How does creatine increase muscle size?

[KingOfSwing]

I realize that creatine increases endurance and strength(as Swole did for me, nothing else including v12 worked). But how does it increase muscle size? Is it because you are stronger and the heavier weights promotes more muscle growth? Or does the creatine have a direct relationship with muscle size?

thanks in advance.

[Kroms_laugh]

It hydrates the muscle fibers (really really simple explanation)

The size increase you see is water in the muscle.

[KingOfSwing]

Yes but I meant actual muscle growth, not size. I want to know how it makes muscles 'grow' excluding the water. I mean why would bodybuilders consider it so important if all it did was make their workouts easier?

[Kroms_laugh]

Bigger muscle fibers (from water retention) help you in lifting heavy weight... which, in turn, tears the muscle better. Look, take the creatine... cycle on, then off... then you'll see how it affects your workouts.

[kxtreme]

It hydrates the muscle fibers (really really simple explanation)

The size increase you see is water in the muscle.

if its all water what happens when you stop taking it? do you shrink? how do some guys maintain the size gained from creatine use when they stop using creatine.

[Dante^]

Yes, once your off creatine you will shrink. You will lose the water retention little by little.

[Kroms_laugh]

if its all water what happens when you stop taking it? do you shrink? how do some guys maintain the size gained from creatine use when they stop using creatine.

You stop taking it because your body becomes residual to it. Then after you've worked off the natural resistance your body has to it... you start another cycle of it.

[kxtreme]

You stop taking it because your body becomes residual to it. Then after you've worked off the natural resistance your body has to it... you start another cycle of it.

im not talking about cycling it..... im speaking of stop taking it permanantly, are you gonna take creatine for the rest of your life?

[kxtreme]

Yes, once your off creatine you will shrink. You will lose the water retention little by little.

is the shrinkage very dramatic? im not gonna take creatine if it is. i was thinking of starting.

[And055]

Yes but I meant actual muscle growth, not size. I want to know how it makes muscles 'grow' excluding the water. I mean why would bodybuilders consider it so important if all it did was make their workouts easier?

Creatine, restores your ATP stores quickly, resulting in more energy to do more reps and sets=gaining more lean muscle as well as quicker recovery time due to ATP being restored quickly. The water aka cell volumization in the muscle will be lost after you stop creatine but the gains you get thanks to the restored ATP, allowing you to lift more will mean more lean muscle gains. In the end you'll lose the water you gained but you keep the lean muscle creatine helped you gain due to ATP stores being restored quicker. As for you trying to worry about shrinkin, lets say you didnt use creatine and you weighed 180, and for 6 weeks and you did 2 sets of 10 on 35lb dumbells as part as your routine. Lets say you gained a Inch on your arms due to that and you now weigh 182lbs. Now the situation is, say your the same size before you did those 6 weeks of curls(180lbs) and before starting those curls you supplemented creatine and your now able to 2 sets of 15 curls on 40lb dumbells for 6 weeks, after that 6 weeks say you weighed 192lbs,now you stopped your creatine cycle and you weighed in 2 weeks after stopping your creatine cycle at 185, you lost all the water weight and you got more gains in the end. The key with creatine(after reading threads) is that since it restores ATP quicker you able to do more reps and sets. That means your working the muscle more resulting in a better gain and better recovery times to help avoid overtraining. You will shrink due to water being lost but whatever extra lean mass you gain thanks to supplementing creatine is there.

[pu12en12g]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=3906036

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=332329

[kxtreme]

Very helpful post And055 thanks much.

[pu12en12g]

if its all water what happens when you stop taking it? do you shrink? how do some guys maintain the size gained from creatine use when they stop using creatine.

By eating and lifting weights

[LAWofNJ]

i understood creatine, but this has given me even a better scope of things. Thanks for this topic.

[And055]

Np! Anytime, glad i can share my views on things that can help others understand it a bit better.

[AngusMacgyver]

creatine sucks.