Creatine?

[endobear]

My 14 year old twins are bugging me to start creatine. My son just started football this year and they want him as the runningback and he wants to bulk up.
Other kids are using it and have him convinced he needs it. My daughter is on her second year of cross country and track and doing very good and wants to start boxing this year.
Is there any long term risks?
Waiting for an appointment with their pediatrician.

 

[DarkJuJu]

I would find a reputable sports medicine professional I would think and learn as much as you can find on the interwebs.

 

[Kylemenz1]

Junk. If they want to bulk up and get stronger tell them to stop putting junk into their bodies. No candy, burritos, cookies, chips, and so on. Except for cheat days of course. Eat tons of real protein and small amounts of real starches/carbs. They can take all the “supplements” they want but they won’t get the results they’re looking for until their diet changes.

 

[Gelcoater]

Junk. If they want to bulk up and get stronger tell them to stop putting junk into their bodies. No candy, burritos, cookies, chips, and so on. Except for cheat days of course. Eat tons of real protein and small amounts of real starches/carbs. They can take all the “supplements” they want but they won’t get the results they’re looking for until their diet changes.

Well said
The body is an engine, give it the best fuel.

My 14 year old twins are bugging me to start creatine. My son just started football this year and they want him as the runningback and he wants to bulk up.
Other kids are using it and have him convinced he needs it. My daughter is on her second year of cross country and track and doing very good and wants to start boxing this year.
Is there any long term risks?
Waiting for an appointment with their pediatrician.

That boy is a beanpole and needs to bulk up if he’s going to play football.

The girl?
She already has a Strong right cross. She showed me when she was 12
I don’t know that she needs anything extra?

I’m 6’ for scale there

 

[Andy B.]

My 14 year old twins are bugging me to start creatine. My son just started football this year and they want him as the runningback and he wants to bulk up.
Other kids are using it and have him convinced he needs it. My daughter is on her second year of cross country and track and doing very good and wants to start boxing this year.
Is there any long term risks?
Waiting for an appointment with their pediatrician.

Talk to a nutritionist also you're being smart about the doctor visit.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements, and it has no long-term side effects. "The old-school kidney concerns were nonsense." It's cheap, EFFECTIVE, and safe, period. Don't get the fancy stuff; just pain monohydrate. ON is good.

Edit: Cals and protein balance are obviously more important, but creatine will help with ATP. If they are serious, I like the macrofactor app. I doubt they are going to want to count macros though.

 

[OCMerrill]

PLEASE GET A PROFESSIONAL INVOLVED!

My son had to quit Football his Sr. year because of all the vitamins, protean powder, and creatine he was taking over the past three years.
He was a prized player and needed to be bigger for the D Line playing D End. He had a high GPA and was thinking scholarship.

The coach had a sheet on how to bulk up and we all went along with it. Big mistake at least for my son.

In summer practice of his Sr. year he started puking during hard physical exercise which has never happened before.
After a week of this we took him to his Dr who ordered labs.

His Liver was damaged from this nasty ass diet the new coach wanted all the boys to be on. The numbers were way off and so that was that.
He still to this day at 21 can only drink limited amounts of alcohol without having issues.

 

[ChumpChange]

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements, and it has no long-term side effects. "The old-school kidney concerns were nonsense." It's cheap, EFFECTIVE, and safe, period. Don't get the fancy stuff; just pain monohydrate. ON is good.

Edit: Cals and protein balance are obviously more important, but creatine will help with ATP. If they are serious, I like the macrofactor app. I doubt they are going to want to count macros though.

This.

Don’t fall for the new stuff with pills that say it’s time activated blah blah blah. Just get them monohydrate.

My brother is 15 months older than me. We both started playing football at the same time, me as a freshman and him as a sophomore. I was always larger and stronger than him. He started talking creatine and was able to put on some good size and strength. So he was about the same age as your kids.

I dropped a substantial weight a few years ago and wanted to get back some strength and lube the joints after two shoulder surgeries so I started taking it again and probably put on a good 20 pounds and strength. It was what I was trying to do so results were good.

I say go for it.

 

[oldman]

My son was a freshman 6'2" 156lbs, he hit the gym and got on a good protein regiment of natural foods, it's not an overnight fix but at his peak he was 230 as a senior, as a defensive end. no supplements, just solid natural foods, a ton of natural protein's (mainly Organic chicken by the pound], bbqed. and the gym.

 

[Tooms22]

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements, and it has no long-term side effects. "The old-school kidney concerns were nonsense." It's cheap, EFFECTIVE, and safe, period. Don't get the fancy stuff; just pain monohydrate. ON is good.

Edit: Cals and protein balance are obviously more important, but creatine will help with ATP. If they are serious, I like the macrofactor app. I doubt they are going to want to count macros though.

This.

Most of the supps on the market aren't FDA approved and contained a bunch of garbage.

Creatine Monohydrate is clean and simple.

Drinking plenty of water is necessary.

In college over 28 days, my buddy took a form of creatine and I took a pill version of Tren that I bought at GNC and it's now off the market (I didn't really drink on it and I had to do a post cycle... so yeah). I gained 20 pounds (net 15 after water weight loss) and buddy still gained 10 pounds.

Creatine works and I've read that there's no need to cycle on and off of it now.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Do whatever Chumpchange says. He looks like an NFL linebacker.

 

[monkeyswrench]

My youngest is 16. We wouldn't let him lift heavy until he quit sprouting. He's now 6'4". A couple months back, he wanted to go from just getting stronger, to putting on mass. He's now drinking creatine monohydrate, and yellow pea protein before lifting. He needed more protein and that was the most efficient method to bump it up significantly. Before this started though, we ran a blood panel with his last full physical. I wanted to make sure nothing was off before we got rolling. Starting heavy work outs can push things that are borderline over the edge. Everything was good, so he hammered down. He's up about 10lbs in 6 or 7 weeks, and slimming down. Snacks are pretty much yogurt (plain with fruit or granola added sometimes), fruits and hard boiled eggs.

Oh, and his wrestling coach had a list as well. He's pretty conservative on things, but was happy to see what we were doing with my son. Be prepared though. Feeding a monster gets to be some work. Keeping it healthy, ready to eat and stocked up, is a pretty massive undertaking too.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Do whatever Chumpchange says. He looks like an NFL linebacker.

He's not wearing cuffs and leg irons though

 

[Justfishing]

My 14 year old twins are bugging me to start creatine. My son just started football this year and they want him as the runningback and he wants to bulk up.
Other kids are using it and have him convinced he needs it. My daughter is on her second year of cross country and track and doing very good and wants to start boxing this year.
Is there any long term risks?
Waiting for an appointment with their pediatrician.

From what i see is that it is probably the most studied supplement and taken per the label is safe. It is a naturally derived protien. An added benefit is its good for your brain. Personally most everyone should be on it.

The best thing to do is get a quality trainer to set up a training program to get proper development. Little differences in a lift can change the muscles being developed. Then there is the number of reps. High reps at lower weights develops size. Low reps at max weight for strength. Etc.

Now is a good time for them to learn about nutrition. You need about 1gram of protien per lb of targeted weight. In nature protien always comes paired with fat. Dont fear animal fats.

Protien doesnt come paired with high carbs. A protien drink made with fruit is not right. Animal protien is superior to plant protien. Meat protien is superior to powdered. Stay away from soy protien.

Look into the keto diet. I would do your research on nutrition. Drs are not trained in nutrition and generally are not a good source of advice

 

[monkeyswrench]

I'm not a pillar of fitness, in part because what she says goes in one ear and out the other.. the wife is an RD.... anyone considering this needs to see a dietician.. the amount of damage you can do to your body via bad advice is unreal. It is the reason my heart is fucked up, among other things... I was a fitness nut for a period and bad advice damn near ended my life...I still remember "going down"..hiting that tile floor was the last thing I remembered for days...my former roommate/GF is the only reason I survived that. She was on her way out the door to class and if she had been 5 min earlier I'd be dead right now. I was 26...hard to believe its been 11 years since that day.

Lessons learned hardest are best remembered. Well, assuming you survive them. In HS, I pushed way too hard for what my diet was. Lots of empty calories mixed with supplements that probably did more harm than good. My parents didn't know what I was taking, so when I collapsed one Sunday before a water polo game, they had the ER screen me for juice and dope. Clean there, but my blood was a mix of caffeine and heavy metals. Poor quality crap, that's what I had been taking. Reading labels, but no knowledge.

At 26, I started to hit the pile hard again. Friends wife was a dietician at a hospital, and I had a couple of customers in the medical field. Had a good run for a few years. Now, near 20 years later, just started back at it because of my youngest. I won't let him make my mistakes.

 

[ChumpChange]

Do whatever Chumpchange says. He looks like an NFL linebacker.

Honestly just gotta do it the right way. I’m genuinely interested in lifting and athletics so it’s what I spend my time reading up on when I’m not reading about financial stuff for my industry.

I enjoy talking about this stuff.

 

[ChumpChange]

Waiting for an appointment with their pediatrician.

I’m not gonna knock doctors but a standard pediatrician probably doesn’t know the direction your kids want to go. They know about prescribing medication and telling your kids to get vaccinated. They look at charts for the average population, not athletes.

I’m morbidly obese according to my doctor. I’d have to lose 70 pounds to fit into his chart.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

I’m not gonna knock doctors but a standard pediatrician probably doesn’t know the direction your kids want to go. They know about prescribing medication and telling your kids to get vaccinated. They look at charts for the average population, not athletes.

I’m morbidly obese according to my doctor. I’d have to lose 70 pounds to fit into his chart.

100%

A good registered dietician would be a better bet IMO. They can be super pricey though.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Well said
The body is an engine, give it the best fuel.

That boy is a beanpole and needs to bulk up if he’s going to play football.

The girl?
She already has a Strong right cross. She showed me when she was 12
I don’t know that she needs anything extra?
View attachment 1419603

I’m 6’ for scale there

Oh damn! You just posted a picture of yourself...... We have entered a new age at RDP..... lol!

 

[DWC]

I’d suggest eating clean with plenty of protein and complex carbs. Early teens is too young to start messing with body chemistry. Everyone taking supplements is trying to get to his levels. At that age they don’t have a problem with recovery. It’s all about pushing heavy weights, fuel and sleep. The short term gains aren’t work any risks.

 

[TripleB]

What is his current daily calorie intake? The big guys that want to add mass take in a bunch, up to 10,000 a day of good food and it has to be constant during the day, not just one huge meal. Skip all the additives your body can’t get naturally

 

[ChumpChange]

What is his current daily calorie intake? The big guys that want to add mass take in a bunch, up to 10,000 a day of good food and it has to be constant during the day, not just one huge meal. Skip all the additives your body can’t get naturally

That’s not just a big guy, that’s a monster. Most normal people can’t even make it to lunch eating that much, especially if it’s clean.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-rock-dwayne-johnson-diet

I couldn’t find the story where the guy was eating with The Rock and trying to do his daily routine and was puking by the third meal.

 

[ChumpChange]

Or how about Zac Efron turning into the Iron Claw? Came along way from High School Musical.

I think he left the HGH part out of the article…

How Zac Efron Bulked Up for His Wrestling Debut in 'The Iron Claw'

Experts share how Efron bulked up for the wrestling biopic—and why it probably isn't necessary for you to follow his playbook.

www.gq.com

 

[LazyLavey]

Used it pretty steady many years ago trying to keep up with the big guys....

Ya, got stronger, put on some weight, no ill effects...

Thought my balls were shrinking.... just my hands got bigger...

 

[Gelcoater]

Or how about Zac Efron turning into the Iron Claw? Came along way from High School Musical.

I think he left the HGH part out of the article…

How Zac Efron Bulked Up for His Wrestling Debut in 'The Iron Claw'

Experts share how Efron bulked up for the wrestling biopic—and why it probably isn't necessary for you to follow his playbook.

www.gq.com

I was blind sided by his transformation when the wife and kids showed me
My girls were prime age for HS Musical when it was new.
I remember him as little scrawny kid

 

[monkeyswrench]

What is his current daily calorie intake? The big guys that want to add mass take in a bunch, up to 10,000 a day of good food and it has to be constant during the day, not just one huge meal. Skip all the additives your body can’t get naturally

High school bio, they had us list our foods and caloric intake for the day. My teacher looked at my paper, and called me a liar. Guess what, Monkey's Mom worked in the office, and looked over the paper. She looked at the teacher and said "That's actually a pretty light day".

In high school, I swam a minimum of three miles before school, had an hour of weight training during school, another hour after, and then 3 hours of water polo. The day in question was just shy of 7000 calories, and I was 16. Pizza Hut used to have a special, two large pizzas and two 2L sodas. Me and a friend would split it on Friday nights working on cars.

With my own 16yo, he's probably about 4000 calories. Not near as much, but we can pronounce the stuff in his food, and only eat out maybe once a month. He's getting more useful calories, a lot less grease and crap compared to what I ate.

 

[endobear]

Thanks for all the input. Spoke with their pediatrician yesterday. Like mentioned.
She doesnt think they need it. They creat enough naturally. I trust her opinion. She fought my wife to not get the kids the covid shot.
We are going to start counting calories.
Doubling up on some healthier foods that already have creatine naturally.
My son is a little bummed.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Thanks for all the input. Spoke with their pediatrician yesterday. Like mentioned.
She doesnt think they need it. They creat enough naturally. I trust her opinion. She fought my wife to not get the kids the covid shot.
We are going to start counting calories.
Doubling up on some healthier foods that already have creatine naturally.
My son is a little bummed.

If he starts looking at calories seriously, then he'll also start looking at the amount of protein within those calories. That can be a real eye opener.

Whatever your son can do to gain mass with activity and diet, will only help him out in the long run. It won't happen as "fast" as he would like, but will help with focus, drive and dedication. Those things stay with you not only in sports, but life after sports.

 

[angiebaby]

I’m not gonna knock doctors but a standard pediatrician probably doesn’t know the direction your kids want to go. They know about prescribing medication and telling your kids to get vaccinated. They look at charts for the average population, not athletes.

I’m morbidly obese according to my doctor. I’d have to lose 70 pounds to fit into his chart.

My son-in-law is a PA. I will tell you they will revert to caution every single time. It's ingrained into their instruction. They will not authorize anything that is out of the ordinary. Also, he received 4 hours of instruction on dietary health in med school, I would imagine it's not much more for a doctor.

 

[ChumpChange]

Thanks for all the input. Spoke with their pediatrician yesterday. Like mentioned.
She doesnt think they need it. They creat enough naturally.

Yeah as stated previous there was no way they’d say anything else.

Just like Angie said above.

 

[Tooms22]

I’m not gonna knock doctors but a standard pediatrician probably doesn’t know the direction your kids want to go. They know about prescribing medication and telling your kids to get vaccinated. They look at charts for the average population, not athletes.

I’m morbidly obese according to my doctor. I’d have to lose 70 pounds to fit into his chart.

Alright, I started taking Creatine again yesterday because of this thread. I have a hunt in New Mexico end of September/beginning of October. Anything that will give me a little edge at this point is worth it. My sedentary desk job life is whooping my ass when it comes to back and neck issues.

Had a GI issue early 2022. Went to a primary care doc for the first time in years. She goes "oh you're a little overweight for your height." Well yeah, 210 at 6'. I should probably be closer to 200 for fighting weight but not overweight at 210. So I was like "Ehhhh I go to the gym about 6 days a week and lift" as I was sitting there in a XL t-shirt that was loose around the waist and stomach but tight on shoulders, back, chest, and arms. She looks up from her clipboard and goes "oh oh ok, yeah my son likes to lift weights too."

At that point, I realized why it's so hard to find good doctors. They just follow the ranges given to them by some higher power and check the boxes when you come in. If you're out of range, it's always meds.

Thus, I have an appointment in a couple weeks with a more holistic doc who tries to avoid pharmaceuticals and tries to get you dialed in with all your labs.

 

[LHC30]

Check out Dr. Mike’s YouTube videos. Where he critiques celeb workouts is a hoot! But on the serious side, he has a ton of great, solid info.

Mike Israetel, PhD | BarBend

Dr. Mike Israetel holds a PhD in Sport Physiology, and is currently the head science consultant for Renaissance Periodization. Mike was formerly a professor

barbend.com

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Check out Dr. Mike’s YouTube videos. Where he critiques celeb workouts is a hoot! But on the serious side, he has a ton of great, solid info.

Mike Israetel, PhD | BarBend

Dr. Mike Israetel holds a PhD in Sport Physiology, and is currently the head science consultant for Renaissance Periodization. Mike was formerly a professor

barbend.com

I LOVE Dr. Mike. Straight to the point and funny.

Protein intake and cal counting will get you MUCH further than creatine and a shit diet. Creatine will just get most people that extra rep, which is where the growth happens. Not many are non-responders. My guess is he ends up buying it himself. It’s cheap.

 

[ChumpChange]

I LOVE Dr. Mike. Straight to the point and funny.

Protein intake and cal counting will get you MUCH further than creatine and a shit diet. Creatine will just get most people that extra rep, which is where the growth happens. Not many are non-responders. My guess is he ends up buying it himself. It’s cheap.

Only the last rep matters.

 

[ChumpChange]

Since it’s a no to creatine, maybe run this by the pediatrician..

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Since it’s a no to creatine, maybe run this by the pediatrician..
View attachment 1420764

That’ll get results! Haha

 

[ChumpChange]

Took my creatine this morning….

Just kidding… this is old man strength.

 

[Kachina26]

Honestly just gotta do it the right way. I’m genuinely interested in lifting and athletics so it’s what I spend my time reading up on when I’m not reading about financial stuff for my industry.

I enjoy talking about this stuff.

Good lord, how do you find time to troll?

 

[ChumpChange]

Good lord, how do you find time to troll?

Work hours.

 

[Justfishing]

100%

A good registered dietician would be a better bet IMO. They can be super pricey though.

I question if thats the case. The governing body for dieticians gets most of it funding from big food. They will not bit the hand that feeds them

Go to you tube and look up dr baker and dr chaffee. Dr baker is in his 50s and has won body building competition. Dr chaffee is a neurosurgeon and is ripped.

 

[TBulger]

Well said
The body is an engine, give it the best fuel.

That boy is a beanpole and needs to bulk up if he’s going to play football.

The girl?
She already has a Strong right cross. She showed me when she was 12
I don’t know that she needs anything extra?
View attachment 1419603

I’m 6’ for scale there

I

 

[TBulger]

How did an old ugly guy like you get such a beautiful daughter.

 

[Gelcoater]

How did an old ugly guy like you get such a beautiful daughter.

Easily explained, that’s Endo’s Daughter

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

I question if thats the case. The governing body for dieticians gets most of it funding from big food. They will not bit the hand that feeds them

Go to you tube and look up dr baker and dr chaffee. Dr baker is in his 50s and has won body building competition. Dr chaffee is a neurosurgeon and is ripped.

Question all you want, but that’s not the norm, especially for a pediatrician.

It does take a while to find a good dietician, but that’s more a style preference. Ex. Intuitive eating, calorie counting, specialization in eating disorders or hormones, etc. My wife has gone through a bunch of them to find the right fit. That being said, all were much better than the myriad of doctors trying to prescribe more pills. Even better if you can package one with a trainer.

 

[endobear]

Well said
The body is an engine, give it the best fuel.

That boy is a beanpole and needs to bulk up if he’s going to play football.

The girl?
She already has a Strong right cross. She showed me when she was 12
I don’t know that she needs anything extra?
View attachment 1419603

I’m 6’ for scale there

She's a beast. Hasn't worked out or ran since April.
2nd week at cross country she took 7th on varsity out of 27 girls. 1st on her team.
3 miles in under 25 minutes.

 

[ChumpChange]

Welcome to the creatine craze. The supplement's health benefits may surprise you.

Creatine can be an issue for people with kidney conditions, but in general, this supplement is considered safe.

www.yahoo.com