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Yeah, creatine can lead to increase muscle bulk- in large part due to causing a positive nitrogen balance (the body retains more nitrogen, which is synonymous with amino acid/ protein/ building blocks of muscle) which means an anabolic effect (building up of muscle) as opposed to catabolic effect(tearing down of muscle). This surplus of nitrogen is osmotic- meaning that it attracts water.
blah, blah....
All of this bs is germane if you take creatine long term- the loading cycle then the teaspoon a day for four weeks,....
If you take it at discrete times, as needed with out the load and maintenance, you don't get the anabolic effect, but do get the effect of creatine where it re- energizes the ADP back to ATP. (High energy phosphate bonds of ATP molecule broken to power the contraction of muscle.) This supplying of ATP gives the effect of increase power- more snap.
whatever- the shit works, okay?

the lurkist wrote:...If you take it at discrete times, as needed with out the load and maintenance, you don't get the anabolic effect, but do get the effect of creatine where it re- energizes the ADP back to ATP. (High energy phosphate bonds of ATP molecule broken to power the contraction of muscle.) This supplying of ATP gives the effect of increase power- more snap.
whatever- the shit works, okay?

I'm slow so bear with me... This sounds like you are saying take it [creatine] just prior to an intense session like a power bouldering session or something. Is that correct?

I have always had to be careful with stuff like this because I'm built like a linebacker and have tree trunks for thighs. So stuff like this can make me gain in all the wrong places.

yes. Seriously, studies have shown gains in fast twitch activities (sprinting and power lifting). I will see if I can the abstracts .
1-2 teaspoons taken 15-30 minutes before an activity that requires fast twitch snap, like a power endurance route, taken with something with sugar - to utilize the insulin reaction where insulin secreted secondary to increase blood sugar load opens the cell (in this case myocytes are the cells of interest) and sweeps glucose into the cell and creatine is piggybacked into the cell along with the glucose.

Because you aren't taking it long term dailey for four weeks (or whatever) you should not see an over all huge weight gain. Also, legs/ other muscles should not see hypertrophy because as a good rock climber, you aren't working your legs to make mass gains, but only using the little sticks to get you and your pack to the cliff.

I would like to see some of you fit dudes ( and dudettes) try this and report back. This spring as you get close to a proj, give the old creatine a burn.

But don't do like the Tray did several years ago and misread the directions- he was taking it as a cycle (four teaspoonfuls loading dose and then teaspoonful each day for four weeks). Dr. Highly Intelligent EE Mr. AI I am smarter than your whole family mistakenly took four tablespoonfuls each day for a month! He was HUGE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa

Wow, that is like a scene out of Mean Girls.

You guys have got a pretty intense training regimen going. I just like to drink some beers the night before I climb. All those extra carbs gives me energy the next day to send.

so for those who take glucosomine, have you ever had pains in joints, mostly knuckles, when you start taking this stuff??

well, duh. that's why you take it. painfull joints.

So I'm just a dumb grunt in general, but while I was at Selection, the SF medics warned me off of creatine because they linked several deaths to it over the previous summers. Apparently it's very easy to become dehydrated on it. Before the army I had no clue how easy it is to become seriously and ridiculously dehydrated. One guy came in, no real warning signs, he just dropped. Our thermometer only went up to 108, and he was above that for a very long time before we got his temperature dropped down to manageable levels. That's severe brain damage. I don't know what eventually happened to him, just that he was dropped from the course. Anyway, I steer clear of creatine now. Myoplex is the stuff I go with now, but I don't have a clue if it's better than anything else out there. Most of the guys use muscle milk and some other shit that's in a clear red jar. Man, I'm rambling with some completely useless information now, aren't I?

Yeah, I heard that too. I would only use it for the fast twitch, occasional use. AND stay well hydrated.

Don't you loose most (all?) of the mass you gained when you come off of creatine?