Creatine - Yes or No?

   After my half-marathon last Spring, I wanted to re-calibrate my training for a couple of months, and get some muscle back. Besides mentally dedicating myself to getting stronger, I bought a bottle of Twinlab Creatine Fuel tablets.
    The serving size was three tablets, which equal 2100 MG of creatine (an amino acid compound that is also produced in our body). It was suggested to take two servings of it a day, although I only took one, and there were days I forgot to take any.
    I have to say, it worked. My bench press max went up 10 lbs (195 at the top of a "pyramid"), and my normal sets of six at 165 lbs. on the bench press increased to eight! I stayed on it from mid-May to mid-July, and haven't used it since. On most days, my max has gone down 5-10 lbs., and I'm back down to sets of six at 165. On top of that, and this may be psychological, I felt I had much more energy in my workouts when I was taking the creatine.
    Based on that, and prior positive results in past years when I took creatine powder, I will probably take it again in the late-fall for a couple of months, before running season kicks into gear.
    Creatine supplements have not been around long enough to know the effect it has on the body's organ system. That is why it's use is not recommended for minors or people with kidney disease.
     Articles I have read point to it's benefit in high-intensity, short duration exercises like bench pressing or sprinting. I doesn't seem to have any benefit for long-distance running or other more cardiovascular activities.
    It can lead to weight gain also. I put on about two pounds during the time I was taking it, but felt that it was well-placed in my arms, shoulders, and chest. I did lose that weight after I stopped, but that could be because I increased my running mileage at that time, as well.
   If you want to get more creatine naturally, it is suggested to eat a diet high in meat and fish.
   I feel, for health reasons, one should not stay on creatine for longer that a two-month stretch at a time, with an equal time off before resuming. I also feel prolonged usage will lessen that positive effects it seems to have on your strength, as your body would adjust and adapt.
    For adult, experienced lifters, shot-putters, or sprinters, I think it can serve a positive effect. For others, there are probably other supplements I would try first before going for creatine. It's sold over the counter, so the decision is yours.