I have a couple questions for all of you lifters out there...

1. Does Creatine Monohydrate work?

2. Is it worth the money?


Also, I am an avid weightlifter and love lifting, but when it comes to running I just can't seem to stay motivated! My cardio sucks and I need to get better, along with my need to lose weight.  I have quit drinking any kind of soda and am eating somewhat better.  However, I need to run and have tried to get on a program at least three times and keep quitting.  Help, Please!

Thanks, Patrick

Patrick,
There is no hard and fast rule, for some creatine is a wonderful thing, for others....who knows? So to answer your questions
1) Sometimes.  Seems that results vary with creatine, in that some folks are successful in using it and others aren't.  So that qustion -
2) Depends on whether it works for you or not, as to if it's worth the money.
Here's a link that might be worth the read

[url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77921[/url]

Motivated running program?  Have you tried running with (or behind) a really cute girl?? [:)]

Seriously, good luck with yout lifting, for me I haven't seen a lot of increase with creatine and am now concentrating on getting more rest (sleep) and eating better.

My thoughts, you should work on your weak areas first, for they are the weakest links in your defense/offensive chainmail, my friend, may I call you my friend?. Like carido, work on it a little "BEFORE" each lifting session, you say your lifting is fine for you. Start off modestly, 5min, work up to a 1/2hr ish, over the next 6/8 months.
I'd bet this will drop the weight fastest too.

I don't know about creatine, but as far as cardio goes...

I've read that walking burns as much energy as running, so I would recomend walking.  Not easy downhill walking, of course.  If you can, get a treadmill.  I got a $400 treadmill, and while there are some features I would like it to have, it does great for me.  I love it.

The object in cardio is to get your heart rate to 80% of your max.  Max is about 220-your age, so 80% would be max multiplied by .8.  You can find charts on the `net.  

So get your walk to a pace and incline that maintains that heart rate, and you will be doing great.  20-35 minutes a day is good.  I've lost 5 lbs since I started walking on my treadmill a couple weeks ago, without any other real change in diet or anything else.  (The changes in diet etc started today...see my thread Xenedrine).

edited to add: Regarding when to do cardio (before or after lifting), I read that you should do cardio [i]after[/i] lifting.  The logic was that lifting will use the muscle glycogen for energy, and when you did your cardio after using up the muscle glycogen, the fat burn starts sooner.

anyway...I hope all this mumbling is helpful.
Good luck!
Scott

don't do cardio right after lifting weights,your body needs to recover.
if you have to do cardio and weight training in the same day split it up,weights in the am and cardio in the pm.
eat your thermogenics with cardio not with weight training.
josam

Here's my "I know a guy" story about Creatine.

I know a guy, an amaueter powerlifter, who will  gain/lose 30lbs in a matter of months depending wheter or not he is on/off creatine.

For me, it works the same except I fluctuate by about 5 lbs.

As for the cardio, running first thing in the a.m. works great for cutting fat.  Then lift in the afternoon.  Try to mix up long jogs, and sprints or interval training.

Good luck

Creatine works very well for me. I cycle off it for a week, on for 4, and notice a difference in refractory period between sets and my ability to get the last rep or two out on the last set of each exercise, and my max bench is higher when I'm on it. It also does appear to be a cell volumizer (sp) in that I can see a notable difference in muscle size when I'm on it. From what I understand, It's taken up much better if it's taken with sugar. The stuff I take comes in this nasty grape kool-aid kinda stuff, and seems to work great.
Spend the money, buy some, and see if it works for you.

I am an avid runner (30-40 miles a week), but do not lift very much.  The little lifting I have done, I have tried creatine to help out.  I have found that it causes my lower leg muscles to swell and tighten to the point I can not run my usual pace.  So I gues the point is try it for yourself because everyone is different...and be careful..just my 2 cents

Thanks for all the great replies! I guess I'll break down and pay the extra money for it.  As for running, we'll see.. If I walk, I have found that I never increase my pace to jogging... I just walk for weeks.  I want to be running my mile in at most 8 for my slow ass...  Let's see...I weigh 260 and am 6', making me terribly obese on standard height-weight scales, and I run a mile in.. cough cough... cough... 10 min. 30 seconds... cough.. I NEED SOME HELP GUYS!
please reply again on the running, but thanks again for the help on the weightlifting and creatine.

Patrick

--P.S.-- Yeah, mags, you can call me your friend.[:D]

How much red meat do you eat?  I've seen creatine help guys who don't eat meat, and I've seen it do nothing for guys, like me, who eat a lot of red meat.  A pound of beef contains about 2 grams of creatine.  So, it depends on how much beef you eat as to whether or not creatine will help you.  I prefer the taste of hamburgers to creatine, so I that's where I spend my money.



Grape juice is a good choice, because of its very high GI index.



I agree with that normally, but if you're specifically trying to lose weight or build-up endurance, then adjust your work-out accordingly.z

I have a friend that went from a smoking, obese, couch potato...to being able to run 6 miles in an hour...all in 9 months.  He would get winded just walking around the block, but he just kept at it.  The hardest thing about increasing your running time and/or distance is not getting discouraged..because it takes TIME.  So keep at it and it will happen.  

Check out runnersworld.com and coolrunning.com for training guides and good advice.

Hello!

Just to clarify, I believe you expend the same amount of calories running or walking the same distance.  So running a mile and walking a mile burng the same calories (just walking takes longer).

To get started in running, first make sure you can walk for 30 minutes 6 times a week.  Then try the 30/30 program...

[url]http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,2-60-67-253,00.html[/url]

[url]http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,2-51-55-253,00.html[/url]

I was told by an industry rep that the cheaper grades of creatine cause muscle pain since it is processed more quickly and the acids used to break down the elements are not filtered out.  According to this guy, the creatine made in the US or Germany is good, and contains a fraction of the acid residue as the cheap stuff made in China.

If it doesn't say where it was made, then it probably made in China.  Keep in mind, the guy who said all of this was a salesmen who was promoting his brand as the best.  He still may have a point though.  Maybe some Docs or fitness trainers can confirm or deny this.

I'm not calling you cheap [:D] because until I heard this I didn't know the difference either.  I have used EAS creatine with no problems.

i know some guys that have had great luck with CELL-TECH. its a modified creatine that statisticly creats much higher gains due to its superior engenerring (dissolves better, creatine particals smaller, so you absorb more and piss out less, ect). its a bit pricey, but its been worth it for some guys i know. also, again according to research statistics, guys on creatine gain an avg of .08% body fat, and cell tech lose 2% body fat. after i hit my weight goal in a month or 2 i think im gonna get on cell tech, and depending on gains and side effects, after a month or 2, add a protine whey for some more serious gains.  

Patrick,
1. Yes, creatine does work. (caveat - there are responders and non-responders.
2. Worth the money? I guess if you are a responder and it helps you achieve your goals.
3. Expect to gain a few pounds. (I can gain 10-15 lbs in 6-8 weeks even though running 3 times a week avg 5 miles per run)
4. Drink plenty of water during use and cycle its use. I've seen muscle tears in team mates while playing high school baseball. Reason, no pre-game streching an not enough H2O intake IMHO. I run in the am (no creatine) and lift (creatine/protein) in the pm. When taking creatine you should notice an increase in stamina as well as increase in max weight you can lift. It helped me reach my goal of bench pressing 315 lbs. I have experienced muscle pain but could not nail it down to creatine use.
5. Both Optimum Health and Cell-Tech worked for me. Liquids, not powder.
6. If you are weight lifting, make sure you take a sufficient amount protein. I like Whey Protein.
7. Push yourself to run and as previously mentioned it helps to find a running partner to motivate each other. Mine is a 5'5" 115 lb 34C blonde college soccer player [:D]
8. It is very important to get plenty of sleep and eat healthy when bodybuilding.
9. Red meat is not essential for creatine to work as previously mentioned. I have rarely eaten red meat since the age of 14 (5 yrs ago)
and I was a supervisor at a McDonald's the last two years of high school. D*^n those Big Macs looked good!

Good luck!

Matt
WKU, Exercise Science Major
Military Science Minor
Contracted Army ROTC (IOBC and Ranger School bound if everything goes as planned)