Re: FITNESS: Creatine monohydrate for lean mass gain?

Russell Whitaker (whitaker@extropia.corp.sgi.com)
Fri, 16 Aug 1996 15:26:58 -0700

On Aug 15, 10:55pm, Natasha V. More(f/k/a/Nancie Clark) wrote this (quoted with
">"):
> Subject: Re: FITNESS: Creatine monohydrate for lean mass gain?
> At 02:23 PM 8/15/96 -0700, Russell Whitaker wrote:
>
> (snip)
> > have recently heard from a number
> >of people I respect, some trainers, of creatine monohydrate.
> >Has anyone here in the extropian bodysculpting community
> >heard of this? If so, have you any opinions?
>
> I have been taking it for about 1.5 months and have put on four pounds of
> body mass. I have noticed that my muscle growth is continuing, and
> apparently the four pounds is muscle - as I have not put on any fat. (I'm
> cautious about this.)
>

If you don't mind my asking, what is your present weight? Was
your pre-creatine weight a recent plateau, or had you been gaining
weight steadily?

> Dr. Ray Sahelian has information about creatine on his Web site:
>
> http://www.primenet.com/~sahelian
>

Interesting stuff. I'll like to see some references, though. However,
I _am_ familiar with at least one of the metrics Sahelian cites for
metabolic effect: urinary creatinine clearance. I used to test
for the substance among older, sedentary people who had experienced
some type of skeletal muscle insult or trauma, way back when I
was a lab tech. I may add "before" & "during" serum & urine
creatinine (post-creatine metabolic byproduct) tests to my assessment
of creatine's efficacy in my routine.

>
> I take one heaping teaspoon full 1/2 to 1 hour before heading to the gym.
> The psychological effect is positive in that I push more weight and focus my
> sets because I want to work in tandem with the creatine.
>

Interesting approach. I do a similar thing, in taking carb-loading
drinks before a workout: "I've got to make this count... I just spent
money on it!"

> The downside, for me as an example, is that I get a stomach ache after
> taking the creatine. This could be because I usually take it on an empty
> stomach, and because I don't like the taste of it, I mix it with cranberry
> juice.
>

Another friend of mine uses white grape juice. Isn't cranberry juice
rather acid?

Russell

> Natasha Vita More
> (f/k/a Nancie Clark)
> http://www.primenet.com/~flexeon
> "The best defense is an artful offense."
>-- End of quoted excerpt from Natasha V. More(f/k/a/Nancie Clark)

--
"Here the ways of men part:  if you wish to strive for peace of
 soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee
 to truth, then inquire..."  - Nietzsche


Russell Earl Whitaker	                       whitaker@sgi.com
Webmaster, Silicon Junction
Silicon Graphics, Inc.	                      Mountain View, CA
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