Creatine? Need info/suggestions

ok i did the N02 for a month, and for the first 3 weeks i gained a good amount of muscle mass, 7 lbs, but during the last week or so, my weight gain has leveled off, im not gaining anymore weight. Im still working out just as much and just as hard, im adding more weights when i lift, just not to my total mass. I also dont appear to be getting any bigger. So im looking to try something new. . .Creatine. I had a buddy in high school who was skinny like me, he took creatine and now hes a pretty good size kid. So i want to know, if you are taking or have took creatine how did it work out for you? What kinda side effects did you see? What kind would you recommend? How much does it cost?

Want to get bigger, eh? Try a diet of eclairs & beer and heavy cream. You'll get bigger.

okay, i've used creatine on and off for around 3 years. right now i'm taking Cell-Tech because it works good and money isn't an issue. i've also taken just plain creatine monohydrate from GNC. it's all good stuff and i would defintely recommend it to any one. creatine is what your muscles use for energy when training. creatine is present in the body naturally and is found in red meats. if you lift weights, you'll use up your natural creatine pretty quickly and thats why people supplement it. it will give you a little extra energy to do a few more reps with that heavy weight, thus resulting in increased strength and size. creatine also fills your muscle cells with extra water so you will look a little bigger after a few days of using it. for that reason you need to drink a lot of water when using it to prevent dehydration. dehydration and the side effects from dehydration are really the only common side effects from using it. you can get creatine from GNC for probably less than $25. get some and try it out. :smile:

what kind though? I know their is a powerder form and a liquid form? Is their any other kind, how much is the liquid form? N02 worked well, but its just to hard to remember to take 8 pills twice daily 30 mins before you eat. . .

i always buy the powder because of the good price. i've used the liquid before but not long enough to notice a difference between the two. i say stick with the powder, because i know it works and i know its cheap

ok im gonna try the liquid for its eas of use. 40 bucks is alot better than the 90 N02 cost. When should i take it, i read that the liquid can be taken immediately when you wake up or after a workout, which one is more effective? And should i take it on my off days? Also i heard it causes achne on your chest and back? is this true?

I've been using Creatine Plus from GNC for the past about 6 months, and the stuff has worked good. I'd reccomend it (powder form)

no it wont cause acne, it has nothing to do with hormones. it will usually say to take it before workouts. cell-tech says to take it after workouts. if im not using cell-tech i'll take 5g before workout and 5g after workout

the bottle says take 4 drops right when i wake up or immediately following a workout.

I've heard that creatine breaks down after about 8 hours when in water, and Ive heard that because of that, liquid forms of creatine are not nearly as effective as powder forms of creatine. Is this true?
Also, I am about to come off of my creatine off cycle, and have been wondering which is the best form of creatine, i.e. creatine monohydrate, micronized creatine, tricreatine malate, creatine ethyl ester, etc....?

hmm... well, ive been researching creatine for about 6 months now.. and basically what it does is put more water into your muscle fibers so they expand. pure creatine itself isnt a source of energy.. although 99% of supplements add either caffine, carbs or someother source of energy in thier product.. So with the expanded muscle fiber your body can put more protien directly where it needs to go so you build muscle almost 10x faster and with out it.

I use a 3rd gen creatine in the form of a gummy chew. its premixed with the proper amount you need so their is no waste. Its time released to absorb into your blood within 20 mins of it hitting your stomach, I havent been using it long, but i already noticed a difference in my muscle mass.

how long should i cycle on and off for?

i take one gummy chew a day, everyday.

oh ya, 5-8 grams is what i believe is in one gummy chew, so i just take one 20mins before a workout and if im not woking out i take one in the morning to keep my creatine levels the same.

Ive heard to cycle off as long as youve been on, mainly ive heard 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off.

I work with a guy that was a manager at GNC for over a year and I take creatine... I take the pills right now and it is 6 pills after I work out... I have gained 20-25 lbs in the last 4 months of taking it

but anyway, the guy I work with says the unflavored powder is the best value

also he said to take it with some type of fruit juice but nothing acidic like sunny D... I go with apple juice or grape juice personally :)

I don't cycle off, I've never heard any good reason to do it so I don't... I tend to notice that mine doesn't make a noticable difference or increase my weight steadily but all of a sudden it will show and my weight will jump 10-15 lbs... this is usually after 4-6 weeks... anyway, I was taking creatine fuel but I just used the last of it a few days ago and I'm going to go with the powder now so I can compare the two

I have taken creatine and of all the people i have talked to about taking none of them have ever mentioned cycling on and off. I did gain about 15lbs in 3 months, however after i stopped taking it, i lost 10lbs. From talking to people they said that once you stop taking creatine all the waterweight it pulls into your muscles leaves. And this has been true for me. I still work out but i have definetly lost some mass since i stopped taking creatine.