Vicious Cramps from Creatine?

[D-Termine]

Well I am not a newbie, let be start by saying that. I just went over my search results for "cramps" and only got one thing about them. Said they came from creatine possibly. Here is my story:

I just started lifting today and supplemnting with creatine, an eca, liver tabs and some glutamine. I also have an s-load on milk and whey each day. It has been maybe 2-3 weeks since I lifted and months since I last supplemented with creatine or anyitng else. No cramps either.

Now let me be clear, these are the worst most painful things in the world. Hamstrings and the middle of my foot are the most effected areas. It feels like someone is pulling a loose string from a sock, however this loose string is your tendons. Youy have to straighten your leg out and point your toes for it to go away.

it first happened when flexing my abs during my workout. Like a someone trying to rip out my guts. i had to straighten up immediately and it went away. Then in classs i put my leg behind the leg of my chair and it happened, and let me tell you you might as well be paralised because I had to pull my leg out with my arms and push it straight. Thin I made the same motion with the other leg and boom, it happened again.

Now my dad is a doctor and my mom a medical transcriptionist, they both only have to say "take more magnesium and calcium" However I know it has to do with my supplements, but which one?

If you could help with this I would REALLY appreciate it. This sucks and has been known to wake me up out of a dead sleep and it takes a second for you to realise that someone has not stabbed you in your sleep and you have to straighten your leg out. Thnx a ton if you read all that

[Bracken]

How much water are you drinking a day?

This is another possible cause...

[zall]

Pottasium is what you need to stop cramps, more so than mag or cal, bannanas are a good source,

Also a lack of sodium (salt) could be a cause of cramps,

Also yes as said, water intake could be a factor, too much can cause cramps as well as too little,

Zall

[Paddrias]

How much water would you say is too much?

[zall]

10l + per day and your doing more harm than good,

More most of us its not an issue though,

[DrnkMnky]

Originally posted by zall
Pottasium is what you need to stop cramps, more so than mag or cal, bannanas are a good source,

Also a lack of sodium (salt) could be a cause of cramps,

Also yes as said, water intake could be a factor, too much can cause cramps as well as too little,

Zall

BUMP

[D-Termine]

sorry about the late response and i am glad to see some responses, reminds me why i loved this place so much a while back.

anyhow my dad is a doctor and he said that supplementing with potasium is not a good idea. i am on a diet and drinking an s-load of water, most likely not too much since i am sick. as for bananas, i am on a diet so those useless carbs are a no-no. however if these persist, my hamies are still sore, i may try to slip one in thoughout the day

[d piece]

You need to drink way more water when on creatine or you will get cramps.
I get the crazy cramps too, mostly in my calves after about 1-2 hours of sparring when I am started to get very dehydrated.

[Sunder]

I'm no doctor, but all I can tell you is that I found potasium helped me to avoid cramps when I was dieting AND depleting water (and low sodium).

I know you're not depleting water, but you need a lot of extra water with creatine.

You may want to up your sodium (salt) intake. (and water and potasium). You can try it short term to see if it works. I don't see any harm in that.

Just my opinion.

[b1gb0t0]

Try different creatines.

The following items are not that expensive though you have very little to no chances of having cramps while consuming the product.

Endocre 3 ($28)
Swole V2 ($26)
V12 S.A.N. ($28)
Vitargo CGL ($32)

[zall]

You dont need to supplement with the pottassium, if the cramps are caused by a lack of it, you dont need much more to stop them,
A couple of Bannanas should do it if you eat a big bite here and there whilst training the carbs seriously wont make a bit of difference to your weight,

Did you ever see pro tennis players eating bites of Bannanas between sets/games, now you know why,

Zall

[Mnavarro98]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site. I am a junior in high school going into an important summer for recruiting (I play tennis), and was strongly considering taking creatine, per recommendation of my coach who took it in college and a couple of other high-level tennis players. I am pretty sure I want to take the supplement, and I didn't come here for advice regarding wether or not to do it but just some more specific questions about the supplement.

First, a couple of specifics about my training regime: I will be doing a lifting program in the summer 4 days a week 9-11 in the morning which includes sprints, plyometrics and such followed by a ~50 min lift and finished by an interval sprint, bike, slide board...etc. and some stretching. After this I will lay tennis every day in the afternoon varying from 2-3 hours, with tournaments on the weekdays. I did this last Summer and found not only huge gains in the weight room but also on the court, and was able to do it through good nutrition and sleep. The only problem was that i found myself very sore for some practice sessions after such an intense workout in the morning, which was problematic especially for tournaments. I am not in great shape rn and I want to start this lifting routine after school ends so the first week of June. Essentially I want to take creatine mainly for its benefits in recovery and being able to train more consecutively without feeling as sore.

Now that you guys have the background, here are the specific questions:

What type of creating should I take? I have heard success stories about all of them but would like to stick to a widely researched one, with no pumps (I can't be dehydrated and get cramps). I am not looking for a cheap option, as I don't want to risk my health over a couple of bucks, rather the best I can get to ensure good performance and health. Moreover, the creatine should be easy to absorb and not have a large list of side effects. I have heard that creapure is good and also CEE. what do you guys think?

Does creatine help a lot with recovery? I have read conflicting articles on the matter and this is important as it is the main reason I am taking creatine. Is there anything else that you guys would recommend when dealing with so much exercise? Maybe from guys that did two-a-days or the like. I would also like to know if creatine is helpful in anyway for injuries, as I have a small and nagging but not very serious case of tendinitis in my right knee that comes and goes.

When would be the best time to take the creatine, and with what other supplements? Should I take it with my current whey protein or ditch the protein? I can take it at any of my three meals or pre/post my workout or tennis practice.

How much should I take? I am 5'11" and 166 lbs. I know that some people load for a few days or a week and then take a maintenance amount. What would be the difference and what is recommended for me? I know that loading heavily can cause more stress on kidneys and increase side effects. Still, it might be useful to do, but I am trying to avoid bloating and stomach pain.

How to avoid cramps on creatine? Playing 2 three hour matches at outdoors in the summer heat already gives me problems with cramping at times, and I dont want to make this worse by taking creatine. Any advice?

The most important tournament of the Summer is the last week of June, followed immediately by the most important college recruiting showcase on the 4th of July weekend. So... Would it be wise to start taking creatine now before this tournament or should I take some in the weeks leading up or just take it after the tournament? I know that timing is important.

Thanks for bearing w me guys! I need all the help I can get!!

[emergency]

good to see you posted the same thing in 8 different threads the answer is the same no supps for any one under 18.