Muscle Milk - Are the claims true?

Yep, I did say that in response to another post. But this is just my personal belief (Hopefully I’m still allowed to have personal opinions and beliefs), not my “official position.” I believe athletes take creatine as a supplement for the sole purpose of enhancing performance. The fact that creatine is not banned, makes it a legal supplement. I’ll readily admit I don’t know why WADA bans some supplements while allowing others, but I’m sure they have a much better understanding of this than I do. So I trust they know what they are doing. I believe I would be cheating myself if I took performance enhancing supplements. But then again, I’m not trying to make the US Olympic team or medal in Beijing, I’m just trying to hang on long enough that I can beat Paul Smith in the 100-104 500 Free. I feel the oposite. I have never taken supplements but I feel like I am cheating my self by not taking them, leagal supplements that is. I don't think that I will take creatine because it seems kind of like an unknown substance that we don't fully know about and could be a health risk. But I don't have a problem with people who do take it becasue when it comes down to it, hard work is the best way to enhance your performance. Muscle milk on the other hand seems safe and can legally enhance one's performcace so I don't see any reason not to take it other than the price...

To quote Rob Copeland: "I personally believe that creatine should be banned and that anyone who has used it has cheated."Yep, I did say that in response to another post. But this is just my personal belief (Hopefully I’m still allowed to have personal opinions and beliefs), not my “official position.” I believe athletes take creatine as a supplement for the sole purpose of enhancing performance. The fact that creatine is not banned, makes it a legal supplement. I’ll readily admit I don’t know why WADA bans some supplements while allowing others, but I’m sure they have a much better understanding of this than I do. So I trust they know what they are doing. I believe I would be cheating myself if I took performance enhancing supplements. But then again, I’m not trying to make the US Olympic team or medal in Beijing, I’m just trying to hang on long enough that I can beat Paul Smith in the 100-104 500 Free.

But this is just my personal belief (Hopefully I’m still allowed to have personal opinions and beliefs), not my “official position.” Yes, please don't stop. That would be boring and so not the point of this forum. I don't know. If it's legal, it can't be cheating. Maybe Warren's right that not taking legal supplements is cheating yourself. I'd love to know how many masters are taking creatine. Given the compulsiveness of many swimmers, I'd say there are quite a few ... Me, I won't take it. The side effects alone send me running. Um, water retention and weight gain and whatever -- no thanks! My liver has enough to do processing all of my allergy RX meds and occasional sleep meds. I don't need more crap in my system. And I like to breathe.

In 2000, my wife said there was only herself and maybe two other athletes on the entire team that were not using creatine. Is she taking creatine now? ...and I understand if you'd rather not comment. She had some nice swims at the Pro-Am meet. Congratulate her for us!

I feel the oposite. I have never taken supplements but I feel like I am cheating my self by not taking them, leagal supplements that is. I don't think that I will take creatine because it seems kind of like an unknown substance that we don't fully know about and could be a health risk. But I don't have a problem with people who do take it becasue when it comes down to it, hard work is the best way to enhance your performance. Muscle milk on the other hand seems safe and can legally enhance one's performcace so I don't see any reason not to take it other than the price... I believe creatine was first pinpointed in the early 1830's and has been taken for supplemental value since the mid 1920's. It's certainly not unknown, and is perhaps the most studied sports supplement behind a multi-vitamin, but like anything, make sure you do your own personal research before giving something the go-ahead.

Yep, I did say that in response to another post. But this is just my personal belief (Hopefully I’m still allowed to have personal opinions and beliefs), not my “official position.” I believe athletes take creatine as a supplement for the sole purpose of enhancing performance. The fact that creatine is not banned, makes it a legal supplement. I’ll readily admit I don’t know why WADA bans some supplements while allowing others, but I’m sure they have a much better understanding of this than I do. So I trust they know what they are doing. I believe I would be cheating myself if I took performance enhancing supplements. But then again, I’m not trying to make the US Olympic team or medal in Beijing, I’m just trying to hang on long enough that I can beat Paul Smith in the 100-104 500 Free. Rob do you think fastskins are cheating? It's not a natural product. Of course your opinon is valid. I don't see a big difference in a non harmful supplement (if this is the TRUTH) and a fake sharkskin bodysuit. Admittedly the top guys and girls all have everything so the advantage is negated. The only thing affected is faster records etc. That said records fall over time as training methods and science change. At least that's how I see it.

I am very worried about the attitude so many of us in this country have towrards supplements. Amen to that. This discussion will probably not change anyone's mind about creatine. There are two very different approaches to the whole risk-benefit of creatine: #1: There is little or no risk (unless you have kidney or GI problems), so why not? #2: There is little or no benefit to me, so why risk it? I fall squarely in camp #2 because creatine, even if worked as advertised, will do nothing to enhance my enjoyment of training and competing in USMS. My problematic knees do not need the weight gain, either. Since I am uninterested in creatine I am not going to spend much time scanning through the scientific literature. But a quick search (thru SciFinder Scholar) on the chronic effects of creatine supplements yielded only 69 hits, out of thousands for creatine supplementation itself. I found the following interesting and offer it to you (italics are mine): ********snip************ Creatine supplementation in health and disease: What is the evidence for long-term efficacy? Derave, Wim; Eijnde, Bert O.; Hespel, Peter. Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Department of Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Catholic University of Leuven, Louvain, Belg. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (2003), 244(1&2), 49-55. Abstract A review. Creatine supplementation is an established ergogenic aid in sports and is now claimed to have therapeutical applications in a variety of diseases. The available literature mainly covers the short-term (one to several weeks) effects of creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle function in health and disease, which is of little help to evaluate the long-term (two or more months) potential of creatine as a drug in chronic disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases or muscular dystrophies. Recent findings in healthy humans indicate that the beneficial effect on muscle function and muscle total creatine content may disappear when creatine is continuously ingested for more than two or three months. The mechanism for this habituation to chronic creatine exposure is poorly understood. The primary purpose of the present review article is to critically evaluate the available evidence for long-term efficacy of creatine administration and to hypothesize about ways to optimize creatine administration regimens. ********snip************ "The mechanism of habituation to chronic exposure is poorly understood." Again, I did not do an exhaustive search. But if chronic effects were poorly understood in 2003 I very much doubt they are completely understood at this time. If you want to perform experiments on yourself, please go right ahead, just don't kid yourself. My own suggestion is that if you need creatine supplements for legitimate health reasons (and there are some) then the risk-benefit changes substantially. But to drop time in a master meet? And possibly not even that, if the effects wear off? Okay, enough time on :soapbox: (sorry, the smileys are cute, aren't they?)

I have heard some great things about Bio-Builde. Supposedly, its packed with partial protein chains so it breaks down the food you've eaten faster and more completely. Anyone have an opinion on it?

There is some serious unwarranted paranoia here about creatine. There are two basic facts about creatine supplementation: While what you say may be very true in a generaly way, creatine can cause serious digestive disorders. If you have digestive problems, you shouldn't take it. I spoke wiht a friend who works for the Food 7 Drug. she is a Registered Diatition(sp) and she says that creatine generally and maybe legally, she didn't know for sure, is to have a warning about gas, diarrhea and other problems. I looked at all of th ebrands at GNC. they were all labelled with some type of warning. I am very worried about the attitude so many of us in this country have towrards supplements. We assume that since they haven't hurt us, thye won't in the future and then they won't others. Most supplements are never scientifically proven to do what they say they do. Even thosee that have been "studied." I haven't gone throught he two sites you list. But I have looked at other creatine sites. they are mostly anecdotal and meaIingless. i have heard that US swimmers have the most expensive pee in the world.

Is she taking creatine now? ...and I understand if you'd rather not comment. She had some nice swims at the Pro-Am meet. Congratulate her for us! I don't mind saying. She doesn't take it. She only takes supplements from a company called Bio-Genesis, because we have it in writing that they absolutely guarantee purity. They don't make creatine, though, so it isn't in her regime. She's a--rightfully so--paranoid athlete. And on the Pro-Am kind words, she says, "Thanks so much!"