Creatine

[Yowai]

Do you take creatine?

[Fantasia]

Do you take creatine?

What the heck is Creatine?

[wonabe kenshi]

What the heck is Creatine?Its a body building supplemet that increases your muscle strength, allowing you to lift more weight so you can gain more muscle. (somthing to that effect I think)

I don't take creatine, but when I do work out I take L-Glutamine which is naturally produced in your body. It helps to have more of it in you because when you work out hard your body may not be able to produce enough of it. So your body will steal it from your muscles, and then you will not become any stronger or gain any muscle. But if your taking creatine just to strengthen your self in kendo and not working out in the gym, I suggest you use L-Glutamine instead because it helps your muscles recover from all the waza and suburi reps also you will notice an increase the size of your delts.

(sorry I work at a gym lol :D)

[supernils]

But I'ts all legal I hope?

[Nishi]

Its leagal. But i dont think its really relevant to our specific needs in kendo. I think water is what kendoka are lacking these days, and a balanced diet will take care of the rest, possibly a multi-vitamin... and above all training correctly.

I think the creatine thing is best left to the activities that require strength...

[alexpollijr]

Even for heavy, hypertrophy-specific weight training it's usefulness is not 100% proved. Many physicians and weight lifters say that it goes straight through the liver to the urin, even leaving some damage in it's wake.

A good night of sleep and a well-coordinated diet should do the trick. Getting rid of body fat will also help I believe.

- Alexandre


Its leagal. But i dont think its really relevant to our specific needs in kendo. I think water is what kendoka are lacking these days, and a balanced diet will take care of the rest, possibly a multi-vitamin... and above all training correctly.

I think the creatine thing is best left to the activities that require strength...

[wonabe kenshi]

Its leagal. But i dont think its really relevant to our specific needs in kendo. I think water is what kendoka are lacking these days, and a balanced diet will take care of the rest, possibly a multi-vitamin... and above all training correctly.

I think the creatine thing is best left to the activities that require strength...
Yeah I agree that its not really relevant in kendo. As long as your hydrated properly and have propper nutrition every thing will be ok. Besides I really dont see the point in using creatine for anything other than body building.

But the reason I suggested L-Glutamine was that if some one really insists on taking Creatine for Kendo, they should consider taking L-Glutamine instead as it can most likely give you the desired result and its naturally produced in the body.

[amatsuda]

Creatine is a naturally existing energy source (ATP) for muscles that already exists within the body and is derived from amino acids (i.e. protein). We can get creatine naturally through protein sources such as meat, poultry and fish.

Synthetic Creatine (e.g. creatine monohydrate) is now sold as a nutritional supplement that claims that users will experience muscle growth and strength.

For Kendo, I do not think creatine will be beneficial...First, the muscles that are most benefited are the fast twitch muscles used for explosive strength movements such as those used for bodybuilding or weightlifting...

From my experience, it appears that creatine doesn't really help performance of slow muscle fibers used for endurance activities such as Kendo. Also, it tended to cause muscle cramps in my calves...At first, I thought that it might just be the hard practices or my reaction to the supplement, but I was surprised to find in the book, "The Warrior Elite" that BUD/S trainees are specifically told during indoctrination to NOT take Creatine because it causes cramps.

I think that for Kendo, creatine is not too beneficial....I think that it is best to have a well balanced diet, take a good multi-vitamin, maybe some other supplements such as amino acids, minerals, etc. and plenty of fluids. Also, rest is vitally important..this is where the body restores lost or damaged muscle tissues from practice.

amatsuda
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo

[Raiza]

For those who want to build some muscle for kendo, the best route is to have a high-quality protein serving after (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/72/2/551S) practise. Glutamine is but one of the amino acids required for muscle growth. You also run the risk of having higher than beneficial levels of glutamine in the body, which is not good for you no matter its origin.

Dietary protein is better. IMHO, there's no need for supplementation for kendo. Long-term adverse effects of supplemental creatine or glutamine have not been worked out, so I don't see why people should take an unnecessary risk when dietary protein as part of a healthy eating regime will be safer and more effective.

[AlexM]

Just a reminder:

Creatine is legal but is listed as a banned substance by both the IOC (Inter. Olympic Commitee) and the NFL.

If you're damaging your kidneys and/or liver for kendo then it's time to find a new hobby.

Besides, it probably won't help your kendo all that much. You'll still be making the same mistakes, just with bigger muscles. :D

[ben]

From my experience, it appears that creatine doesn't really help performance of slow muscle fibers used for endurance activities such as Kendo.
amatsuda
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo

Thanks for the info Amatsuda. However I would disagree with you on the above. I think kendo is not an endurance activity but an explosive one.The basic action of achieving ippon is to move from rest to maximum speed in the shortest time possible. I would call that explosive, requiring co-ordinated use of fast-twitch muscle fibres. A long encho is of course a test of endurance, but it is one that still requires explosive movement in a dynamic setting with varying time intervals between actions. It is not the same as an endurance sport such as running, or even a dynamic sport like soccer that requires constant running and explosive dynamic action together. If weight-training for kendo, I think you would limit your performance by training primarily for endurance.

What are others' thoughts?

Everything else I agree with. Enough sleep and good diet: sounds simple but how many people actually achieve it.

b

[nodachi]

Just a warning I have heard from people who use creatine, it helps build muscle mass and all, but if you slack off the exercise then all that muscle made from the creatine stuff will turn to mush real quick (more so than normal muscles that don't exercise). Of course you shouldn't be slacking off anyway, but I've heard this from quite a few people who have used or know someone who has used creatine. FYI

[mochi_pig]

Thanks for the info Amatsuda. However I would disagree with you on the above. I think kendo is not an endurance activity but an explosive one.The basic action of achieving ippon is to move from rest to maximum speed in the shortest time possible. I would call that explosive, requiring co-ordinated use of fast-twitch muscle fibres. A long encho is of course a test of endurance, but it is one that still requires explosive movement in a dynamic setting with varying time intervals between actions. It is not the same as an endurance sport such as running, or even a dynamic sport like soccer that requires constant running and explosive dynamic action together. If weight-training for kendo, I think you would limit your performance by training primarily for endurance.

What are others' thoughts?...

Studying kendo means going to kendo practice. Practice is very endurance-oriented. Throughout practice, everyone is doing a lot of "short explosive activities" with breaks in between. Plus, the sensei ramps up the intensity in the last couple drills so by the end of practice, I am completely tired and slow.

[amatsuda]

Thanks for the info Amatsuda. However I would disagree with you on the above. I think kendo is not an endurance activity but an explosive one.The basic action of achieving ippon is to move from rest to maximum speed in the shortest time possible. I would call that explosive, requiring co-ordinated use of fast-twitch muscle fibres. A long encho is of course a test of endurance, but it is one that still requires explosive movement in a dynamic setting with varying time intervals between actions. It is not the same as an endurance sport such as running, or even a dynamic sport like soccer that requires constant running and explosive dynamic action together. If weight-training for kendo, I think you would limit your performance by training primarily for endurance.
b

Hi Ben,

Trying to decipher your statement above....I'm not sure if you're saying that creatine is beneficial for the muscles used in Kendo because fast twitch muscles are used, or discussing whether Kendo is an activity focused around the fast twitch muscles...

To clarify, I didn't mean to imply that Kendo uses only slow-twitch muscles...the point I was trying to make was in the context of the benefits to the muscles when using Creatine...

My point was that it is beneficial for sports/activities where an increase in muscle strength and mass is important...such as weightlifting or bodybuilding...
In fact, while I was taking creatine I increased my arm circumference .5" to 16" or 16.25" (on a good day) and easily repping 210lbs on the benchpress...something which I have never been able to do...

The point was that creatine is great for increasing strength or mass while performing explosive exercises such as the benchpress, deadlift and squats....but not so effective for the other muscles used in Kendo, such as the legs, back or abs.

I don't think anyone would notice a significant increase in the strength/size or performance of their leg muscles while practicing Kendo and taking creatine.

Actually, my viewpoint is that Kendo is an extremely dynamic activity requiring the effective coordination of both slow and fast twitch muscles....The muscles types are not mutually exclusive....You have to use your body as a whole...Add Ken (proper use, technique) and Ki (spirit) and having to bring all these elements together at one moment in time (Ki-Ken-Tai Icchi) makes Kendo one of the most difficult activities to do correctly....

This is probably one of the most challenging as well as rewarding aspects of Kendo...

One a sidenote - I think that all muscle groups in the body should be trained...not just for Kendo, but overall balance and health of the body...Each muscle group complements or supports another muscle group....This is why you hear many doctors and trainers telling people with back problems to train their abs....

Also, muscles should be trained for both strength and endurance...personally, I cycle in strength and mass building workouts during months where there are no tournaments and switch back to circuit training and aerobic activities as a tournament approaches.

amatsuda
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo

[Yowai]

There is so much misinformation floating here, I woudn't be suprised if some of you believed aspartame causes brain tumours.

-Creatine has been proven to increase the maximum force generated by the muscles during fast contraction speeds by 5-10%.
-Creatine hasn't been proven to increase sprinting speeds. The strength increase is probally offset by the water retention effect.
-Creatine has been found to decrease concussion damage to brain cells in mice. No news on humans.
-A recent and comprehensive research has found that creatine increases intelligence and memory test scores.
-No definitive research on long term effects

Does creatine increase kendo performance? NO!
5-10% strength increase is barely noticable in the gym. Changes in sprinting times which may vary by only hundreths of a second cannot be observed. Creatine has absolutely no effect on Kendo performance. The NFL recommends their players to take creatine because of possible decreased injury from concussions.

I just enjoy taking it.

[goshawk]

nop for me....just not taking anything i donno well...:D

[Marine_Boy]

My brother was a weightlifter and he took creatine. He said that the stuff also helps with increasing stamina. I was going to experience the effects myself until he suggested that if I took it, I'd need to constantly drink water and no alcohol!!!

So I decided not to take the stuff. :smoker:

[Kendoka]

.. what is creatine?
Check this out http://www.asda.org.au/media/fact_sheets/creatine.htm.

Richard

[Angry Kid]

I have used supplements such as creatine,glutamine etc for years now for weight training and other sports and I feel that creatine is quite an effective supplement for anything that requires explosive strength and considering that explosive strength is one of the main ingredients of speed I think it could be beneficial to Kendoka. However supplements are just that....supplements, they are completely useless unless combined with correct training,diet,hydration and rest.So yes creatine will work but won't if everything else aint in place.

[A P]

I don't need to take the carsine or whatever..

I have enough confidence in my own determination, and practice to be

come an even better kendoist then those guys who use it.

[ALI G]

I don't need to take the carsine or whatever..

I have enough confidence in my own determination, and practice to be

come an even better kendoist then those guys who use it.

Maybez ya shud becuz ya can only lift 80 poundz