Ok, I've read up on both creatine and glutamine...I think I have a good handle on glutamine, but creatine is still a little bit of a mystery for me, it seems like it really varies on the person and there really aren't concrete proofs out there that says it will help..but i'm willing to try both to see if they'll increase my recovery time. I currently alternate lifting days between upper and lower body..usually my legs recover quite quickly, but often my chest and abs will still be sore and I have to reduce my workout to accomodate. What are your experiences w/ creatine and glutamine? Do they really help recovery time? Which brands do you suggest, or do you? If someone could explain exactly what they do, and if they're worth buying, please let me know. THANKS ALL

I can’t comment on the recovery time, yet.

I just started taking for the first time ever Creatine last week, which was my off week for lifting. I’ve continued to take it and have resumed lifting this week. I’m one of those people who always get sore, no matter what. I get especially sore after chest/tricep days (my workout this morning) and leg days (tomorrows workout). I’ll comment again in a couple of days and let you know if I’ve experienced any reduction in DOMS.

Creatine is my area of specialty. Here is a very comprehensive article:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness2.htm

The bottom line is that there is no way of knowing if these will help without trying them. People respond differently, some people don't respond at all to creatine. It is ironic you mention glutamine as being something you understand, as glutamine is actually less understood than creatine. After creatine had its run in the market, supplement manufacturers needed to create the "next new hype" so they came out with anything from methoxy to glutamine. The fact is, there is very little research to suggest that oral glutamine has the positive impact everyone is trying to sell to you. The majority of studies have been performed on glutamine being administered intravenously, and a lot of the studies that are quoted to help people gain lean mass or improve their immune system were conducted on burn victims or people in a severe state of stress, which is hardly applicable to a typical weight training session, no matter how intense.

Creatine, on the other hand, has been studied, has been studied extensively in the creatine monohydrate form, has been studied orally, and has been studied on both sedentary and active individuals, so there is a fairly good spectrum of knowledge out there.

I think both supplements have their place. When my calories are going low, I love glutamine - it works for me, regardless of whether or not the science supports it. I feel I recover more quickly and have more strength when I cut calories and take glutamine. On the other hand, I notice no difference when I am maintaining or gaining so I don't waste my money during those times. Creatine for me has only been useful as a plateau buster ... when I am hitting the wall with gains then I do a short 4-week cycle with incredibly high doses (as outlined in the article above) and break through my plateaus. To be perfectly honest, it could be an entirely psychological phenomenon for all I know!

Jeremy

Jeremy --

When I said I thought I "had a good handle" on Glutamine, I just meant moreso than creatine...