I swear I used it for like a month one time and my hair started falling out. I’m pretty young and I thought my days of flowing hair were numbered. Stopped using it after reading about it potentially causing issues with hair and never had an issue again.
The smart people on the internets are taking 5 grams daily.
They're not taking it as workout supplement.
And a thought on the water weight gain. Consider this water that's not in your backpack. If it's in your body, your body may find a use for it at some point. Also, the water weight looks aesthetically pleasing if you're lean.
I'm 64 and I just started on it recently. I'm shooting 80 pounds and need a little push in my workouts to maintain strength and muscle. It definetely works,and I feel it also has helped me with my shoulder pain I had from bicep long and short tendon. I feel as though I have gotten more limber,stronger, and flexible.
It does take a concerted water intake effort, and it seems for me anyway, the more water intake, the more pump I maintain lifting weights. I intend to use it until the end of the year and wean myself off it. I am dead set against the Doctor advised "TRT" nonsense as I feel it is simply taking steroids,legally. When you age, you need any boost you can take and creatine used with amino acids and whey proteins really helps me I feel.
Now for those of you backpacking into the woods for 7 days and limited on water intake ? I encourage you to wean yourself off atleast for a month afterwards before embarking on those type of hunts. Your body needs a large amount of water,and when not supplied, cramps come from all over,including your chest/heart. So I see it as being a supplement that calls for additional care, and when in the back country, you don't have those sort of ways to care for yourself 24/7.
I’ve never had any problems on 7+ day trips. I do insure I’m putting in the fluids, but no adverse effects that I can tell from using creatine daily (I don’t take it with me on trips, one less thing to think about).
Its great stuff, but i wouldn't use it if you aren't regular in the gym AND pushing yourself hard. First time I took it.... Whew.. I blew up in the gym. I put on a lot of size.
But its been said, you gotta drink a lot of water with it
Yes creatine is a wonderful adjunct to any sort of strength training and boosts energy reserves. I even brought some to Canada with me on my moose hunt
Been taking creatine for 25 years in various doses and for various activities. Ran D1 middle distance in college, bulked up a bit in grad school and did a lot of hard hunting throughout and to this day. Now down to a dose in my morning protein shake and still work out daily. The stuff works for me. Yeah, drink water. But I drink beer too and it hasn't been an issue. Makes muscles bigger and stronger and lactic flushes faster. Haven't found a drawback yet.
The time it is really beneficial is during strength training. Our bodies utilize creatine during anaerobic activities which is about the first 20-25 seconds for people. It will help you during these activities.