Anyone use creatine monohydate when doing marathon intensive training?

As title really. Just wondered if anyone takes this when undergoing an intensive training schedule?

Comments

  • I didn't think creatine was suitable for endurance work ?



    I do have Nesquik though. image
  • I had a quick Google to satisfy my curiosity and the first vaguely scientific (i.e. not trying to sell you the supplement) article tentatively suggested the following:

    - Short-term supplementation does increase overall muscle mass, but mainly because of increased water retention, rather than lean muscle itself.  (So claims that it increases metabolism and therefore encourages fat buring may be inaccurate.)
    - This water retention does have a beneficial effect on protein synthesis, improving recovery and increasing strength/power.  It also increases glycogen storage capacity.
    - This increased performance/recovery is only really effective for very short, intense efforts, e.g. weight-lifting, football, etc. No direct improvement in endurance fitness.

    So in theory, it seems there could be some indirect benefit in a couple of respects, i.e.
    - If you did a relevant weight/strength-training routine, you could see real improvements which could be transferred to performance/injury resistance maybe?
    - Increased glycogen storage. I wasn't sure if this meant a long term increase in glycogen storage but that would obviously be useful for marathon training.

    I'm wary of supplements full-stop, so I'm not gonna start taking this stuff but would be interested in other people's views.

  • I did meet one chap who swore by it for marathons. But then he was off his head on coke (at a work do) so I would avoid it like the plague.



    Mark - didn't you pee blood last time ? I'd avoid anything out of the usual if I were you. There's no shortcuts. Only sensible training.
  • cougie wrote (see)

     
    Mark - didn't you pee blood last time ? I'd avoid anything out of the usual if I were you. There's no shortcuts. Only sensible training.


    Good point.  The "anecdotal" side-effects seem to revolve around stomach related issues and stuff going on in the liver, so best avoided really!

  • I'm one of the few around here who uses a whey supplement, and even I wouldn't think about bothering with creatine.

     

    At best, a waste of money. At worst, a substance which is naturally present in your body, but the levels of which you really don't want to be messing with.

  • turkeyneckturkeyneck ✭✭✭

    sorry i dont agree, if your body responds to creatine then it will benefit your body by making you stronger thus feeling less fatigued during a run and having more breath because of it, even on a 5mile run Ive set off much faster by 45seconds per mile yet legs and lungs feel like im taking it easy. Ive taken it on half marathons twice and I think the dosage wears off after about 8 or 9 miles then the pace feels like it did without creatine. Yes creatine is natually occuring but if youre getting on a bit nothing works like it use to lol ... undesirable side effect, maybe you might muscle bulk up .. i have but pace times have tumbled. There are various creatine products but Im cautious of testocerone products ..

  • cougie wrote (see)
    I didn't think creatine was suitable for endurance work ?

    I do have Nesquik though. image

    Me too - chocolate flavour - I swear by it image

  • PhilPub basicly hit the nail on the head, lots of water retention in muscle fibres. Good for if you want strength or to bulk up (good for rugby players) but neither of these things are useful for endurance based sports, lean and streamlined is what you want image

  • Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)

    As a scientist of many years experience I am very well aware of Creatine, and before you use it, you should be aware of what is made fom and what it does to you.

    It has been derived in many ways but the most common means to extract Creatine is distilled Dog pooh, and the main side effect (although it can improve muscle bulk) is that it makes you Gay. So Turkeyneck, when you slow down at 8-9 miles it is because you are becoming a little bit Camp. Personally I wouldn't do it

    Literally cracked up...

  • SideBurnSideBurn ✭✭✭

    I have tried it and think it helped, but not enough that I thought it was worthwhile.

    And I thought that Gay means happy? But it does explain why I start skipping at 9 miles....

  • SideBurnSideBurn ✭✭✭

    The screen name is nothing to do with my hair.... (flounces away, skipping)

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