[quote name='seanr1221']I can ask my brother for the page next time he's online, but it went through the facts and myths of creatine, and called the loading phase a myth (which I'm inclined to believe since I didn't do it and I already run for 50 minutes longer) and over 20 grams a day can be damaging to your kidneys.[/QUOTE]
HEALTH RELATED CONCERNS/SAFETY
The most-documented adverse effect of creatine supplementation is an increase in body mass caused by increased water retention within the muscle. As previously mentioned, creatine is an osmotically active substance; thus increasing in intracellular creatine concentration may induce water into the cell (Wyss 2000). This increase in body mass can range from 1 to 3 kg following a 100g acute creatine loading (Greenhaff 1994, Balsom 1995, Rossiter 1996, Yquel 2002).
Anecdotally, creatine supplementation has been associated with an increased occurrence of heat illness, muscle cramping and a detrimental effect on renal function. However, these reports have only been anecdotal and in the examination of the literature presented in this review, no studies reported negative effects of creatine supplementation (aside from increases in body mass).
In fact recently, creatine supplementation’s effect on Cramping and Injury Incidence has been examined in Collegiate Football Players. Thirty-eight of 72 athletes participating in the 1999 Division IA collegiate football season from the same university volunteered to take creatine in a research study in the Journal of Athletic Training. The subjects utilized an acute loading period standardized to body mass for 5 days followed by a maintenance loading dose each day thereafter. Subjects trained, practiced, or played in environmental conditions ranging from 15 to 37 degrees celcius and 46.0% to 91.0% relative humidity. Injuries treated by the team’s athletic training staff were recorded and categorized as cramping, heat illness or dehydration, muscle tightness, muscle strains, non-contact joint injuries, contact injuries, and illness. The number of missed practices due to injury and illness was also recorded. The research found that the incidence of cramping or injury in these creatine using Division IA football players was significantly lower or proportional when compared with their non-creatine supplementing counterparts.
Kreider 2003 reported the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation over a 21-month period on plasma markers of health and on urinary measures of renal function in a large sample size (n=98). Following the monitoring period subjects were classed into four categories, those who did not supplement with creatine, those who did so for 0-6 months, 6-12 months and 12-21 months. There were no differences in the blood and urine variables between groups with the exception of sodium, chloride and hematocrit levels which still remained with normal ranges. The authors deemed these changes to be of no physiological or health related significance. The study indicates that creatine supplementation for durations of up to 21 months does not acutely affect markers of health status and renal function in healthy athletes.
It appears then, that creatine supplementation, either through acute high-dose feeding for 5-7 days or through continuous low-dose feeding for 21-28 days has no proven serious health implications.
link
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/creatineresearch12final.php
here a myth and fact article on creatine
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/creatine myths and_facts.php
ing hot when I ran, but its the only time I can
I can sympathize with that.
