I sprained my lower back 10 weeks ago and in my desperateness eventually stopped taking creatine about a week and a half ago. I read somewhere that it can cause muscle strains and tears, and I also read somewhere else that this is complete bs. Idk what to believe. Anyways I have a very hard time getting in a lot of water, always have. its especially hard now that Im eating a ton of calories to gain weight and its hard enough just to get in those calories without filling my stomach with water in between feedings. I eat every two hours. As a result I only get about 64 ounces a day. Is this bad for using creatine? Thanks
No, creatine will not cause muscle strains and tears. Weight lifting does that, which is why our muscles get bigger. A lot of people say to drink at least a gallon a day, but I think that is a bit much sometimes. If you are cramping, you need to increase your water, sodium and potassium intake due to higher hydration requirements creatine needs. If not, you are probably fine.
Thanks. I never experienced any cramping so I was prlly drinking enough. Also this may sound dumb but can you tell if creatine is working? I don’t mean some drastic change cause obviously that’s not what it does but are there indicators? And lastly, I started taking creatine Malate instead of mono hydrate. Is there any possibility I could not respond to Malate but mono hydrate would work better ? Or are they essentially the same
Oh also something I discovered recently. Mixing creatine Malate and Surge Recovery in a blender bottle= foam… Lots and lots of foam
It’s hard to tell specifically if creatine is working. You might have a little water retention, able to lift slightly more, or able to do one more rep. There are too many other variables to pinpoint if it’s just the creatine. We do know for a fact, however, that creatine can increase ATP levels to saturation, allowing for more fuel to exert very short duration, maximal force. That is why weight lifters supplement creatine, while a marathon runner would not benefit much.
As far as the different creatine types, I am not entirely sure what the differences are. I would guess some forms are absorbed more rapidly than others and could result in more/less water retention.
Thanks a lot for the information. I guess now I’m wondering if I would have better results from mono hydrate vs Malate, just cause all the studies I see are done on mono hydrate .
You need more water. Eating every two hours? How about eating more per sitting and less frequently. And drink a shit ton more water? Research your hydration requirements (based on your weight, activity level, climate, etc.) and make that your priority. Even a fractional deficiency in hydration translates into a significant performance loss.
There’s a million feeding options available to every athlete (e.g. paleo, intermittent fasting, conventional bodybuilding, etc.) and truth is they ALL work. But to pick one that sacrifices something as important as hydration is creating more of a problem than it’s solving. You don’t train hard to create imbalances do ya? Proper sleep & hydration will ALWAYS trump feeding & training protocols. Drop the ball in any one of these important elements and you’re just leaving a lot of progress on the table, let alone making ya more prone to injury or fucking with optimal recovery. You should be bitching about how frequently you’re peeing bro!
Oh yeah, another thing. Low water intake while taking creatine makes a bad situation worse. Check the product label. I’ve never seen a creatine label that didn’t point out the importance of proper hydration while taking creatine. The stuff works by jamming more fluid into your muscle tissue. If the fluid isn’t available then why bother taking it? You should see a notable improvement in strength & size with creatine… but prolly not so much with low water intake.
Thanks for the input die trying. I’m slowly recovering from a chronic illness so that’s the reason I eat more frequently but smaller portions. My body can’t really handle the huge meals yet. I’m almost there though. If it means anything my sleep has always been something I make a priority.
[quote]bulkNcut wrote:
I sprained my lower back 10 weeks ago and in my desperateness eventually stopped taking creatine about a week and a half ago. I read somewhere that it can cause muscle strains and tears, and I also read somewhere else that this is complete bs. Idk what to believe. Anyways I have a very hard time getting in a lot of water, always have. its especially hard now that Im eating a ton of calories to gain weight and its hard enough just to get in those calories without filling my stomach with water in between feedings. I eat every two hours. As a result I only get about 64 ounces a day. Is this bad for using creatine? Thanks [/quote]
You read rite its complete BS. CREATINE WILL NOT CAUSE MUSCLE STRAINS AND TEARS its actually used to help treat muscle strains not sure but it mite even be used to treat tears as well.
Wow, congrats on staying in the game while coming back from illness. It’s a long tough road. Had a similar situation myself so I can totally relate. I had a major surgery and during recovery my body atrophied really bad. It took over a year to get back in a groove.
One method to help get more water in ya might be to pound 16oz upon waking, well before breakfast. I might also suggest skipping liquids during meals (maybe a sip or two to help wash it down) & take a good enzyme blend with the meal to aid more rapid/efficient digestion. Then after an hour after the meal shoot for another 16oz. This should get through your system in plenty of time before the next meal. Hope these tips might help and keep up the good fight amigo!
Yeah I def need to start my morning with water, probably the easiest way I can add it to my day without even really trying. Sorry to hear about the surgery but thanks for the help.