Creatine Gains

cybrid · September 15th, 2009, 03:55 AM

I've looked around here some before posting about creatine and found some good info but not what I wanted.

Any gains that are made under the use of creatine, are they lost?
And if so how quickly?

I just got out of army training and have a PT test in a few months. Ideally I want to score 290 or better. Realistically I want 270 with 90 points from each event.

Since I just took the record PT test less than a month ago they said I wouldn't have to take it, but the score was 239 and know I can do much better.

What I'd like is to take creatine to help me boost my physical abilities in the short term, and not need to take it ever after to maintain the gains.

Thanks in advance for any help.

**Hans_Rachid** · September 15th, 2009, 04:21 PM

Creatine is not an anabolic steroid... You seem to be expecting more than it can provide.

Also, with this supplement your muscles will hold more water and you'll probably gain a few pounds, which won't help you if you have to do bodyweight exercises during your test.

**wildstang** · September 15th, 2009, 10:36 PM

you will notice strength gains from creatine usage but will suffer on the runs and pull ups from water weight gain. muscle tissue will look fuller also withen a month.

n10city · September 15th, 2009, 10:51 PM

So what you're really asking is if creatine in addition to your training will help you increase your score? probably not. Seems you should be searching for a different training method (possibly plyometric or another form of anaerobic workout) rather than a supplement.

A supplement though would allow you to enhance your training, increase it's intensity or duration. Maybe you would be interested in a NO supplement (most contain creatine in some form). Water weight will be a factor though, expect up to 10lbs more. For a general fitness test, this does not bode well.

Some other helpful supplements may be L-Arginine, Beta Alanine, and BCAAs. Do some research and see what you find.

**pliny_2001** · September 16th, 2009, 11:41 PM

Creatine won't help an endurance event at all. It probably won't help bodyweight exercises, either (slight strength gain -vs- more body weight). Creatine is found in fatty fish and red meat, and your body can only hold so much, so if you're eating a good diet, it's unlikely that you'll see any help from it, at all.

When I was vegetarian, I could expect to gain about 5 pounds of water while taking it, and strength went up slightly, though this could have been due to placebo or greater fluid pressure in joints. Short version: as everyone said, creatine won't help for this.

EDIT: to answer your questions, gains are made at a fairly slow pace, with or without creatine. At its best, creatine may give you an extra rep; over time those extra reps accumulate into increased strength. That stays when you stop taking creatine, as the strength is derived from the new muscle mass. Assuming you gained water weight when you started taking creatine, you'll lose that water weight when you stop. The muscle mass you built stays just like any other muscle mass. Your kidneys should filter out the creatine in a few days, at most.

**wildstang** · September 16th, 2009, 11:54 PM

only thing gonna help that pft score is good old hard fashioned training, and lots of it. i was fortunate enough to be a good runner all my life and thats what set my score above everybody elses in the service. i was the fastest out of my boot camp battalion and did my 80 situps and 20 pullups. the only thing i struggled on was the 20 pullups and my drill instructors made sure i'd get that with extra training once they found out i could run like forrest gump. i was given special training priveleges with one other person as a pacer and we ran every night while others did whatever they were doing in the squad bay at the time. they made me do pullups untill i could do no more periodically throughout the day. at least i have bragging rights in knowing my name is written down in history in san diego on a plaque for everyone to see as high score pft out of the battalion.
it was the training that got me there.

**Italianangel** · September 24th, 2009, 10:56 AM

creatine helps hold water in the muscle so once you stop you do pee out some so to speak, but you keep your muscle gains themselves you just dont hold as much water int eh muscle as you would with the help of the creatine plus whatever boost it gives you physically in making cardio or weights feel a bit easier.

**IMFREAKZILLA** · September 24th, 2009, 11:55 AM

CREATINE EQUALS WATER and weight gain

**justaguy87337** · September 24th, 2009, 12:26 PM

try some compound lifts plus olympic lifts to make you stronger, that plus a decent cardio plan will boost your score to the 270+ range. sups are only as good as you train.

DEALER · October 5th, 2009, 04:05 PM

I have no experience with steroids, but creatine has been the best thing I have taken for increased performance in the weight room. I do swell up with water. Last time around I gained 8lbs quickly, this was obviously water weight. But I stayed on the creatine for about five or six weeks and had the best results, setting new personal bests in all my lifts. When I came off the creatine, I lost very little of that 8lbs, and my strength decreased only slightly.

I don't think creatine makes me stronger, it just increases my endurance. Increased indurance = more strength on my third, fourth and fifth sets which translates into bigger numbers and more reps.

**IMFREAKZILLA** · October 5th, 2009, 07:01 PM

if you looking to get ripped this not the product u want.it will give your arms/ legs a smooth look, as your arms will begin to look like 'stove pipes' because of water retention.
ever see truck drivers with big arms they all water/fat they look big ,but there is no power
behind them,they look like elbow stove pipes but not that big ,I am just using that as an example so you can get the picture,you will put on size but its MOSTLY WATER....................
you may gain some reps but it depends on how long you run it.............................................

DEALER · October 5th, 2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

ever see truck drivers with big arms they all water/fat they look big ,but there is no power
behind them

Truck Drivers? LOL.

DEALER · October 5th, 2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

if you looking to get ripped this not the product u want.it will give your arms/ legs a smooth look, as your arms will begin to look like 'stove pipes' because of water retention.
ever see truck drivers with big arms they all water/fat they look big ,but there is no power
behind them,they look like elbow stove pipes but not that big ,I am just using that as an example so you can get the picture,you will put on size but its MOSTLY WATER....................
you may gain some reps but it depends on how long you run it.............................................

I agree, I wouldn't take it when trying to cut up, but when trying to make gains in mass, all those extra heavy reps at the end of my sets are what I am after.