- This topic has 31 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 5 years ago by BillOddie.
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Creatine?
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TheSouthernYetiFree Member
Despite being a long term sceptic of the benefits of creatine for cycling I’ve decided to give it a go and see if it will help improve sprint power. I read a little article on another cycling website where it was claimed to have proved beneficial for an extensive sample of one…
Anyone else tried it, or know of other cyclists experiences from using it?
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberSeems to work in the literature.
ttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636102
I did used to take it when I used to go to the gym a lot, and I also used to be a lot faster. That doesn’t really prove anything as I also went to the gym a lot.
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...deadlydarcyFree MemberFresh out I’m afraid. I can knock some out over the weekend if you want. Just need to wait a day or two.
How was the Rás?
ghostlymachineFree MemberAnyone else tried it, or know of other cyclists experiences from using it?
Yeah, i used it for less than half a season. Very very very marginal improvement in peak power/sprint speed. Probably mostly in my head. Certainly too small to measure reliably.
Also made me heavier (water retention is apparently a known problem). So i got slower where it mattered. No point in being able to add 1 kph to your sprint speed if you get dropped on the first/second/third climb of the day. Didn’t help with the MTB starts either, as most of that is good grid position, start technique and spotting your line. Being able to go (very) slightly faster on the start doesn’t help when you get passed on the climbs……
If i had ever been a track sprinter or a downhiller (short events, explosive power) i’d be all over it. As it is, i’m not, so i reckon i get enough creatine from my normal diet.
There are a few studies around about it’s effectiveness in endurance sports.
Summary:- It’s not very effective.
michaelmccFree MemberFor me its one of those marginal gains things. I take about 5 grams a day in powder form mixed into my recovery drink while I’m in hard training periods. I definitely notice myself feeling stronger – especially on the shorter climbs. It used to be a bit of a taboo before everyone realised it’s in red meat and stuff anyway. It certainly doesn’t seem to be making me slower, and the weight gain is minimal to nothing if only taking 5 grams a day (well within safe limits). So if it only makes me 10 to 15 minutes faster over a 24 hour race then I’m happy with that.
molgripsFree MemberRead about this some time ago. You need to take it differently to weightlifters. Something like a smaller regular dose rather than loads of it when working out – but I can’t remember the details.
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberHow was the Rás?
Amazing, I was just doing team management stuff but was a lot of fun racing around and handing out bottles etc. Unique take on a race having the race radio and hearing other teams etc.
Ghostlymachine – would you class yourself as a sprinter though? I’ve a pretty consistent and good 5 sec power output but tail off between 20 to 40 secs… my thoughts are that the additional ATP levels might be able to help me raise that part of my power profile and be able to spring from further out.
steve_b77Free Memberit’s in red meat and stuff anyway
S0 say all the Mexican’s and some Spaniards
hugoFree MemberUse it.
Improves sprint endurance so is more about the final sprint than the first one, hence why it’s popular with team sports players. Another way of putting it is that it doesn’t really improve your 1 rep max, but would help you do 10 reps instead of 8 of a lighter weight.
Don’t sweat the amount. I just pre-mix it in with my whey powder to ensure I get 2ish grams a day. You get it from red meat as well, and the old “loading phase” thing of 20g for the first 5 days is guff. It was an arbitrary amount used in a successful study and it was taken forward as gospel, when in fact it only works to sell more of the stuff!
twinw4llFree MemberOne of the few things in the fitness industry that isn’t snake oil.
You have to try it because it doesn’t work for everyone, certainly helps me recover from heavy lifting.
footflapsFull MemberAs to how much effect you notice, that depends on how much Creatine you store naturally, so not everyone gets the same benefit. I take 5g a day and any weight gain is under 1kg, so hardly noticeable. Lots of literature shows it does enhance athletic performance, unlike just about ever other (legal) supplement out there.
BadlyWiredDogFull MemberI found it kind of puffed up muscles in a weird bloated way and made me prone to cramp in my calves when running and riding. Horrible stuff. I’m quite fast twitchy and put on muscle very easily, so that might or might not have a bearing on it. Great for brutal power-orientated gym resistance work though, felt like being on an endless tide of additional reps on final sets. Everyone’s different, I’d try it and see how it works for you.
molgripsFree MemberTSY you might as well try it and report back. It’s not really expensive or hard to get. I’d certainly be interested to hear your results.
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberAlready on it Molly… Day 4.
Had to hit a MOV for free delivery so also enjoying the skin tingling benefits of Beta-Alanine. In for a penny and all that.
poahFree MemberSeems to work in the literature.
ttps://<span class=”skimlinks-unlinked”>www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636102</span>
I did used to take it when I used to go to the gym a lot, and I also used to be a lot faster. That doesn’t really prove anything as I also went to the gym a lot.
“although the response is highly variable” says it all.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberHad to hit a MOV for free delivery so also enjoying the skin tingling benefits of Beta-Alanine. In for a penny and all that.
Is that like GABA? My housemate gave me some of that to combat some injuries and insomnia.
Gave me a soft pins and needles sensation (not unpleasant) and I’ve never slept so soundly but decided I want comfortable taking something that definitely felt more like a drug than a supplement.
jimjamFree Memberthe southern yeti
Despite being a long term sceptic of the benefits of creatine for cycling I’ve decided to give it a go and see if it will help improve sprint power. I read a little article on another cycling website where it was claimed to have proved beneficial for an extensive sample of one…
Anyone else tried it, or know of other cyclists experiences from using it?
Bit of a mild tangent here but creatine has been shown to increase testosterone and increase conversion to Dihydrotestosterone, and there appears to be some evidence that endurance sports such as cycling or jogging decrease testosterone. Low testosterone has many of the same symptoms as depression in men so as we get older it’s probably a good idea to be mindful of this.
Even if you’re just beaten down from long hours on the bike it seems like crreatine would be good to supplement with as it’s been shown to help with complex tasks when fatigued. No doubt there’ll be conflicting evidence on all those points but its worth considering.
molgripsFree MemberGot a citation for that jimjam? What sort of dose cycle are you talking about?
hugoFree MemberjimjamFree Membermolgrips
Got a citation for that jimjam?
I presume you mean creatine and test? It’s something I’ve heard over and over but I googled it before posting and there are certainly a load of sites (hundreds) echoing it. I’m not stating that as fact – I have no expertise in the area but I think it’s safe to say the negative symptoms of low testosterone are well documented, the fact that testosterone decreases with age, also well documented as are the benefits of trt. I think it would be worth your (or any aging male’s) time to at least look into it.
What sort of dose cycle are you talking about?
I guess it would depend on your activity levels and tolerance to creatine.
dovebikerFull MemberIME it can help with recovery / maintain a higher training load – e.g. high-intensity efforts, 2-3 times per week. To work it need to be in combination with proteins / amino acids – I found something like a recovery drink made from Cyclone more effective that the cheaper alternatives like ReGo. Never bothered with the loading, just a post-ride drink.
MTB-RobFree MemberHave a look on the Torq website, as they sell it etc.
Sure they have lot of references to studies etc
DON’T BOTHER
My mistake they don’t sell it. ops
footflapsFull MemberThere’s a FB page I follow with lots of referenced sports science topics inc info and papers on Creatine…
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberSo 10 days in, first 5 days taking 20g a day and now at 5g / day…
No obvious weight gain, set a new 1 min power record and feeling stronger on the bike.
Reckon it’s all in my head and an outcome of training specifically to increase the 1 min power. So potentially I’m pishing money up the wall.
hugoFree MemberPossibly both effects!
A 1 min power effort is spot on for what Creatine does for you though.
Kryton57Full MemberUsed to take it for Rugby, and extensively analysed not then.
IMO, it’s great for short intense training intervals, and you should drop it if you were racing a season, at the season start. It draws moisture into your muscles leading to weight gain and potential dehydration if you were to partake in long and hot rides.
Take it over the training season to help lean muscled build and explosive effort, then get it out of your system a few weeks before race day enabling you to lighten up and hydrate properly. Any benefit for build will have happened over the training period.
mcnultycopFull MemberI use it, but I do regularly lift heavy weights as well as cycling. The studies show it makes a difference and it feels like it makes a difference and it’s cheap.
Only use the monohydrate powder though, the solution stuff does nothing.
BillOddieFull MemberI basically use creatine constantly. It’s great stuff. It’s cheap and effective, unlike the fast majority of supplements sport or otheriwise.
Not only does it help with gym sessions, I find my mind is a bit clearer when using it. This has been backed up with a few studies that suggest that not only does improve cognition it also helps prevent traumatic brain injury and the after effects from TBI. I have had a few concussions in the past.
I occasionally stop taking it for a couple of weeks (eg holidays) and find I tend to drop a few pounds of water weight when I come off it. Though that tends to be counteracted by beer and burger weight.
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