Creatine For Hockey Players

i’m a 15 year old hockey player i just started taking creatine tablets and myoplex protein shake … i am trying to bulk up as quick as i can … if anyone can tell me if these are good picks to choose to get big fast … thanks for your help

just make sure you dont focus too much on bulking, and make sure youre doing cardio like running or biking. I made the mistake of focusing too much on bulking before last season, i went from 170 to like 187 in about 5 months during the off season.

I gained a good deal of muscle mass but since i wasn;t doing as much cardio as i should have i had some extra fat and ended up being slower and more out of shape on the ice, even though i had the strength. if you focus on a well rounded program youll be fine.

About the creatine…i havent taken it in a couple years and im not as famliar with is as most of the other guys here…just lift hard and eat right and with that extra protein youll be having gains.

I wouldn’t reccommend the tablets of creatine, just hit the good old mondohydrate powder… cheaper and more effective.

Hmm, probably good advice about not losing your cardio conditioning. No point adding muscle but wheezing your ass off if you try to play.

At your age, get a serious workout in order. First and foremost, make sure you are using good form. If you haven’t already, get a routine involving deadlifts, squats, chins, benching, dips and various rows.

Also, make sure you get plenty of time out of the gym, you don’t grow while you are in the gym and overtraining won’t help you at all.

I’d suggest something like high intensity interval training to keep the cardio adaptations. Give them a try, they’ll have you heaving and sweating and feeling like shit, so you know they are good for you.

With all of this in place, eat protein with every meal… and sure, have a shake after your workout. Creatine won’t hurt either, though some people don’t notice much difference when using it.

Other folks than me might be able to suggest something more sport specific, but for plain old growing muscles, the compound lifts with good nutrition and plenty of rest will serve you well.

I used Myoplex for a while. Try Grow!
Its better and better for you.
(Plus, we all should support Biotest for putting up this great website)

If everything else is in order, creatine will be useful. I agree about using a plain monohydrate powder, though. Use a little Crystal Light or something similar to mask the taste (it’s kinda nasty).

Good luck in your training, and as others said, make sure the weight training is used to enhance performance and not as a means to itself.

-Dan

im a hockey player and ive used creatine. I must say the extra weight wasnt all that bad bc the creatine definitely helped my HIIT, which mimics skating for a 45sec-1min shift. Creatine will def help with hockey unless the size will get in your way of improving ont he ice. Try it, but you don’t need to load it for it to work. Youre better off taking 5g/day, and possibly 5g during training/skating w a gatorade or Surge.

Creatine is not generally recommended to 15 YEAR OLDS, something everyone else has apparently missed here. Stop worrying about getting big and just play hockey and train hard.

[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
Creatine is not generally recommended to 15 YEAR OLDS[/quote]

Says who?

I played juniors and tried out for my college team recently, almost made it too after being 2 years removed from competitive hockey.

Eric Cressey told me a few times that lifting weights does not equal being a better hockey player. Focus on your skills first. You’ll be stronger, but not necessarily better. Just make sure to keep that all in mind. I wish I would have started working hard on my skills when I was 15. Working out with weights is only part of the equation.

[quote]StevenF wrote:
Eric Cressey told me a few times that lifting weights does not equal being a better hockey player. Focus on your skills first. You’ll be stronger, but not necessarily better. Just make sure to keep that all in mind. I wish I would have started working hard on my skills when I was 15. Working out with weights is only part of the equation. [/quote]

I agree with this. Weight training is part of the equation but it certainly isn’t everything.

That said, it certainly has a place. Focus on building strength in movements rather than just putting on weight. You’re not a bodybuilder, so don’t train like you are. This means don’t waste time on machines or isolation work. At your level of development, 90% of your time in the weight room should be spent on the big compound movements like the squat, deadlift, cleans, lunges, chinups, rows and presses. You should also throw in short sprints once or twice a week either on the track or on the ice.

Pay attention to your energy systems as well. You certainly don’t need to remain in game shape but if you keep a little bit of your anaerobic endurance, your preseason will be much easier.
The only other thing that comes to mind is if you’re putting on serious weight during your offseason, you need to make sure you’re getting on the ice at least once a week or your body, particularly your ankles, will be unprepared for handling the additional weight and, hopefully, power.

[quote]jbodzin wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
Creatine is not generally recommended to 15 YEAR OLDS

Says who?[/quote]

Creatine labels

[quote]john2009 wrote:
jbodzin wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
Creatine is not generally recommended to 15 YEAR OLDS

Says who?

Creatine labels
[/quote]

Hmm I looked at Biotest’s Creatine Label and saw nothing saying that. Should he not eat read meat either? Because that has creatine in it too.

Creatine IMO is for everyone. To many health benefit beyond those that aid strength sports to ignore it and not take 5g a day.

Phill

There is absolutely no data that would point to creatine being more unsafe for a 15 year-old than an adult, which means it is as safe as Mom’s home cooking.

[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
There is absolutely no data that would point to creatine being more unsafe for a 15 year-old than an adult, which means it is as safe as Mom’s home cooking.[/quote]

Which is exactly why he did not return to rebut the statement :slight_smile: