(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.)
Dr. Ray Sahelian has information about creatine on his Web site:
http://www.primenet.com/~sahelian
"Creatine is a natural nutrient found in our bodies and the bodies of most
animals. Approximately 95% of the body's creatine supply is found in the
skeletal muscles. The remaining 5% is scattered throughout the rest of the
body, with the highest concentrations in the heart, brain and testes.
"Creatine has also been shown to enhance your body's ability to make
proteins, especially the proteins within the muscle fibers. Two of these
proteins, actin and myosin, are essential to all muscle contraction. So when
you build up your supply of these contractile proteins, you actually
increase your muscle's ability to perform physical work. And the more work
you do (whether it's lifting weights or running 100-meter dashes), the
stronger you become over time."
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.
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.
Natasha Vita More
(f/k/a Nancie Clark)
http://www.primenet.com/~flexeon
"The best defense is an artful offense."