couple of the lucky ones that the renal damage was reversed after stopping creatine. Using "creatine+organ damage" brings up most of the mainstream medical studies in the accepted journals (which require a subscription or getting your doctor to print them out for you).

http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/reprint/2/4/757.pdf


Acute renal failure in a young weight lifter taking multiple food supplements, including creatine monohydrate.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17046619&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"while taking creatine and ------->multiple other<----- supplements for bodybuilding purposes"
I couldn't find the reference to the 18 year old, but seems like the 24 year old mentioned in your link was taking other supplements as well. Either way, a single case cannot be considered proof.

Urban, we had a 2+ hr discussion with our ped. on the subject of supplements and creatine in particular. I have the hard copies of the relevant peer-reviewed papers.


A ped. or sports medicine doctor is hardly an expert on whether creatine cause renal or liver problems. These doctors are not experts in the field.

Do you have these studies and reviews?

The effect of creatine intake on renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15886291&ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Creatine supplementation minimally impacts creatinine concentrations and renal function in young healthy adults. Although creatinine concentrations may increase after long periods of creatine supplementation, the increase is extremely limited and unlikely to affect estimates of creatinine clearance and subsequent dosage adjustments. Further studies are required in the elderly and patients with renal insufficiency."


Few adverse effects of long-term creatine supplementation in a placebo-controlled trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15795816&ordinalpos=12&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum


Is the use of oral creatine supplementation safe?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15758854&ordinalpos=13&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Recently, controlled studies made to integrate the existing knowledge based on anecdotal reports on the side effects of creatine have indicated that, in healthy subjects, oral supplementation with creatine, even with long-term dosage, may be considered an effective and safe ergogenic aid."


Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football players.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12500988&ordinalpos=27&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Therefore, it appears that oral supplementation with CrM has no long-term detrimental effects on kidney or liver functions in highly trained college athletes in the absence of other nutritional supplements."

Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10999421&ordinalpos=37&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"We did not find any adverse effects on renal function."


Dietary creatine supplementation does not affect some haematological indices, or indices of muscle damage and hepatic and renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10953902&ordinalpos=38&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"These data provide evidence that there are no obvious adverse effects of acute or more chronic Cr supplementation on the haematological indices measured, nor on hepatic, muscle, and renal function. Therefore there is no apparent health risk associated with Cr supplementation to healthy people when it is ingested in quantities that have been scientifically proven to increase muscle Cr stores."

Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10449011&ordinalpos=44&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Neither short-term, medium-term, nor long-term oral creatine supplements induce detrimental effects on the kidney of healthy individuals."

ps: While these are abstracts or reviews of current research, you can get full texts by looking at where the journal was originally published and goto that site. Some of these are available through basic free sign up. Or you can buy a pubmed subscription.

[poedua]

To the OP, I think you should focus on getting a good routine and diet before supplementing with anything. Until you learn the basics, you'll probably only be losing weight in the wallet.

Anyway, as the thread has morphed, I believe CSK'sMom have a good point. How many people take supplements when they have no idea what they actually do or if they have side effects? Judging by some peoples responses here or in the gym, I don't think they have any idea what it is or what specific enhancement it will give them in the gym.

The fitness industry is out to make money, they have released harmful products. Do your research before buying anything.


Well said. Couldn't agree more.

It's " a good routine and diet" as well as learning the "basics " that most gym rats on this forum seem to have de-emphasized / ignored altogether on this forum IMO.

Here's how many of the posters in this forum form tactics and strategies to meet their fitness goals IMO.....it's a bastardized version of the K.I.S.S. principle.


Let's see.......

Want huge gains in lean muscle mass ? - use a supplement

Want faster gains in lean muscle mass ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in strength ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in endurance ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in fat loss ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in accelerating both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in delaying muscle fatigue ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in massive muscle pumps? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in oxygen delivery ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in vascularity ? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in increased blood flow to muscles? - use a supplement

Want huge gains in delivery of nutrients to muscles ? - use a supplement


.....the brainwashing & marketing speaks for itself IMO.


It's as those some of these ' muscle heads ' on the forum are allergic to 4 words...TRAIN HARD....and EAT SMART:lol:

[UrbanPoet]

To the OP, I think you should focus on getting a good routine and diet before supplementing with anything. Until you learn the basics, you'll probably only be losing weight in the wallet.

Anyway, as the thread has morphed, I believe CSK'sMom have a good point. How many people take supplements when they have no idea what they actually do or if they have side effects? Judging by some peoples responses here or in the gym, I don't think they have any idea what it is or what specific enhancement it will give them in the gym.

Luckily, creatine is safe (according to most recent studies). Other supplements, such as prohormones were completely legal a few years ago and flying off the shelves until they were banned. Prohormones were often regarded as "all the side effects and none of the gains of real anabolic steroids". I wonder how many peoples lives were affected by something they never looked into until the government banned its sale. The fitness industry is out to make money, they have released harmful products. Do your research before buying anything.



Acute renal failure in a young weight lifter taking multiple food supplements, including creatine monohydrate.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17046619&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"while taking creatine and ------->multiple other<----- supplements for bodybuilding purposes"
I couldn't find the reference to the 18 year old, but seems like the 24 year old mentioned in your link was taking other supplements as well. Either way, a single case cannot be considered proof.



A ped. or sports medicine doctor is hardly an expert on whether creatine cause renal or liver problems. These doctors are not experts in the field.

Do you have these studies and reviews?

The effect of creatine intake on renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15886291&ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Creatine supplementation minimally impacts creatinine concentrations and renal function in young healthy adults. Although creatinine concentrations may increase after long periods of creatine supplementation, the increase is extremely limited and unlikely to affect estimates of creatinine clearance and subsequent dosage adjustments. Further studies are required in the elderly and patients with renal insufficiency."


Few adverse effects of long-term creatine supplementation in a placebo-controlled trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15795816&ordinalpos=12&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum


Is the use of oral creatine supplementation safe?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15758854&ordinalpos=13&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Recently, controlled studies made to integrate the existing knowledge based on anecdotal reports on the side effects of creatine have indicated that, in healthy subjects, oral supplementation with creatine, even with long-term dosage, may be considered an effective and safe ergogenic aid."


Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football players.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12500988&ordinalpos=27&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Therefore, it appears that oral supplementation with CrM has no long-term detrimental effects on kidney or liver functions in highly trained college athletes in the absence of other nutritional supplements."

Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10999421&ordinalpos=37&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"We did not find any adverse effects on renal function."


Dietary creatine supplementation does not affect some haematological indices, or indices of muscle damage and hepatic and renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10953902&ordinalpos=38&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"These data provide evidence that there are no obvious adverse effects of acute or more chronic Cr supplementation on the haematological indices measured, nor on hepatic, muscle, and renal function. Therefore there is no apparent health risk associated with Cr supplementation to healthy people when it is ingested in quantities that have been scientifically proven to increase muscle Cr stores."

Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10449011&ordinalpos=44&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
"Neither short-term, medium-term, nor long-term oral creatine supplements induce detrimental effects on the kidney of healthy individuals."

ps: While these are abstracts or reviews of current research, you can get full texts by looking at where the journal was originally published and goto that site. Some of these are available through basic free sign up. Or you can buy a pubmed subscription.

ownage :-0

[poedua]

ownage :-0

Hardly.

I think the American College of Sports Medicine take on Creatine use is the most reasonable, prudent and insightful one to adopt..........



" Does the Apparent Absence of Health Risks Make Cr [ Creatine ] Supplementation Safe and Appropriate?

As with ingestion of any compound in excess into the body, there are a number of aspects that should be recognized. The fact that Cr [ Creatine ] is a naturally occurring compound does not make supplementation safe, as numerous compounds are good, even essential in moderation, but detrimental in excess.

Further, the lack of adverse effects does not equal safety, since unending research must be performed to eliminate the possibility of all theoretical complications "

http://www.acsm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Research/Roundtables_Specialty_Conf/PastRoundtables/Creatine_Rt.pdf


.......sound advice IMO.

[df329]

CSK's Mom is crazy. I'm happy I'm not CSK :lol:

What's next? Death by multivitamin :lol: