I generally have slightly dodgy guts and it doesn't take much to upset them, but one thing I've been wondering of late is whether creatine could be a factor... I take it (monohydrate) most days, but not in huge amounts; a teaspoon's worth, which I've just weighed out as somewhere around 3-5g. A quick Google gave plenty of hits but most seem to centre around increased/elevated usage.

Have any of you lot had any experience/got anything to say on the matter? The creatine and the shits could be totally unrelated, and I will of course try swapping it in and out over the coming weeks to be a bit more scientific about it, but thought I'd have an ask about. Everyone looks a bit of poo talk.

Cant say i have mate, i get firmer poop when im eating less carbs but aside from that its consistant wether on or off creatine.

Instead of blaming creatine have you looked at your diet? Do you look after your digestive system?

Been using Creatine heavily for over a decade, not a single bad word to say about it... one of the best supplements out there imho

Bison wrote:Instead of blaming creatine have you looked at your diet? Do you look after your digestive system?

Not blaming it quite yet mate

My diet is pretty tight, I'm wheat and dairy-intolerant so it has to be. I also take supplemental HCL religiously as I produce too little stomach acid, which has led to chronic problems with (amongst other things) giardia; hence my propensity to sketchy digestion.

As I said, just exploring this avenue (that's not a gruesome metaphor btw), it may well be irrelevant but always good to check these things out.

come off for a week and see what happens.

A friend of mine at Uni used to get the shits from creatine use. But during the loading phase which is what the googles hits say about increased doses.

Do you get any effect from creatine? Cos if not then don't bother. Some people are non-responders. And for many it's a law of diminishing returns the longer you use it.

i once took 10g of mono and i got the shits. If i split it pre and post im fine. ALSO are you having it will food in your system or on empty stomach?

Good questions;

-I must say I haven't noticed an obvious boost in strength from creatine, but I find that sort of thing hard to isolate anyway, I've just taken it because it's cheap as chips and seems to help a lot of people out. You could well be right, it might not be doing me a blind bit of good.

-As for timings, I usually have it about an hour after training, dissolved in green tea and accompanied by a solid meal. This seems sensible enough to me but I'd be happy to play about with it, is there a better time that you'd suggest?

I take it with breakfast on non training days. On training days I take 5g pre workout and another 5g PWO.

I used to get the shits on loading mono.

I don't even bother using creatine any more as I don't ever feel any benefit.

Spit wrote:

Bison wrote:Instead of blaming creatine have you looked at your diet? Do you look after your digestive system?

Not blaming it quite yet mate

My diet is pretty tight, I'm wheat and dairy-intolerant so it has to be. I also take supplemental HCL religiously as I produce too little stomach acid, which has led to chronic problems with (amongst other things) giardia; hence my propensity to sketchy digestion.

As I said, just exploring this avenue (that's not a gruesome metaphor btw), it may well be irrelevant but always good to check these things out.

Giardia... sure you've got that? Is a parasitic infection... the only way you'll clear that is with metronidazole for a week or so. I managed to contract that bastard in Egypt and the shits you get are horrific.

Supplemental Glutamine makes a world of difference in relieving general IBS from a variety of causes as it helps rejuvinate intestinal flora. I know glutamine is common in foods but cooking beats the hell out of it. Try 5g on its own with a little water three times a day for a month (or less if the symptoms back off before then) and then drop down to two doses for a few weeks then eventually going down to just one.

Most people contract Giardia as an acute infection, as it sounds like you did- for me it's been a chronic thing, the buggers are tucked away in a corner of my gut somewhere and it's been a very long-term struggle to make progress ever since 2001.

I am much, much better than I was, and funnily enough discovered coconut oil to be a big help just before it started to get recongition in the health/fitness world; the lauric and caprylic acid it contains are anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so it can cure a wide range of ills.

You're quite right to mention glutamine though, although AFAIK it doesn't directly affect one's gut flora population- what it is good for however is repairing the bowel wall which is crucial in any IBS/leaky gut scenario. Incidentally I firmly believe that IBS is a bullshit diagnosis given by allopathic doctors when they can't provide a more useful explanation, but that's another story...

Spit wrote:Most people contract Giardia as an acute infection, as it sounds like you did- for me it's been a chronic thing, the buggers are tucked away in a corner of my gut somewhere and it's been a very long-term struggle to make progress ever since 2001.

I am much, much better than I was, and funnily enough discovered coconut oil to be a big help just before it started to get recongition in the health/fitness world; the lauric and caprylic acid it contains are anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so it can cure a wide range of ills.

You're quite right to mention glutamine though, although AFAIK it doesn't directly affect one's gut flora population- what it is good for however is repairing the bowel wall which is crucial in any IBS/leaky gut scenario. Incidentally I firmly believe that IBS is a bullshit diagnosis given by allopathic doctors when they can't provide a more useful explanation, but that's another story...

Sheesh, you have my symapthy... wouldn't wish chronic giardia on anyone... except a very small number of people in this world who i really really don't like and who just deserve it!

Yes, IBS is a blanket term used to cover a whole variety of conditions that have similar symptoms overall. Have read conflicting things about what glutamine actually does exactly and how it provides relief but it certainly does and that's the important thing. Again, am speaking from experience... post giardia i had IBS consistently for two years but six weeks of high dosing glutamine knocked it out and almost a year later still no sign of it coming back. Definitely good stuff.