This is "off topic", but:
I have taken 10g of creatine twice and I experienced major brain fog from this. I got really disoriented and lost my working memory, short term memory, motoric skills, experienced fatigue, etc.
Not really sure if I ever noticed anything from 5g.
Any ideas why this happened? Yes, I drank lots of water.
The same reason creatine can have anti-depressant effects, I'm surprised nobody has gone over this yet.
Creatine is a methylated amino acid - thus it increases rates of methylation in the body / CNS.
However it can also take up methylation reserves in very high doses - thus suggesting dose specific methylation modulation.
Methylation leads to break down of histamine, and enhancement of norepinephrine,serotonin and dopamine levels.
So in summary, no it's not just in your head that Creatine has a stimulant effect, it's just not a traditional stimulant by any means; rather an indirect one.
http://www.lef.org/m...creatine_01.htm
http://www.longecity...nd-methylation/
http://www.bodybuild.../drobson181.htm
As explained previously in this article, creatine's erogenic actions work to assist energy production and power output, resulting in muscle size and strength, and improved performance. Additionally, it has been found creatine provides a powerful anabolic boost through its enhancing of systemic methylation (the regulation of gene expression, protein synthesis and RNA metabolism through enzymatic catalyzation) status 14.
Indeed, methylation is a process that is essential for the supporting of life itself. A molecule known as SAM (S-Adenosyl Methionine) is the body's principal methyl donor, and a breakdown in its production can adversely affect whole-body anabolism.
Creatine drains the body's SAM reserves like nothing else, which, in turn, deleteriously impacts methylation status (during its synthesisation by the liver and kidneys, creatine draws heavily from the SAM reserves). Supplementing creatine will enhance methylation status, as it will lessen the drain on the liver and kidneys, and alleviate the body's need to synthesize creatine from amino acids.
Also, creatine increases DHT in men - and this may allow for more 3a/5a steroid activity, which can lead to an anti-depressant response and higher CNS activity in general. I've always liked Creatine, it's one of my core supplements but I always get it alone - can't stand the concept of "Proprietary Blends" for the most part.
Clin J Sport Med.
2009 Sep;19(5):399-404. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f.
Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
This study investigated resting concentrations of selected androgens after 3 weeks of creatine supplementation in male rugby players. It was hypothesized that the ratio of dihydrotestosterone (DHT, a biologically more active androgen) to testosterone (T) would change with creatine supplementation.
DESIGN:
Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study with a 6-week washout period.
SETTING:
Rugby Institute in South Africa.
PARTICIPANTS:
College-aged rugby players (n = 20) volunteered for the study, which took place during the competitive season.
INTERVENTIONS:
Subjects loaded with creatine (25 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose) or placebo (50 g/day glucose) for 7 days followed by 14 days of maintenance (5 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose or 30 g/day glucose placebo).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Serum T and DHT were measured and ratio calculated at baseline and after 7 days and 21 days of creatine supplementation (or placebo). Body composition measurements were taken at each time point.
RESULTS:
After 7 days of creatine loading, or a further 14 days of creatine maintenance dose, serum T levels did not change. However, Levels of DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance (P < 0.001). The ratio of DHT:T also increased by 36% after 7 days creatine supplementation and remained elevated by 22% after the maintenance dose (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS:
Creatine supplementation may, in part, act through an increased rate of conversion of T to DHT. Further investigation is warranted as a result of the high frequency of individuals using creatine supplementation and the long-term safety of alterations in circulating androgen composition. STATEMENT OF CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although creatine is a widely used ergogenic aid, the mechanisms of action are incompletely understood, particularly in relation to dihydrotestosterone, and therefore the long-term clinical safety cannot be guaranteed.
METHODS OF INCREASING DHT NATURALLY
Edited by Area-1255, 01 September 2014 - 05:44 AM.