I left this reply under a similar topic, but the topic was old and so I'm posting it again in hopes of a reply.
How did you guys find out about creatine and protein competing for absorption? I've checked with several experts in the field including John Parrillo (Parrillo) and Paul Cribb (AST) and they say just the opposite---they actually encourage bodybuilders to mix creatine with protein. As you know, they are both very successful in taking average weightlifters and helping them turn into competitive bodybuilders.
I've also met other serious weightlifters who report success in mixing protein, creatine, glutamine and carbs in a single shake immediately following workouts. Does anyone know why there is such a discrepancy?
I am not a supplement expert, and I haven't met anyone here who is either. But I do know that many of you here are very knowledgeable about certain aspects of bodybuilding nutrition and your response is important to me.
Thanks in advance.

By SNIPER ( - 205.188.199.200) on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 01:09 am: Edit

Chiro,

I also recently talked to my trainer who holds 25 world bench press records for his age (77) and he says there is know problem with mixing protein and creatine. Prolab also sells a product that contains creatine and protein (lean mass blend) and Lee Priest supposedly uses it,later man!

By Cass ( - 216.225.173.23) on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 06:08 am: Edit

Let me make it simple....mixing some protein with creatine is fine but let's say you take 30 grams of protein in 1 meal and decide to take 5 grams of creatine....your liver can only handle 30 grams of protein at 1 time or 5 grams of creatine...eithr or, it can't process more than that...so what happens to the rest....well, you guessed it, see ya....my recommendation is that if you have to take both at the same time take 20 grams of protein or less and about 5 grams of creatine....you'll be sure to get both in your system then.

By chiro ( - 63.22.66.173) on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 08:08 am: Edit

Thanks for all your input. I'll be sure to keep checking with others about this question. By the way, I also checked with Coach Charles Poliquin and he agreed that there is no problem mixing creatine and protein. Thanks again everyone.

By chiro ( - 63.22.66.10) on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 08:56 pm: Edit

Wait a minute. 30 grams at one time? Did you get that information from a scientific reference like a nutritional textbook or a research article?

By CasS ( - 216.225.173.58) on Thursday, March 30, 2000 - 07:45 am: Edit

I've read it in medical journals and have seen it a few other times in health magazines...it is relevant to how much you weigh as well....a little less if your on the lighter side and a little more if your on the heavier side. So the guys that are taking 50 or 60 grams of protein are pretty much just adding fat. What happens the the excess protein is that your body considers it a extra energy source that is not used, therefore converted to fat. 30 grams at one time means at 1 meal or supplement...after about 2 hours you can take another 30 grams and so on. This is actually based on a medical magazine that I work for called "Today's Dietitian" it's a professional journal written by registered dietitians, doctors, nutritionists, and so on. There probably is conflicting opinions on this, as there is for just about everything, so I would ask around if I were you. And let me know what you hear, I'm an open mined person. Thanks! See ya & good luck!

By Anonymous ( - 208.28.186.58) on Saturday, May 27, 2000 - 12:26 am: Edit

well...i have to disagree w. you cass...i try to get about 300 grams of protien aday (50g per meal) and ive been gettin leaner...i weigh 192 6' and can see all my abs...i have also been getting stronger...extra carbs and fats will be stored in adipose (fat) cells...protien doesn't raise insulin enough for it to be shot into fat cells...plus, when you have more protien than can be absorbed it is slowly broken down into a burnable carbohydrate, than used for energy...if you're working out and eating clean...shoot for a high protien diet...
j

By JUMBO ( - 208.3.198.151) on Saturday, May 27, 2000 - 04:26 pm: Edit

Dont Bullshit me... creatine 10 grams and 40 grams of protien is fins for a shake. Your body get handle up to 50 Grams unless your inder 140Lbs then its lower. Obviously if youre more than your body can handle more. Protien DOES not turn to fat, and stacking carbs into your shake is not much of a good idea because most likely your protien has enough carbs to absorb the creatine.

By John ( - 212.120.193.138) on Sunday, May 28, 2000 - 04:43 am: Edit

Excessive amounts of protein can result in body fat, not muscle, if they provide more calories than are needed to support activity, In addition, the break-down products of dietary protein are excreted in the urine and pull a good deal of water and electrolytes from the body along with them.

By Anonymous ( - 204.186.190.72) on Sunday, May 28, 2000 - 05:39 am: Edit

Interesting, John. Any info on this or website
would be appreciated.

By John ( - 212.120.193.138) on Sunday, May 28, 2000 - 06:30 am: Edit

l have read that from Bill Phillips "Sports Supplement Review" anon, if l find something similar from a website, l will give it to you for sure.

By Anonymous ( - 162.39.198.160) on Saturday, November 11, 2000 - 12:01 am: Edit

well ive only been takink creatine for a week and i have gained 300lbs creatine is some good shit man. HA HA HA all of yall are ••••••• retarded!!

By himly (62.254.0.4) on Thursday, August 16, 2001 - 04:13 pm: Edit

hello i was wondering that if you mix creatine and protien then will it be safer and less side effects? thanx for advice please comment!

By Big Cat HH (Bigcatmod) (213.224.83.166) on Thursday, August 16, 2001 - 05:20 pm: Edit

Protein and creatine use the same transport ion, combining pure protein with creatine will disable you from transporting creatine to the muscle cells and thus render most of it utterly useless.

Besides, why are you worried about side-effects ? Neither creatine nor protein has any serious side-effects ...

By H (152.163.197.182) on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 06:20 am: Edit

So you cant put it in your protein drink? And do you take creatine before you workout or after or both. And if both how much u take each time.

By RyanW (209.214.185.198) on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 09:32 am: Edit

Here's how I do it:

I take 5g creatine with h2o (I use AST's micronized, but any micronized creapure is great). About 20 minutes later I drink 5oz. grape juice (@30g sugar) with 30g whey isolate (again I use AST's VP2). I drink this over a period of about 20 minutes. Wait 10 minutes then hit the gym. After I get home from gym, another 5g creatine with h20; wait 10 min.; consume 1 full serving of NLarge2 over a 20 minute period. Works great for me.

You can consume creatine with your protein, just not at the same time. Take your creatine first, and wait 20 minutes to spike your insulin with a mix of high GI carbs and fast absorbing protein. Several studies have shown that a 50/50 mix of protein/sugar is just as, if not more, effective in transporting creatine to muscle.

That's my take,

RyanW

By Big Cat HH (Bigcatmod) (213.224.83.166) on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 05:37 pm: Edit

H, are you not paying attention ? I just said that if you take a pure protein drink and mix it with creatine, IT WILL NOT BE ABSORBED ... !!! Take creatine immediately after a workout and drink your shake 20 minutes later, or do yourself a favor, dump the shake, get a wgood weight gainer and then you can mix the creatine in if you want.

You take creatine 20-30 minutes before a workout if strength is your concern. one dose of 5 grams is enough and no loading reaquired. if you want to grow on the other hand you load for 5 days with 3 doses of 7 grams and maintain for 6-10 weeks with 2 doses of 5 grams. Every time taking the first dose before breakfast and the last dose immediately after workout.

By H (64.12.103.169) on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 09:13 pm: Edit

Ya i was paying attention but you said that i can take cretine with my weigh gainer. But the weight gainer contains protein too. You must just be talking about pure protein then right? And what brand of creatine is the best

By Big Cat HH (Bigcatmod) (213.224.83.102) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 01:04 am: Edit

Yes, that's why I said pure protein, because that's what I was talking about. A 50/50 protein/sugar mix on the other hand actually increases protein absorption as much as 96 gram dose of dextrose, while pure protein decreases the rate of transport to the muscles.

Any brand using creapure creatine is best. My favorites are the Twinlab, Prolab and Met-rx micronized brands.

By H (152.163.197.193) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 03:16 am: Edit

So just to verify its cool if i take it with N Large 2? i can take it in the morning with creatine. Then take it at lunch then after workout with creatine then before bed?
And would you suggest your ultimate stack (creatine, zma, b12, c, liver, weightgainer) for people who are 17? IF not then what ones would u take out to make it safe for 17 yr olds? Thanks in advance.

By H (152.163.197.193) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 03:24 am: Edit

And will you send me a link to the prolab micronized creatine you are talkng about?

By Big Cat HH (Bigcatmod) (213.224.83.142) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 04:01 am: Edit

absolutely correct and yes I would, but its B-complex vitamin, not just B12.

http://www.prolab.com

click on products, strength and creatine monodhydrate powder.

By H (64.12.103.171) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 04:52 am: Edit

Alright thanks. I meant a link to the product on sale at Bodybuilding.com What one is the best creatine by prolab..
And taking 6 things a day, arent you worried about overdosing?

By H (64.12.103.171) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 05:33 am: Edit

and i just read a teenbodybuilding artcle from Ryan Mclane saying not to take creatine on offdays and to swith it up with protein. Is this ight for teens or is he wrong?

By Big Cat HH (Bigcatmod) (213.224.83.110) on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 02:58 pm: Edit

OH man, I'm so pissed at that kid right now. If nobody is writing a peer review for that, i will. It is untrue and unsubstantiated. i already wrote him a mail about it. If you want to know what all is wrong with it, drop me a line and I'll send you a cc of the mail I sent him. SO HE IS WRONG, AS WRONG AS CAN BE. And just for the record, his previous article on carbs was a wash-out too. This kid needs to get back to school in a hurry.

I don't think BB.com carries the Prolab. What do you mean which one is the best ? The one I told you to look up : the creatine powder.

And no I don't worry about overdosing anything, the products you are taking do not interact with one another. So all you have to worry about is the doses of the products individually, and none of them is harmful in large doses, so no need to worry. You can take 20 or 25 things if you want. It'd be a waste of money, but you could do that.

By Paul21 (208.28.116.21) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 12:54 am: Edit

What? don't take creatine on off days?!?!?

Switch it with protein!?!?


When does the bad advice end.........

By Anonymous (129.97.62.233) on Monday, August 27, 2001 - 11:27 pm: Edit

you all say take your creatine in the morning and then after you work out. I workoput at 7am. Should I take creatine before and after my workout? or after my workout and again at night?

Thanks!