What woud be a good creatine plan?

Question

I just purchased some creatine and protein mix powders.
I workout usually 3-4 days a week. (resting every other day.)
I am very light.
I only weigh 130lbs. My goal is to become 160 by next year.
Could anyone give me a good guideline on when to take creatine and how much I should take?
(Also with protein...)

I have been working out for some time.
I just haven't seen a lot of weight gained.

Check this out.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_9_18/ai_90683786
It says taking creatine with juice is bad...
Is this true or is it just simply misleading article?

Answer 1

What kind of creatine powder? I have used many kinds of creatine and I personally prefer Phosphagen HP. It doesn't really matter what kind you take, but you should definitely take the creatine with carbohydrates (ie. mix the creatine powder with juice if the creatine powder DOES NOT come with a carbohydrate mix, which helps facilitate the absorbtion and uptake). Phospagen HP already comes with a carbohydrate uptake system, so you just mix it with water.

If you weigh 130 lbs., you only need one serving per day. I prefer to take it in the morning, before I work out.

That said, if you are just starting to work out, I would suggest sticking with protein powder and lifting weights initially. I only started taking creatine when I "hit a plateau" and was not gaining weight and was not getting stronger. After 2 weeks, I definitely had a surge in strength and a boost in body weight.

Also, ignore people who say Creatine is bad for you or Creatine does not work. These are untrue statements. I can't find them right now (moved recently, lots of stuff in boxes) but I have copies of several studies published in the Journal of Medicine and prepared by the AMA (American Medical Association) outlining the safety and effectiveness of Creatine. I have a friend who is a professor of Sports Medicine at a large teaching university here in the northeast. He is also a powerlifter and a medical doctor and he is an advocate of the use of Creatine.

Anyway, if you have any additional question, just email me and I'll be happy to answer them.

Ok, there are a couple of problems with that "article". First, it is a thinly veiled advertisement for Cell-Tech, which is a brand name supplement. That is the problem with supplements and many fitness magazines, in that this is a highly UNREGULATED industry. All these supplement makers have to put on their products is the "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." label and they can pretty much make any claims they like. If the link you provided was an actual unbiased article, it wouldn't cite "Cell-Tech" repeatedly, but would instead cite a variety of creatine supplements that are packaged without a carbohydrate uptake supplement. Many of these fitness magazines are published by companies which also manufacture their own lines of supplements (ie. any of the magazines published by Wieder), so there will always the that bias and thinly veiled advertising in their articles. EAS also makes a straight Creatine product, as do other manufacturers such as Vitamin Shoppe, Nature's Best, and GNC.
I am just speaking from my own experience that I noticed better results with the Phosphagen HP, because it comes with the carbohydrate uptake system. Anytime I take creatine (when I travel I just take straight creatine capsules) I wash it down with a glass of OJ. Just personal experience that it is better to take it with some kind of carbs. Also, I got bad cramps when I took straight creatine powder with water once, but, to be honest, I may not have had enough water that time.
Second, I have used Cell-Tech. In fact, I stopped using Phosphagen HP and started using Cell -Tech based on the recommendation of a trainer at my gym. I had BAD EXPERIENCES with the Cell-Tech. It gave me the jitters and I had diarrhea and/or cramps on several occasions, which tells me it was the Cell-Tech and not something I had eaten. I don't know anyone that uses Cell-Tech, but my personal recommendation is to stay away from it.

Answer 2

The best time (most effective) to use protein shakes/creatine etc. is to do it after a workout.

Answer 3

for creatine you should use the loading guide on the bottle you also mix it with grape juice for the best results.your protein power should have guide on the label also .check with that an follow that guide for that product