The Infamous Creatine Questions

OK so theres a million threads on creatine everywhere on the web.. but i cant seem to get a straight answer

ok i just started taking creatine mono 2 days ago i skipped the loading phase ..i agree with the fact that its a marketing scheme (im a marketing major)

i only take 5grams pre workout about one hour or so before with water (i believe this is my first mistake) (i take whey post and eat like a maniac during the day.. the good stuff)
I drink about a gallon of water a day reguardless if im on creatine or not

Should i be taking more than 5g?
Should i take it with grape juice instead of water?
I have no problem getting grape juice but i may have to pre mix it how long will the creatine last before it turns to creatnite?


just a little background info
im 19, 180lbs, current goal is to cut, work out 5 days a week, cardio 2-3

your help is greatly aprreciated!

No need to use grape juice... people just do that because it slightly boosts the absorbtion rate. If you have a glass of juice before you work or something then you might as well have it with it. Otherwise, no point in adding all the sugar into your diet just to get 3 of those 5 grams of creatine into your muscles instead of 2. These are just random figures by the way.

I'm taking a Bio Nutrition and my teacher told me that creatine is bad for you because it increases your osmotic pressure and gives your kidneys unneccessary stress.

"What is best in life?"
"To crush you enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women."
- Conan the Barbarian -

im not sure i agree with that statement.. ive done my research consulted multiple physicians and was told multiple times that taken in the right amounts and drinking plenty of water there are no adverse effects of creatine..i dont mean to snap at you though.. sorry

like anything else if you abuse it yeah youll have problems but if taken the correct way your fine but than again everyones body is different

I take 5g before and 5 g after. I think 5g is really all you need but some take 5g some take 10g. I do take mine with juice but post workout so that I get some simple carbs right away with the creatine. I also mix my pre whey shake with 5g of creatine.
As for creatine degredation, I have read many things, some suggest significant breakdown within 1 day and some say within 1 week. It all depends of pH and temperature. The lower the pH and higher the temp, the faster the breakdown. I would just make sure that you mix it and consume it, just put it in a baggie or a small container and mix it when your ready.

Otherwise, no point in adding all the sugar into your diet

Insulin benefits post workout?

I would probably just do it in water on your non-workout days and hit it in a dextrose source (Grape Juice) post workout.

I didn't take it personally, htwrestler. I was merely stating what I had learned from my nutrition class. It kinda makes sense what you are both saying (my teacher and yourself); it will increase your osmotic pressure because you are introducing solutes into the both and drinking more water will help balance out the osmotic movements. I have read more good than bad about creatine from different sources. Actually, I don't think I can recall a bad article on creatine. I do agree that with abuse comes problems.

"What is best in life?"
"To crush you enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women."
- Conan the Barbarian -

Studies have shown any more then 5g of creatine (give or take depending on your size) goes to waste..... so 5g should probably be doing the trick...

i have tried creatine with grape juice and with water and found when i drank adequet amounts of water my result were even better then with grape juice...the key is making sure you get enough water which can sometimes be difficult.

i gotcha unholyephraim, it def makes sense i never took a bio nutrition class so i cant talk about stuff like that but its good to know..

thank you for your inputt its greattly appreciated!

Any more than 5 grams a day of creatine, you will be pissing out. 3.0 to 5.0 grams a day should work well. I have talked with many body builders and they said a lot of it goes to waste if not in pill form. But, anyways, good luck with it. I'm on MRI CE2 and love it, more energy than ever.