Creatine for cycling?

[Man On Bike.]

Anyone here use creatine for cycling? I know a lot of bodybuilders who use it, and that it increases power / muscle size but not endurance. Have you found it effective for improving sprinting/climbing?

[Dave Noisy]

I've been considering it (for a few years) for that extra 'kick'.

It'd certainly be helpful if one were a sprinter, but i don't think it'd help much for climbing, unless it were a very short climb, ie, less than 20 seconds to get over...

[fredrikw]

It'd certainly be helpful if one were a sprinter, but i don't think it'd help much for climbing, unless it were a very short climb, ie, less than 20 seconds to get over...

you might argue wether that's just an obstacle and not a climb

[Dave Noisy]

It'd certainly be helpful if one were a sprinter, but i don't think it'd help much for climbing, unless it were a very short climb, ie, less than 20 seconds to get over...

you might argue wether that's just an obstacle and not a climb

Well, exactly! ;)

[vegcrow]

If I remember correctly MoB you're a messenger. I wouldn't waste the money on creatine for all day riding. Big muscles are just more weight to carry up hills...

[ha]

where does creatine come from?

training and enough rest is the best supplement.

[Man On Bike.]

It comes from my liver.

[Man On Bike.]

If I remember correctly MoB you're a messenger. I wouldn't waste the money on creatine for all day riding. Big muscles are just more weight to carry up hills...

You do indeed remember correctly. But surely having more weight to carry would mean that I put on even more muscle! So it would be an endless positive feedback cycle! I will put on so much muscle that my legs will be the size of tree trunks! YAH!

[xjohanx]

creatine makes you gain 3-4 kgs water and gives your muscles a better explosive strength. but i don't think cyclist have much to gain from creatine usage. if you want to avoid the weight gaining there's a form of creatine called kre-alkalyn which doesn't make the body store water but still increases the explosive strength.

[the crazyest vegan]

i just do more sprinting when i'm out, my sprinting has definately increased since i started doing time trials as well, it helps to push yourself occasionally, i didnt even know i could go at that lung busting speed untill i started doing them!

[No other way]

i think using creatine for cycling would be a bad idea since it dehydrates you and stores the water in your muscles which could cause serious problems for riding all day. i'm friends with a wrestling couch who told me about the dangers of creatine when you aren't fully hydrated which is hard to do riding all day.

[vegcrow]

so is creatine more for bodybuilders trying to get 'pumped'?

[No other way]

basically

[Herbsman]

Sorry to bump this mega-old thread but I read (in The Biochemical Basis of Sports Performance) that creatine is invaluable for repeated bouts of high intensity exercise, e.g. when doing short but extremely hard anaerobic intervals.

I hate taking supplements but if I'm missing out on creatine intake by not eating meat then surely it's a good idea to supplement? I read something like 20g for 5 days and then 2g a day to maintain levels worked really well for vegetarians.

[Lordmuppet]

Sorry to bump this mega-old thread but I read (in The Biochemical Basis of Sports Performance) that creatine is invaluable for repeated bouts of high intensity exercise, e.g. when doing short but extremely hard anaerobic intervals.

I hate taking supplements but if I'm missing out on creatine intake by not eating meat then surely it's a good idea to supplement? I read something like 20g for 5 days and then 2g a day to maintain levels worked really well for vegetarians.

Not a cyclist, I'm an (aspiring) powerlifter that supplements with monohydrate creatine.

I follow the precision nutrition guidelines for creatine which are that cycling isn't necessary and to have 3-5 grams a day with a warm drink (i use tea). It's cheap and not a hassle

Had my levels of creatinine checked recently (after 2 years of supplementation) actually and they were fine