Creatine: Capsules or Powder

[pnoiSR20]

Hey everyone! Im been doin my research about creatine, and found that it comes in powder and capsules. Which one is better to take? Because im deciding between EAS Phosphagen and Twinlab Mega Creatine Fuel.

[Ridenour]

Well I've been taking powder creatine for about a year now, and I'd say it works pretty good. I'm assuming it would probably be more effective in powder form, due to the fact that it would dissolve into the water and go a lot further and be absorbed more easily into your system. Capsules are probably more for people that don't wanna have to dick around with mixing it. So I'd definately say powder.

[-Jayson-]

why not get the liquid? My friend was taking a kind where all you do is 30 mins before you work out, you put a few drops of it under your tounge.

[kornflakes28546]

the liquid is good but its a hell of a lot more pricey than the powder. between the powder and capsules... go with the powder. my friend has the capsules and has to take like 4-5 giant pills to equal one serving of mine.

[pnoiSR20]

I heard that you have to take a shit when you take this stuff. Is that true...because if it is..i might as well take the micronized version instead.

[kornflakes28546]

Originally Posted by pnoiSR20

I heard that you have to take a shit when you take this stuff. Is that true...because if it is..i might as well take the micronized version instead.

what??? where did you hear that from? i have never heard that before. it doesn't for me, or anyone else i know.

[Ridenour]

I never have had that problem - nor have I even heard of it in the stuff I've read. The only thing it does to me negatively is I seem to be a little bit thirstier within a few hours after taking it. That's cause it moves water to your muscles, so you become dehydrated easier. Just maintain a high water intake and you'll be fine.

[randypalmer15]

Just a quick warning . . . I used creatine awhile back and had hellish cramping problems. I couldn't walk any more than a block without everything from my knees down turning to stone, plus my shoulders would cramp up with any kind of work as well (so bad one time I momentarily thought I'd dislocated it). From what I understand I'm not the only one with these problems, so it's something to be aware of.
And yes, I was drinking plenty of water, but it didn't seem to matter.

[Soyo]

I have been taking the capsules for about 4-5 months now and it has worked out really well for me. I have heard pills are better for some people and I've heard powder is better for some people... my manager at work was a manager at GNC for over a year and he tells me that the best value is unflavored powder but the capsules are the same thing just usually a few dollars more because people tend to get them to skip the mixing stage like someone said...

basically both are the same, also I've heard liquid isn't as good, but I couldn't tell you for sure

[sivic02]

Originally Posted by pnoiSR20

I heard that you have to take a shit when you take this stuff. Is that true...because if it is..i might as well take the micronized version instead.

2 months later....

I have been doing a TON of reserch on creatine because I am really paranoid about starting things like that. Anyway, what causes people to have diareha(sp?) is basicaly when they dont mix the powder well enough before drinking it. If you have crystals of creatine floating around that arent already dissolved then when they enter your intestines they will need to suck in more fluid to help dissolve the particles, once the water is in your intestines theres only one way for it to go... out the back door. One way people have gotten around this who have had problems with it is by mixing it with warm water or tea to help aid dissolving it.

[whttrshpunk]

There are NO scientifically documented side effects of creatine. Most so called side effects are "my friend knows a guy who xxxxx" or "one time I took it and I think it made me sick" kind of stories. Anyhow, on to the problem with liquid creatine. Creatine is NOT effective in liquid form because over time (more than ~30 minutes) if exposed to liquid it begins to degrade into a waste product called creatinine, which is excreted through the bladder and will provide absolutely ZERO benefit to you. If you are considering taking creatine or even talking about it, please check out these two links, they're extremely informative. The first one is in layman's terms and very easy to understand. If you are unfamiliar with Layne Norton he is a well respected body builder and is quite knowledgeable.


http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne13.htm

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=110159

[-Jayson-]

the liquid seems to work for me. I use the GNC stuff. Also worked for my buddy, he went from 150 lbs to 180lbs on it.

[whttrshpunk]

Originally Posted by -Jayson-

the liquid seems to work for me. I use the GNC stuff. Also worked for my buddy, he went from 150 lbs to 180lbs on it.

Creatine has no effect on weight gain, it's main benefits are aiding in the production of ATP and the water-saturation of muscles (energy and recovery). Creatine is NOT used for building muscles, that's what protein is for. Again, as stated in the links provided, after as little as 2 days of being exposed to liquid the level of creatine present in a sample will be near 14% of the original amount, the rest will have become creatinine.

[-Jayson-]

Originally Posted by whttrshpunk

Creatine has no effect on weight gain, it's main benefits are aiding in the production of ATP and the water-saturation of muscles (energy and recovery). Creatine is NOT used for building muscles, that's what protein is for. Again, as stated in the links provided, after as little as 2 days of being exposed to liquid the level of creatine present in a sample will be near 14% of the original amount, the rest will have become creatinine.

so your saying creatine wont help build muscle? Because im not saying he got really fat, he got big muscles. And i know what creatine does. So creatine isnt used to help build muscles? Then why do so many body builders use it? Cause i thought that since it helps me lift MORE WEIGHT AND WORK OUT LONGER! That its helping me build muscles. But i guess i am wrong, its just something fun to take. ANd protein doesnt build muscle either, protein is used for nothing more than the storing of energy. If you had taken a Basic biology class you would know this. Proteins is used to store energy in the muscles. ANd before you said creatine would break down in 30 minutes, now its 2 days? Which one is it? Also if it breaks down in 2 days, why do they recommend you load creatine for a week? Cause in case you dont know, your body is 75% water, hmm man that doesnt make sense?

So your using independent studies published on an independent website to argue your point? One study on one webpage might i add. Now im saying ive been using the liquid for a little other a month right now and have seen positive gains. My friend used it for alot longer and saw some serious gains. Ive been working out for a while now, on and off. And i have never seen gains like i am seeing with the liquid creatine.

But your prolly right, i guess ill believe some article posted on bodybuilding.com over GNC. . .

[whttrshpunk]

First off, can the attitude. Second, please read my posts before talking about them. I said it begins to break down in less than 30 minutes. In as little as two days it can be broken down to the extent that it will only contain 14% of the creatine it originally contained. Secondly, protein is THE essential building block of lean tissue. (google that phrase if you need clarification). Once again, creatine has no direct effect on weight gain. Please READ THE LINKS.