Do you use creatine? Why/why not? Did it have any effect on you or is it just placebo?
Do you use creatine? Why/why not? Did it have any effect on you or is it just placebo?
Do you use creatine? Why/why not? Did it have any effect on you or is it just placebo?
are you fucking stupid? creatine is the only supplement with actual research data to back up it's benefits. lukewarm IQ can't even google.
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anyone can use google homosexual ass, people come on here to get different opinions
he asked if it was just placebo, like OP you're a dumbfuck that probably fucks his dad
checked
yes I use it and yes it has effects on 80% of the people who use it
No, I heard it's too dangerous. I don't want my heart to explode, or get into a fit of creatine rage and get someone hurt.
Happened to me once but now I am clean since 2 years
do you guys always take it or stop taking it sometimes to make your kidneys rest? I wanna try it but I read different opinions on this
There is no point cycling it. 3g a day is enough to eventually reach muscle saturation and maintain it. If you take creatine and do a blood test your creatinine levels will be high which docs might confuse for failing kidneys when they're actually working just fine.
You get slightly increased strength, endurance and will look "fuller" as your muscles retain water better. Is it necessary? No. Will it make a huge difference? No. Will it help? Definitely
It doesn't stress the kidneys, but can mess up kidney related blood work. So don't take it for a few days before having creatine kinase tested
Is the hair loss thing a meme?
I used it for two years straight until I started dirty bulking and no hair loss, its a meme. People only say its a meme because they are looking for something to blame on their balding genes
Not for some, it’s a gamble
https://examine.com/nutrition/does-creatine-cause-hairloss/
probably.
It is a meme.
Creatine has no impact on hormone production nor their synthetisation into other byproducts, and hormones are what causes androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) in the first place. The transformation of testosterone into a byproduct called dehidrotestosterone binding to the hair follicles is what makes you lose hair eventually. Creatine and balding affect/are affected by completely separate and independent mechanisms.
Based gaslighter.
But creatine raises dht dramatically and it's dht that fucks your hair. So yes. chances of hair loss are high.
No it doesn't. Only one study has looked at whether creatine raises DHT, the group that saw a raise was well within normal levels and they started the study with lower than average levels. They were also doing resistance training which can raise testosterone. The "evidence" creatine raises DHT is shit, there's no biologically plausible mechanisms for how creatine would even raise DHT in the first place.
I hear the phrase "resistance training" but can't seem to figure out how it is different to progressive overload and lifting weighs because I'm a ESL. Can anyone shed light upon this conundrum?
It's not, lifting weights is a kind of resistance training. Resistance training refers to strength training more generally including stuff like calisthenics
Thanks a lot!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19741313/
Smaller study but it does raise DHT. I wish it lasted longer to see if it dropped to normal levels but it's enough to make me avoid it.
This is the same one study everyone post and that I already mentioned. There are no other studies showing it raises DHT and plenty that show it doesn't raise testosterone. It's your call but it's a stupid reason since creatine is one of only proven supplements for strength athletes
To elaborate:
> The vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss/baldness stems from a single study by van der Merwe et al. [] where college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine (25 g/day for 7 days, followed by 5 g/day thereafter for an additional 14 days) experienced an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations over time. Specifically, DHT increased by 56% after the seven-day loading period, and remained 40% above baseline values after the 14-day maintenance period
> However, in the van der Merwe et al. [] study, no increase in total testosterone was found in the 16 males who completed the study. Free testosterone was not measured. Moreover, the increase in DHT and the DHT: testosterone ratio remained well within normal clinical limits. Furthermore, baseline (prior to supplementation), DHT was 23% lower in the creatine group (0.98 nmol/L) compared to the placebo group (1.26 nmol/L). Thus the small increase in DHT in the creatine group (+ 0.55 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and + 0.40 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation), in combination with a small decrease in the placebo DHT response (-0.17 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and -0.20 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation) explains the “statistically significant” increase in DHT noted by van der Merwe et al. []. While it is possible that creatine supplementation upregulated 5-alpha-reductase activity in these males (potentially leading to increased formation of DHT), no study has reported hair loss/baldness in humans.
Anecdotal but my friend went bald at 17 after using it or a few years, could be just bad genetics though.
30 years old daily Creatine user, my hair is fine after years of 2g dosages.
I have ben taking it for 4 days (stopped caus I had to get surgery) bench went up but I definitely saw more shedding
not a problem if you just grow new hair friend
>be me thinking about roiding with creatine for a while, just a cycle to see how it can go
>it causes hair loss
yes thats a no in my book. I like my hair.
It doesn't retard, don't you think 90% of the people in the gym would be bald if that were true?
You can't cycle creatine. You have to take it every day. After 4 weeks of not taking it, you lose the benefits of it.
Supposedly it can increase DHT levels, but as far as I'm aware that was based on only one study. Anecdotally, I think I've noticed more thinning since starting several months ago, but hard to say if it's due to the creatine as I'm already in a losing battle with the Norwood reaper (on fin/min)
I got really bad scalp itch and shredding.
From what I've read if you are genetically predisposed to hair loss, it will speed it up.
2 years on, just finishing up 2 months off. Honestly I don't consider myself to even be training if not taking Creatine.
Again 2 years on, I saw no noticeable effect. My grandfathers both had hair though. Dad has a full head of hair, so haven't been particularly worried. I'd recommend a multivitamin or hair supplement if you're worried about it.
Would generally agree that if you're going to go bald it might possibly speed it up a year or two but not really any definitive evidence that I've seen.
> Not a dr, worked for me, ymmv
No, it's real.......had massive hair shedding and heart palpitations, repeated multiple times during natty phases and blast & cruise. Can't use it for more than a few weeks without sides.
retard
Yes. It mildly raises DHT which is where the meme came from, but no studies have shown it to cause hairloss despite this.
be aware some sellers are changing creatine by maltodrextose
name?
It has a minor effect (3lb water mass gain to your muscles, maybe better ATP recovery) but I just hate having to remember all the stupid powders every day and creatine in pills are hilariously underdosed.
>Put a tsp in literally anything because it has no flavor
The horror!
Alright bro you go through your medicine cabinet like a fucking boomer while I just go to the gym and outlift you.
You put creatine in your medicine cabinet? I keep mine in the kitchen along with my spoons, cups, and beverages.
>a trip to my own medicine cabinet takes all day
I just eat it raw heaping teaspoonful and wash it with water because it won't dissolve in most any beverage unless it's hot.
back when i took creatine in pills, it took 4 big ass pills to get the equivalent of one scoop of powder. also the same thing of pills now costs 70 dollars when it used to cost 30 lol
It does work but isn’t worth the Money IMO. I used it for a few months and did see some improvement, but was so minor that I couldn’t justify it.
creatine is dirt fucking cheap normally. it's absolutely worth it.
When you are a student it’s better to spend that money on rice and potatoes so you can actually make gains.
Amazon still has it in the 20-30 range, and you can do the subscribe and save cheat to save 25% too
I don't really care if it helps my lifts or not. It makes my muscles look fuller at rest. Less than a dollar a day to look better is worth it to me.
>/why not?
i can't tell if baldposting regarding creatine is real or not and i'm not going to risk it.
not reading all that
8mg a day. Capsules. Helps with muscle fatigue for me, that's about it. I don't get bloated, stayed 200lbs for 8 weeks I've been using it. Fat disappeared and muscle took its place. I do get creatine shits frequently from taking it, won't lie. It's useful I suppose.
>mg
anon...
2/10
I take it and I have absolutely no idea what it does
>No longer getting gassed on my second and third working sets for my big lifts
Completely worth it in my mind
Does it matter when you take it?
Signs that creatine is killing me?
>I am NOT a doctor. This is NOT advice
Stopped reading right here
is there a point to taking it everyday if i'm only working out 3x a week
I use creatine. I notice strength and size improvements when I'm on it vs off it. It also gives me crazy jitters so it might just be tainted with stimulants, I'm not sure.
I'm not bald but have thinning hair and am 36 so I haven't taken it. Just citrulline.
I got 500% more mires on creatine (14-15 in last month compared to 2-3 prior to that), it really pumps your arms, thats the biggest difference for me
I have been taking it on and off (for months or years at a time) for the past 15 years, never noticed a difference.
No, I dont want to lose my natty card
When you say slight - in that study DHT was raised by like 44% I believe. So not that slight.
>1 study
>miniscule sample size (n=20 divided into 2 grps)
>never replicated
>not even attempted to explain the underlying mechanism and what fucking creatine could possibly do to influence DHT)
>44% increase is shitall in the grand scheme of things when measuring variables like that
that study is worthless on its own but the human mind is primed for "better safe that sorry" so young men insecure about hair loss ran with it and will continue running until the end of time.
just take some creatine its the only supp worth a damn
why don’t we just get 20 mfs together on this board and replicate the study
It's a known fact that it raises conversion from test to DHT DRAMATICALLY and there are hundreds of reports online of hair going bye bye after introduction of creatine.
if DHT was actually raised by 44% that's fucking awesome and SARMs-tier
high T also has a myriad of terrible side effects yet you wouldn't call out somebody for trying to boost their T through supplements or lifestyle changes
> if DHT was actually raised by 44% that's fucking awesome and SARMs-tier
According to study it was 56% during loading and then 40% at maintenance.
It is fucking awesome and all the benefits are well studied and confirmed.
Unfortunately it fucks your hair so if you're already prone to hair loss, you're better off forgetting it even exists or I guess pairing it up with fin to compensate DHT effects.
> high T also has a myriad of terrible side effects yet you wouldn't call out somebody for trying to boost their T through supplements or lifestyle changes
I totally would and plenty of people do. Obviously.
Difference is you CAN'T boost test naturally and doing it unnaturally gives you acne, stress, hair loss + bonus risk of death.
>Difference is you CAN'T boost test naturally
well if you have shitty habits then fixing them and lifting hard will most likely improve your T
there's like 1 or 2 weird African plants that *might* actually boost T slightly but I can't 'member the names right now
> there's like 1 or 2 weird African plants that *might* actually boost T slightly but I can't 'member the names right now
Don't bother. There's been THOUSANDS of supplements that """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""might""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" boost test and all of them eventually were proven to be 100% fucking useless scam.
The most recent one is turkesterone. But hey, as long as it brings the cash in....
yeah nah, I'm happy with my T
I can't quite make out my results but I think they're not too bad (should ask /fraud/ tho)
I think it was like 600 whatchacallits free T and 11 somethingsomethings T (healthy range was like 3 to 22)
You retards keep repeating this and ignoring the fact this is a low quality study and there's no biologically plausible mechanism for how creatine would upregulate conversion of testosterone to DHT and hair loss has never been reported as a side effect in any of the clinical research. Just stfu
Just read this thread and you'll see reports of hair loss side effect. I assume those are low quality posts as well?
And let me guess: you also believe in God?
Anons posting on SwoleShack that they've had hair loss from creatine is the lowest form of evidence
>trusting random people saying anecdotal shit
>"you also believe in God?"
This is so retarded and in-your-face ironic, it has to be b8
see
yes it works, anyone who says they are a nonresponder probably is genetic dead end (your body produces creatine) or retarded and didnt take it long enough. i feel like i definitely had more energy in my muscles after taking it for awhile and could notice it at work too. the only bad thing about it is you will have to pee more
My usual place is out of the normal creatine and they only have "fancy" creatine at triple the price. But yes it's worth taking when you get it at normal price because it's cheap and works
Thanks doctor I will be taking this post as certified medical advice and holding you liable legally for my balding should any issues occur related or unrelated as I consider you to be my healthcare provider now.
Should I even bother taking this if I do cardio everyday?
Scientifically, no
if that's your only exercise then no, it only benefits weightlifters.
breh it might not be as effective as it's for resistance training but if you go balls to the wall with your cardio it does help
cardiofags are also working out their muscles after all
If it's sprinting or something that requires power and anaerobic output then yeah otherwise it isn't going to really benefit you
just started using it about a month ago. i have noticed a big difference in water retention and that has translated to better work outs. im not lifting a shit ton more but i have noticed recovery is a bit easier because of all the extra water.
I use creatine everyday, I've noticed I can lift more for longer. Its not like a magical elixir of strength or anything but it will give you noticeable power and endurance. Doesn't really do much to the physique, it might make your chest and shoulders feel tighter or plump but its not like a steroid or anything. It does its job though. After a year of taking 2-5 grams every day I'll keep taking it for the rest of my life. I'd choose it over pre-workout if I had to make the choice.
I'm a "Hyper responder" Normally I am dehydrated all the time but if I take creatine in the morning I get all soft looking after a few hours.
Also pumps don't go away.
It kills hair tho, happens every time I use it.
By the way you already have creatine in your system without supplementing it. Mainly found it meat.
creatine just objectively helps with muscle development, it's been heavily researched and has no negative side effects, and the only reason not to take it as a lifter is if you're trying to hit a weigh-in for wrestling or something since creatine causes you to retain water (it doesn't make you lose fat slower though). Not using it is retarded.
I tried it a couple of times. Both times it made my hair start falling out like crazy, so I stopped.
are there any downsides to cheap as fuark creatine? dude in my gym is selling 2 kgs/4.5 lbs of it for dirt cheap but I plan to use 300-500 grams/10-16 oz max
>dude in my gym is selling
I wouldn't trust that, whatever he's selling. He probably came in it.
thats just extra protein bro
beat me to it (heh)
Well it's actually the owner of my gym and an ex pro BB so I'd be inclined to think he's legit. Then again when I asked him if you had to load it and what not he told me it doesn't require loading and that I should take it as a pre-workout (lolwoot). I just nodded and didn't push the topic further.
hair is finally starting to slightly thin in the corners of my forehead
How old are you? Its normal for that.
26. I figure, I still have a full head of hair. I don't think it's the creatine but it was the only relevant thread and I just noticed yesterday after a haircut
>Do you use creatine? Why/why not?
not anymore.
one bag of creatine has become more expensive than one vial of testosterone.
based. Are you pinning now?
I'm on TRT right now, planning on doing a second blast next winter. How about you?
Nah. I plan to when I'm older but want to make plenty of natty gains first. So you have lower than normal test?
I value my hair more than my muscles.
It didn't affect my training sessions and I didn't notice any significant gains after using it for 3 months daily. I know people who it worked well for though
yeah i hopped on that shit. do i have to turn in my natty card?
You gotta drink a lot of water
This. Sucks especially in my case as I'm already a naturally thirsty person, then got the bonus creatine thirst, now got prescribed lithium which also makes you thirsty. I spend half my day just filling my water glass.
>creatine
>gear
>acne medication
I drink over a gallon a day shits Brutal
On days when I run it's terrible. I never feel satisfied. People get weirded out by how much water I drink. I think part of that is that a lot of normies will drink soda/juice and actively avoid water though.
Liquid IV packets. They sell them all wallshart. They taste good, aren't packed with garbage, and I feel like they improve my overall hydration. Might be a meme but on days when I play soccer in 98 degree humid fuck weather I bounce back faster with one of these.
You give yourself an IV? Why not just drink some electrolytes?
>gear
>ance medication
Fix your doses and stop taking acne meds you absolute moron ffs what is wrong with you retards.
>stop taking acne medication
No
Does the expiration date for creatine matter? I've only got a tub of 2 year expired creatine left and I'm too poor to restock.
Without creatine I would never hit 1/2/3/4
It makes my face puff up and as face is the most important muscle I stopped. It's a similar effect I get when I eat too much bread.
You might have gluten intolerance anon.
I did read I'm less likely to have gluten intolerance on one of the meme dna reports lately but that doesn't preclude it I guess. A baguette a day makes me swell up like the michelin man. A good reason to get off the grain goblin I guess
A baguette a day is a lot of bread
For you
Clearly for that anon too as he gets a puffed face
I drink a scoop of pic related before lifts, should I keep buying it or switch to a regular non-pre-workout creatine supplement? The regular stuff is cheaper, and I drink coffee so the caffeine "boost" doesn't do much for me.
just eat a fucking banana, retard
I don't. It doesn't do anything for me personally. I ran 5g daily for a year, saw no benefit.
It works for some, doesn't for others. The benefit is very very mild.