Creatine

Do any of you take creatine? If you have used it, did you see a difference in your workouts or overall physique? I’m thinking about trying it but was also wondering if it had any effects on BG levels or other things that could effect diabetes. Thanks for reading.

I tried creatine. I didn’t notice it requiring any more insulin. I definitely put on weight, not all of it, but most of it, muscle. I probably could have gotten better results by working out more or harder.

I’ve been off, on, off, and now back on creatine. Make sure you get a good quality and make sure you drink TONS of water! You also need to be drinking gatorade or an electrolyte replacement supplement. I’ve had major calf issues as a result of way too much caffeine and creatine dehydrating me as well as important minerals like sodium, potassium, and chloride. Tearing muscle sensation in my calves from a lack of these nutrients, and it’s not fun.

I used creatine back in my university shot putting days … prior to diagnosis and insulin so can’t comment on the effects on bg. But keep in mind that there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to Creatine.

Something to think about from the International Society of Sports Nutrition:

"CREATINE



The use of creatine as a sport supplement has been sur- rounded by both controversy and fallacy since it gained widespread popularity in the early 1990’s. Anecdotal and media reports have often claimed that creatine usage is a dangerous and unnecessary practice; often linking creat- ine use to anabolic steroid abuse [1]. Many athletes and experts in the field have reported that creatine supplemen- tation is not only beneficial for athletic performance and various medical conditions but is also clinically safe [2-5]. Although creatine has recently been accepted as a safe and useful ergogenic aid, several myths have been purported about creatine supplementation which include:

  1. All weight gained during supplementation is due to water retention.
  2. Creatine supplementation causes renal distress.
  3. Creatine supplementation causes cramping, dehydra- tion, and/or altered electrolyte status.
  4. Long-term effects of creatine supplementation are com- pletely unknown.
  5. Newer creatine formulations are more beneficial than creatine monohydrate (CM) and cause fewer side effects.
  6. It’s unethical and/or illegal to use creatine supplements.

Full Article here

The “Full Article” link gives “Page not found”.
There’s an article on that site: http://www.drgregwells.com/wells-blog/2008/10/23/creatine-for-sport-training.html

Great resource as well but the actual document I was attempting to link to is this:



http://www.drgregwells.com/storage/documents/CREATINE%20-%20JISSN%2…
4892-CREATINEJISSNPositionStand2007.pdf (343 KB)

Thanks I’ll give it a read.

So you didn’t notice your BG levels going too high or low?

It was a few years ago, but I don’t remember anything way out of the ordinary.

Nah. I asked my endo and he said it wouldn’t cause anything to fluctuate like that. Just be careful of the dehydration factor, potential electrolyte imbalance and mineral effects it could cause…

Good to know, thanks!

I use to take a liquid creatine before work outs…years ago before I knew I wasType II, and it was fantastic…My workouts were great, I had good gains, and energy increase…I am now getting back into (took 10 years off) powerlifting and my VA doctor (not Endo) my Endo is a civilian Dr and I havnt asked him said do not take creatine to avoid kidney damage…I beleive from what I have been reading that it does not harm the kidneys but you have to drink water (and when you take creatine you have to drink water (lots)). I do take Amino Burst 3000 and they dont seem to bother my BS, and neither does Whey protein or Max Protein drinks…