Does Creatine really slow you down and make you less flexible?

Question

I want to start taking creatine to increase my strength and size but I have been told by some webstes that it reduces your flexibility.
Also, should I take it if I am:
16 years old
60kgs
Pretty flexible (Arm locks dont work on me)

Answer 1

Some good answers and some really bad answers.
Creatine does not have a sugar in it. But it does require you to drink something like apple juice (sugar) to help activate the chemicals.
As to flexibility and speed. This will not be affected UNLESS you are gaining water weight but the effect is minimal and not likely noticable. The water weight can be offset by keeping yourself hydrated on a regular basis with water.
Flexibility could be affected, but again, in some circumstances and if you stretch on a regular basis I would not be concerned.
There are discussions on side effects, however, I have not experienced any ( I use Weider) but this is not to say it will not affect you. I take fish oil, l-glutamine, creatine, and whey protein. I also practice about 10 hours per week and stretch at least 2 times a day and remain very flexible.
At 16 these products are ok for you. Before I began taking them I also looked and did a lot of research to make sure I was natural chemicals.
One last thing...you should be taking them for about 3 weeks, then take a break from them for about 3 weeks.

Answer 2

i always think about taking creatine too cause i wrestle, But what ive come to conclusion is that when creatine works your body extra hard its also woking your heart extra hard so even if it does effect your speed at all i dont think it is doing anything good for your health

Answer 3

I've trained while on Creatine and it didn't slow me down. Try different brands. Some work better than others even though they have the same ingredients. Creatine uses sugar as a catalyst to deliver the product into your bloodstream. Just be aware that you are ingesting alot of sugar and will probably gain fat weight as well as muscle weight. Use it before weight training, not before martial arts training and take protein with it to build and keep muscle mass.
If you are only 16 years ld then you should talk to your parents and let them know you are taking it. Really! You should!

Answer 4

Creatine is a natural component of skeletal muscle. There is some concern, however, that certain classes of synthetic creatine contains contaminants and impurities that may evoke secondary side effects such as upset stomach, muscle cramping, diarrhea and dehydration. Most of these side effects can be minimized by drinking plenty of water when taking creatine, so take this into consideration. Excessive overuse of creatine can also use to chronic liver and kidneys problems since your body will not be able to use most of it and will have to excrete the excess. Over time this constant excretion of creatinine can put a lot of work on your kidneys and liver leading to serious problems. Since you are just 16 years old, your body is still developing. So I would suggest that you wait a few years before taking any supplements such as creatine. Your organization is allready working hard to get you through adolescence (hormones are raging, you are probably getting taller, etc.). So why put an extra burden to it?

Answer 5

Eh... from my experience, it really slow me down but that's because it make me feel SO sick that I wish I was dead half of the time. However other people swear that it's the best thing.

about reduce flexibility, it depend. I use to work out on regular base and stretches a lot. However last couple weeks I've been working out a LOT and start lifting weights and I gained 3 lbs already and did't really lose any flexibility. However that's because I stretches a LOT! I spend about 15 mins in morning stretching every muscles in my body then about half a hour at training to stretches then at least 5 mins after finish training.

So the keyword is to keep stretching and train to be fast! If you feel yourself start to slow down because your heart beats too hard and fast or you're getting tired, force yourself to continue move faster. That will help you keep your speed up.

Answer 6

Builds up strength and makes you faster. Flexibility is not the greatest.

Answer 7

Creatine and Peak Power: At this point, certain importance consequences of creatine supplementation need to be emphasized. Firstly, creatine supplementation will not greatly alter the absolute amount of ATP stored within your muscles. This means that creatine supplementation will not increase the peak amount of force you can generate, at least, not immediately.

An increase in peak force generation will come later as new muscle proteins are added in response to the greater exercise stimulus afforded by creatine supplementation (review Training Adaptations above). The magnitude of these training adaptations, moreover, will be depend on key physiologic factors that are ultimately under your control. Therefore, given that the right set of physiologic conditions had been previously established, creatine supplementation in the long term will stimulate protein synthesis.

How to make full use of creatine's anabolic potential through diet and exercise is a major focus of our creatine guide. Click here for more information about this informative fitness manual.

Creatine and Muscle Exhaustion: On the other hand, creatine supplementation does increase the number of times that the cell's ATP reserves are recycled, increasing the duration that intense efforts can be sustained before exhaustion sets in. Creatine supplementation also increases the rate at which the cell's phosphocreatine reserves are replenished during moments of rest. These effects translate into more rapid recovery following strenuous physical efforts and prolonged work output during repetitive bouts of intense exercise. Therefore, creatine supplementation enhances physical performance during explosive bouts of intense exercise, which then serves as a more potent stimulus for subsequent muscle development (review Training Adaptations above).

Answer 8

Don't take anything. find a good system for your body type.
Find a good school and practice, practice, practice..

Answer 9

no