Creatine - anyone using it to enhance their meet performance?

Creatine is not a recovery supplement. It alone does not make you stronger. Taken just prior to a workout, it allows the muscles to work harder by letting fluids in. It let's you make your workouts more intense. Throw some caffine in there too. The stuff works. My strength went up 20%. There is no denying the benefit in the weight room and during explosive sprints, but it can lead to cramping. I think it is a waste for endurance athletes. also, Don't forget your protein and BCAAs.

If I'm eating right and taking supplements and vitamins that help me recover from hard training to come back the next workout at and train at a higher level .... Exactly what vitamins are supposed to help with recovery? I thought all those claims were unproven or not adequately substantiated? My kids drink chocolate milk or endurox after engine building type workouts. That stuff has a lot of calories in it though ... I never knew that about apples. I guess I'll have to eat more of them.

Speaking of this milk thing, and a potential counterpoint, I listened to a radio show recently (the People's Pharmacy on NPR) and they had a guest who said there is very little proven effectiveness of drinking milk in adults. He said humans are the only animals that drink milk beyond the age in which it is intended to benefit the body, that being birth to adolescence. I found this interesting and am neither endorsing nor denying, just passing along. Thanks for the info on the creatine cramping issue. That's the last thing I want in the pool.

I just talked this morning with the lead power/strength physiologist for the USOTC at Lake Placid. Germane to this conversation were his thoughts on post workout nutrition protocols. He said the latest research recommends 8 grams of simple sugars per kilo of body weight plus 2 grams of simple protein (e.g. whey powder) per kilo of body weight shortly after a workout. Also highly recommended post extreme workouts (especially weights) was a cold bath (water temp. around 50 degrees) for 20 minutes within two hours of the workout. I may try to follow some of the nutrition advice (though I doubt it), but that cold bath stuff is totally out of the question. At a recent workout with Tall Paul I bailed because the water temp was 75. I'll definitely ask him about caffine and creatine the next time we speak. Rich

Rich......if you had more than 3% body fat you wouldn't be bailing early! And for the sake of the rest of our ego's....please don't do anything else to get faster!!

There are potential health implications with performance enhancing substances/drugs/supplements. AFAIK, there are no health issues with Fastskin suits...well maybe financial health. I don't know if this is the reasoning or not, but it's the only way I have been able to make sense of it. Agreed, but the discussion was about performance enhancement not the affects. Taken as an abstract. As stated caffeine boosts your system...so does an apple...

I understand. I just don't feel it would be fair to consider only the benefits of a performance enhancing substance without taking a look at the potential side effects. As for the apple and caffeine issue, I think caffeine is bound to give somebody a more noticeable feeling of energy than any number of apples ever will.

I understand. I just don't feel it would be fair to consider only the benefits of a performance enhancing substance without taking a look at the potential side effects. As for the apple and caffeine issue, I think caffeine is bound to give somebody a more noticeable feeling of energy than any number of apples ever will. I only mentioned the apples because dieticians have said you'll get more "wake up" from an apple than a cup of joe. Now whether the caffeine is having some other effect on "swimming" I don't know.

Now that is something I did not know about an apple. What is in the apple that gives it that effect?

Now that is something I did not know about an apple. What is in the apple that gives it that effect? You'll have to ask a dietician :) I'll look it up later if you want, or if you search look under the angle of eliminating caffeine...or caffeine addiction.. Added for Matt and others: twentyonedayhabit.blogspot.com/.../apple-day.html Not THE ANSWER but a quickly found starting point. That said...you'll find me with at least 2 coffee's in the morning. I am very gastro-sensitive to apples.