# how much creatine to take



## katt (Feb 7, 2006)

Is the amount of creatine you take dependant on your weight, or is it just a set amount?  How much do you guys take a day?  I take 1 T in the a.m before workouts and 1 T in the p.m.

And, do you have to do a creatine loading phase??

I'm female - 127 lbs

Anyone?


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## Todd_ (Feb 7, 2006)

u want to gain water weight?  or are you a competitive athlete?


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## katt (Feb 7, 2006)

No - just want to gain some mass, but I was told the creatine helps


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## Todd_ (Feb 7, 2006)

to a certain degree i guess

in my personal opinion it is worthless for 2 reasons:

1) your body produces it, you can just take a loading supp
2) when you stop your muscles "dry out" and you lose the water your muscles are holding....so it is real gains or effect? 

good luck!


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## katt (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks - food for thought


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## jwg (Feb 7, 2006)

There is creatine products out there that supposedly doesn't cause water retention (Cell Mass from BNS is an example).

I say supposedly cause I haven't tried them myself. 

I can tell you from being on another creatine, that you don't lose all your gains once you're off it.

Also, most people don't think loading is necessary. 

You can take 5 to 10 grams a day from the start and be fine.


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## Getbig82 (Feb 7, 2006)

The Creatine that doesn't water retain is Creatine Ethyl Ester. It's the big hype out there. From personal experience I've gained alot of weight on CEll-Tech which is Monohydrate Creatine, that was water retention. CE2 which is pricy gives you a more ripped look and helps in strenght gains, not weight. But there is many Creatine Ethyl Ester's out there so look around because CE2 is pricy and it's Ethyl Ester so there can be many products like it. 3 to 5 grams of creatine a day for a person is what I read, doesn't say male or female was in the Men's health mag. so thinking male intake.


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## Getbig82 (Feb 7, 2006)

Also the difference between Monohydrate Creatine and Ethyle Ester is Ester is absorbed in the muscle within 30 min. Monohydrate is more stored and not abosorbed can take much longer I dont remember the time I read but much longer, monohydrate also pools around the muscle fibers and doesn't get in. If you have a chance buy the CE2 book at GNC its a dollar, and will tell you the difference about creatine and maybe help you figuring what amount in grams you want to take.


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## cg18862 (Feb 8, 2006)

> But there is many Creatine Ethyl Ester's out there so look around because CE2 is pricy and it's Ethyl Ester so there can be many products like it.



Where do you get your CEE?


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

I am taking Monohydrate Creatine right now, just because it was in my cabinet. So maybe I'll stroll down to GNC and spend the buck to get the book. I just don't want to loose all my size when I quit. And I am female, so probably my intake would be less than recommended.  

I may be out of line, but it kinda sucks that no-one has formulated anything for women without giving us the side effects. You know, SOME women out there really want to have muscles, more than the "fitness" look


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

Creatine Mono, is creatine bonded with a water molecule.  Creatine Ethyl Ester, is creatine mono with an ester attached.  In biochemistry, esters participate in hydrogen bonding, which makes them more water-soluble.  Some of the initial weight gain is intracellular water increased due to osmosis, but in time, the cell begins to build protein at a little faster rate than you would without the creatine.  Also, not as much breakdown is occurring.  So you do get in somewhat of a more positive nitrogen balanced state when consuming creatine.


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

katt said:
			
		

> I am taking Monohydrate Creatine right now, just because it was in my cabinet. So maybe I'll stroll down to GNC and spend the buck to get the book. I just don't want to loose all my size when I quit. And I am female, so probably my intake would be less than recommended.
> 
> I may be out of line, but it kinda sucks that no-one has formulated anything for women without giving us the side effects. You know, SOME women out there really want to have muscles, more than the "fitness" look


Do you ever shop online for creatine products?  What side-effects are you referring to?


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

I normally shop online - side effects (so I was told) from the creatine was water retention...   Side effects I was talking about in the last post - that was the effects from Andro, tribulous, and other test builders, etc...  ya know, facial hair, enlarged clitoris, and so on and so on...


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

katt said:
			
		

> I normally shop online - side effects (so I was told) from the creatine was water retention...   Side effects I was talking about in the last post - that was the effects from Andro, tribulous, and other test builders, etc...  ya know, facial hair, enlarged clitoris, and so on and so on...


Oh. Androgens   On average, the majority of people do not get a whole lot of water retention from CEE, as many reported with Mono.  For me, I get lots of water retention from Mono, but barely noticeable from CEE.  Have you tried any CEE products?


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## pumped38 (Feb 8, 2006)

*ce2*

has anyone tried ce2, and if you have,did you have negative or positive results.. today i'm going to stack ce2/no2/protein for the first time.. any help would be great..


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

No I haven't as of yet. But its worth a try - thanks!


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

katt said:
			
		

> No I haven't as of yet. But its worth a try - thanks!


Here is a suggestion for some reputable companies.  That, and they will more than likely be cheaper than the GNC CEE products.  MAN, Serious Nutrition Solutions, Dymatize, and Designer Supplements.  DS has a CEE product called XCEED.  Here is the ingredient profile for it, so you know exactly how much of each ingredient is in the product.  Good luck!


*XCEED*
What's In It?
Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (8 Grams) 
Servings Per Container: 45

Amount Per Serving:

Creatine Ethyl Ester HCl: 3g 
Di-Arginine Malate: 3g 
L-Taurine: 1g 
Glucuronolactone: 1g 

Other Ingredients: 
Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Aspartame, Sucralose, and Acesulfame K.

Directions: As a dietary supplement, take 1 - 2 servings per day. Take one serving 30 minutes prior to workout, and take one serving at least 6 hours before or after the first serving.

Warnings: For use by adults 18 and over. Always consult a physician before using this or any other dietary supplement.


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

pumped38 said:
			
		

> has anyone tried ce2, and if you have,did you have negative or positive results.. today i'm going to stack ce2/no2/protein for the first time.. any help would be great..



My husband tried no2 - he had bad breakout reaction to it, so he quit


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

40-yard dash_2 said:
			
		

> He is a suggestion for some reputable companies.  That, and they will more than likely be cheaper than the GNC CEE products.  MAN, Serious Nutrition Solutions, Dymatize, and Designer Supplements.  DS has a CEE product called XCEED.  Here is the ingredient profile for it, so you know exactly how much of each ingredient is in the product.  Good luck!
> 
> 
> *XCEED*
> ...



What alot of info - Thanks!


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## Getbig82 (Feb 8, 2006)

I took CE2 and NO2 with NOvadex XT gained about 6 lbs in like 2 1/2 month gains went up but nothing that special. I've heard from other people CE2 and NO2 does it good for them. But everybody's diff. what might not work for me maybe work for you. What I did notice though with CE2 and NO2 it does rip you up pretty good dropped like 2%.


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## katt (Feb 8, 2006)

Yeah, you know we are all different - what works for one person necessarily won't work for the other - its all a big trial & error game


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

katt said:
			
		

> What alot of info - Thanks!


No problem.


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## mustangdan (Feb 8, 2006)

what about that NOXPLODE   from bns is that stuff any good. i heard a few guys at work talk about it and they seem to like it.


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## pumped38 (Feb 8, 2006)

i have not tried it but some guys i work with have and like it really well.


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## jwg (Feb 8, 2006)

No Explode is for a pump. You take it pre-workout.

Cell Mass is the creatine. Though NO has some creatine in it, it's probably not enough to rely on it for a creatine supplement.


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## 40-yard dash_2 (Feb 8, 2006)

*First off, 6g of CEE is recommended per day.  You can do 3g on non-workout days, but 6g definitely on workout days.  NO-Explode has 1g of Di-Creatine Malate per scoop.  There are 40 scoops per container of NO-Explode, so you would need 6 scoops on workout days, and 3 on non-workout days.  Say you lift weights 5 days a week, then you would need 36 scoops for one week.  That is all but the container.  Now, with XCEED, you get 3g of CEE per one scoop.  Now why would you want to go with NO-Explode?  There are 45 scoops in the container of XCEED.  You save a lot more money going with XCEED.  Also, NO-Explode does not tell you how much ingredients are in their proprietary blend.  Yeah, I guess it's a big secret.  Not with XCEED though.  


XCEED
What's In It?
Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (8 Grams) 
Servings Per Container: 45

Amount Per Serving:

Creatine Ethyl Ester HCl: 3g 
Di-Arginine Malate: 3g 
L-Taurine: 1g 
Glucuronolactone: 1g *

Other Ingredients: 
Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Aspartame, Sucralose, and Acesulfame K.

Directions: As a dietary supplement, take 1 - 2 servings per day. Take one serving 30 minutes prior to workout, and take one serving at least 6 hours before or after the first serving.

Warnings: For use by adults 18 and over. Always consult a physician before using this or any other dietary supplement.


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## vince20 (Jul 28, 2006)

can u mix ur cratine mono with noxplode before workout and then take another serving of mono after u workout


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## katt (Jul 28, 2006)

ok so I just looked in the Xceed and it definitely looks like a better bargain than the no-xplode that I take now.

But,,,, how does it taste??


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## Seanp156 (Jul 28, 2006)

Looks into VNS Jacked, or Storm (by Universal). It's pretty cheap per serving, and effective...

I used to take VNS Jacked twice a day on workout days for a total of 6 grams, and once on none workout days for 3 grams...

Then I got creatine ethyl ester and took ~4-5 grams every day on top of any pre-workout sup for around 8 grams per day... Now I'm taking Storm and I just take one serving for 4-5 grams per day regardless of working out or not.

I personally can't stand NO-Xplode. I haven't tried Xceed yet though.


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## katt (Jul 28, 2006)

I'll have to look into that -  I agree, no-xplode tastes like ass....

What I really really liked was the Gaspari Super pump before my workouts.. although it's not a creatine product, it gives you amazing pumps that last a long time!!  I had to stop taking it tho.... after about 3 weeks, it really starting messing with my system...

So back to the creatine, is the 6 grams per day a "set" amount?  It doesn't go by bodyweight, etc?



			
				Seanp156 said:
			
		

> Looks into VNS Jacked, or Storm (by Universal). It's pretty cheap per serving, and effective...
> 
> I used to take VNS Jacked twice a day on workout days for a total of 6 grams, and once on none workout days for 3 grams...
> 
> ...


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## Seanp156 (Jul 28, 2006)

I just ballpark it... I personally think anywhere from 3-6 is fine, just drink plenty of water. I also took Superpump 250 and like it quite a bit. I got 2 tubs of it for $50 at the Arnold Classic. I could have sworn creatine was an ingredient on there.


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## katt (Jul 28, 2006)

You gotta love those specials at the shows!! We take advantage of that also..  I know they have the "size on" creatine, but I guess I've never really read the ingredients for the super pump... probably cuz I need to get glasses   



			
				Seanp156 said:
			
		

> I just ballpark it... I personally think anywhere from 3-6 is fine, just drink plenty of water. I also took Superpump 250 and like it quite a bit. I got 2 tubs of it for $50 at the Arnold Classic. I could have sworn creatine was an ingredient on there.


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## Seanp156 (Jul 28, 2006)

Yeah, I just checked... It's not listed under the main ingredients, but it's there.

*Additional Information on Gaspari Nutrition SuperPump 250 : *

 Ingredients: Other Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Natural Orange Flavor, Magnesium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Sucralose, Beta Carotene. SuperPump250 Proprietary Blend [Gaspari Nutrition Novel Compound No. 250 (Patent Pending)]. Anabolic Signaling Complex (Patent Pending): L-Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (A-AKG), L-Arginine Ketoisocaproate (A-KIC), *Tri-Creatine Malate, Creatine Monohydrate,* GuaniproTM (Guanidino Propionic Acid), American Ginseng Extract, White Willow Bark Extract (Standardized to 15% Salicin). Lipolytic/Xtreme Focus Agent (Patent Pending): L-Tyrosine, NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine), N-Acetyl-Tyrosine, Glucuronolactone, Methylxanthines (Caffeine), Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract (Standardized to 5% Total Rosavins), Ginko Biloba Extract (Standardized to 24% Ginkosides & 6% Terpenes), Vinpocetine, Huperzine. Myogenic Transcription Factor/Agonist (Patent Pending): Taurine, L-Leucine, L-Glutamine, L-Citruline AKG, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Turkesterone (11,20 Dihydroxyecdysone from Ajuga Turkestanica Extract), Choline Bitartrate. Insulin Secretagogue Complex (Patent Pending): Trimethylglycine, Indole-3-Carbinol, 4-Hydroxyisoleucine (from Fenugreek Seed Extract), Cinnamon Bark Extract (15% Cinnamic Aldehyde), Bacopa Monniera (Standardized for 20% Bacosides A & B). IntraSORB Rapid Absorption - Myo-Hydration Matrix: Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Gycerophosphate, Magnesium Glycerophosphate, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Bioperine.


At the Arnold, they wanted me to buy 4 tubs, but having never tried the product before, I didn't want to do that.... Plus I didn't even have that much cash on me anyway.


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## vince20 (Aug 19, 2006)

out of the three CREATINE PRODUCTS wich is the best ULTIMATE NUTRITIONS HORSE POWER, DYMTIZE NUTRITION XPAND, OR CE2


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