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2002/08/03, 12:22 PM
I've done all the searches I can do on this and other sites but can't seem to find an answer. I recently read an article in Men's Fitness mag about how creatine works. The article states that INSULIN is key to forcing creatine into muscle, and DEXTROSE is the chemical you use to make your body produce insulin. CELL-TECH creatine has 75 grams of dextrose while GNC brand creatine has none. My dilemma is that I can get a great deal on GNC creatine and don't want to switch to more expensive CELL-TECH unless this claim about dextrose/insulin is TRULY as important as the article made it seem. The truth is, this was not just an article, but an elaborate ad by CELL-TECH. Does anybody out there have any comparative experience with both of these brands? One more thing...the article(ad) also claims that ALPHA LIPOIC ACID (which is also in CELL-TECH) significantly improves creatine retention in muscles.
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2002/08/03, 02:28 PM
creatine uptake is the most effective if administered in the presence of an insulin spike. and the best thing for prompting an insulin spike is simple sugar. i have seen the research supporting what you said about the dextrose, and it seems correct. however, other studies have shown that a lesser carb amount (some as low as HALF of the above mentioned research) can initiate a similiar response. but the most beneficial research data, i believe, has been the several recent studies stating that taking 5g of creatine with 50g of protein and 47g of carbs produced the same results as taking 5g of creatine along with 96g of carbs.
as far as alpha lipoic acid goes: research shows that not only is it a fantastic anti-oxidant, but that it also enhances glucose uptake in non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and it inhibits glycosylation, which is the abnormal attachment of sugar to protein. this is where it MAY be beneficial in regards to creatine supplementation and even normal dieting. in other words, it may indeed be very helpful, but maybe not a necessity for you.
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Michael
"Trample the weak; hurdle the dead!"
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2002/08/05, 09:57 AM
Rev8ball is right in this. A 1:1 ratio of carbs to protein will get you the same insulin pump effect as 100g of dextrose alone. There is some promising research on ALA, but for my money, I'd just mix 50g of whey protein with 50g dextrose (which you can buy in a health food store), and 5g creatine.
Good luck.
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2002/08/12, 03:31 PM
If you looking for a cheaper type of creatine thats good and compared to Cell Tech look up schwartzlabs.com they have one calling it better I have tried it and works. Hyper cell 2. check it out about $30.00 cheaper on Yahoo.
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2002/08/12, 05:42 PM
I just found a 500 gram bottle of Pure Pharmaceutical Grade Creatine Monohydrate at vitanet.com for $10.95 They say it's pure and not from animal sources. Is there anything about this creatine I should watch out for? What else do I need to know about it before I buy?
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2002/08/13, 12:46 PM
If on the lable under "ingredients" it only lists creatine, doesn't that mean it's pure?...even if it doesn't have the "creapure" lable?
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