In your experience, does Creatine dehydrate you?

[Jersovic]

In my younger years (five years ago or so), I always heard people say that you need to over-hydrate when you are taking Creatine. I never had any problems with dehydration though, so didn't buy into this.

Now that I'm 28 years old, I just started a Creatine cycle and it seems like 15-20 minutes after I ingest Creatine I start getting cotton mouth and my skin feels really hot as if I'm having heat exhaustion. I'm not sure if this is all in my head, or if Creatine is really starting to dehydrate me now that I'm getting older?


Anyone have experience with this?

[jbhasban]

In my younger years (five years ago or so), I always heard people say that you need to over-hydrate when you are taking Creatine. I never had any problems with dehydration though, so didn't buy into this.

Now that I'm 28 years old, I just started a Creatine cycle and it seems like 15-20 minutes after I ingest Creatine I start getting cotton mouth and my skin feels really hot as if I'm having heat exhaustion. I'm not sure if this is all in my head, or if Creatine is really starting to dehydrate me now that I'm getting older?


Anyone have experience with this?

I have taken creatine in the past. It seemed to have no effect on me at all. Hydration, strength, weight, etc... none of it changed. No one knows precisely how creatine is going to effect you... the science on supplements is fairly iffy. That said, I can assure you that creatine does not have an effect on you 15-20 mins after taking it. It takes a lot longer for your body to utilize it (around 24 hours at least).

[Projali]

In my younger years (five years ago or so), I always heard people say that you need to over-hydrate when you are taking Creatine. I never had any problems with dehydration though, so didn't buy into this.

Now that I'm 28 years old, I just started a Creatine cycle and it seems like 15-20 minutes after I ingest Creatine I start getting cotton mouth and my skin feels really hot as if I'm having heat exhaustion. I'm not sure if this is all in my head, or if Creatine is really starting to dehydrate me now that I'm getting older?


Anyone have experience with this?

What creatine are you using? Is it some pre-workout supplement or is it creatine monohydrate?

[critterkiller]

creatin makes your muscels bigger my holding onto water, that is why yes you do need to drink a little bit more everyday, it is important that you drink all through the day and not just drink a huge load at one time of the day because you body will then be overburdend with water and just drop it out again, this is also good for the body even if you hadn't used creatin because it would keep you liquid balance in check. also as soon as you stop using creatin the effect drops and you basicly poked a needle in you arm and the "air" went out, wich is why i dont bother.

[Letmesleep]

creatin makes your muscels bigger my holding onto water, that is why yes you do need to drink a little bit more everyday, it is important that you drink all through the day and not just drink a huge load at one time of the day because you body will then be overburdend with water and just drop it out again, this is also good for the body even if you hadn't used creatin because it would keep you liquid balance in check. also as soon as you stop using creatin the effect drops and you basicly poked a needle in you arm and the "air" went out, wich is why i dont bother.

This is what I've heard as well, and why I also don't bother with it.

[Jersovic]

What creatine are you using? Is it some pre-workout supplement or is it creatine monohydrate?

It's just a standard monohydrate. I'm not sure what is going on because this has never happened in the past.

---------- Post added 2012-08-09 at 03:29 AM ----------

creatin makes your muscels bigger my holding onto water, that is why yes you do need to drink a little bit more everyday, it is important that you drink all through the day and not just drink a huge load at one time of the day because you body will then be overburdend with water and just drop it out again, this is also good for the body even if you hadn't used creatin because it would keep you liquid balance in check. also as soon as you stop using creatin the effect drops and you basicly poked a needle in you arm and the "air" went out, wich is why i dont bother.

I never took Creatine to make my muscles bigger, I've always taken it to help with the recovery periods. For some reason when I am on Creatine I get less sore, don't stay sore as long, and feel as if my body recovers so much faster which allows me to work out longer and more often. I don't stay on it 24/7, and haven't had any of the problems you describe. I have heard a lot of body builders complain about the same problem, but I've never been into body building, and have always been more into performance training than weight lifting, and trying to put on mass etc.

[Deleted]

I have taken creatine in the past. It seemed to have no effect on me at all. Hydration, strength, weight, etc... none of it changed. No one knows precisely how creatine is going to effect you... the science on supplements is fairly iffy. That said, I can assure you that creatine does not have an effect on you 15-20 mins after taking it. It takes a lot longer for your body to utilize it (around 24 hours at least).

Creatine is one of the most tested supplements there exists and the effects are well known. Besides it doesn't take your body up to 24 hours to utilize it, the effect of creatine is accumulated which means that it is an increasing process. By taking a standard 2-4grams a day it takes up 4-6 weeks for your body to reach its peak creatine levels. This can be shortened by the loading phase where you take 10-20grams a day and then sustaining 2-4 grams after the initial 2 weeks. However, the effect of creatine begins shortly after taking it, but the effect is so insignificant at the start, itll take a week or two for any person to feel the effect regardless.

Besides, some claim that as much as 20% of all people doesn't respond to creatine, so called non-responders. This is because some people have a higher natural creatine level and combined with plenty of meat they're already peaking.

creatin makes your muscels bigger my holding onto water, that is why yes you do need to drink a little bit more everyday, it is important that you drink all through the day and not just drink a huge load at one time of the day because you body will then be overburdend with water and just drop it out again, this is also good for the body even if you hadn't used creatin because it would keep you liquid balance in check. also as soon as you stop using creatin the effect drops and you basicly poked a needle in you arm and the "air" went out, wich is why i dont bother.

Well thats not really true

First of all creatine doesn't make your muscles bigger by storing water in them, yes water is stored but this isnt associated with increased muscle mass, the water is stored in different layers and most people would call it bloating as it doesn't give you much definition. Besides the need for extra hydration is so limited. If you drink when your thirsty your 99% sure to be enough hydrated.

Besides the use of creatine isn't really for the increased weight. Creatine gives increased muscle burst strength, less muscle soreness/faster recovery, helps sustain muscle mass during a cut and of course has a positive effect on the muscle mass gained through weight liftning. If your taking creatine to look buff, then your doing it wrong.

It's just a standard monohydrate. I'm not sure what is going on because this has never happened in the past.[COLOR="red"]

I never took Creatine to make my muscles bigger, I've always taken it to help with the recovery periods. For some reason when I am on Creatine I get less sore, don't stay sore as long, and feel as if my body recovers so much faster which allows me to work out longer and more often. I don't stay on it 24/7, and haven't had any of the problems you describe. I have heard a lot of body builders complain about the same problem, but I've never been into body building, and have always been more into performance training than weight lifting, and trying to put on mass etc.

Thats some of the positive effects of creatine.

But the actually answer the question of OP. Creatine shouldn't dehydrate you in any significant way as you describe unless you something like 5 grams with only 20 grams of water. Creatine does act a bit like a salt, so be sure to have plenty of water when drinking creatine. However, i've never heard what you described when drinking insufficient water, only that people get an unsettling stomach.