Can I drink creatine for aerobic exercise?

There is really no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The vast majority of ordinary athletes can drink it, and some specific groups of people can get additional benefits. Only a few people who have extreme requirements for weight and pace, or who have basic kidney disease need to avoid it.

When I first got into long-distance running, I was advised that drinking creatine for aerobic exercise is a waste of money - after all, creatine is mainly used as a raw material for the phosphate energy supply system, which is responsible for the explosive power of a few seconds to more than ten seconds during lifting and sprinting, while aerobic energy supply relies on glycogen and fat, which seems impossible to achieve. My little brother who used to run with me specializes in 5000-meter training. Last year, he drank creatine for half a month after listening to someone's blind recommendation. He gained more than two kilograms in weight and lost muscle water. The test race in the district was 8 seconds slower than usual. When he came back, he threw the remaining half a can of creatine to me, saying that this thing is purely a hindrance to people who are purely aerobic.

But this is only half right. Not all people who do aerobics are useless after drinking it. When I was preparing for the mini triathlon last year, I had to practice aerobic activities such as cycling and swimming every day, and I also had to find time to pump iron to maintain muscle mass. During that time, I drank creatine at a daily dose. I didn’t lose muscle mass during the whole process. The last 10 kilometers of the climb were , my legs were not so soft that I couldn’t step on the pedals like before. After checking the information, I found out that creatine can reduce muscle decomposition during long-term aerobic exercise and improve muscle tolerance. For people like me who want to do aerobics but don’t want to lose muscle, it just meets the demand. Even if you are not a person who does strength training, if you often do intermittent aerobics with explosive movements, such as Pamela, HIIT, or playing basketball and football on weekends, creatine can help you standardize the second half of the movements, so that you will not lose your energy and deform the movements and injure your knees.

If your usual aerobic activities include taking a walk after a meal or doing low-intensity exercise for 20 minutes, then it actually doesn’t make any difference whether you drink or not. The intensity of exercise is already low, so you can’t afford to spend the money. Oh, yes, I would like to mention that people with abnormal kidney function should not use creatine blindly. Ordinary people do not need to listen to rumors that they need to drink water like crazy. Just replenish water as needed. Otherwise, you will feel uncomfortable when you run. If you really feel that your weight has increased after drinking and it affects your lightness when running, it doesn't matter if you stop. Supplements are the icing on the cake, so you can make them feel better.