Creatine and high altitude training

specster

New Member
Does anyone have any experience using creatine at high altitude (20,000 feet)? A friend is going to climb Dinali and he is trying to train as hard as possible as this is a difficult climb (cold, low oxygen, steep, long and he will carry 60 lbs in supplies on his back). He want to use creatine to improve stregnth and anerobic capacity. He is 2 months out from his climb.

A vitamin store clerk sold him Ester C Platinum creatine and said he doesn't need carbs with it and you don't need to cycle off. I told him I thought there was a limit to how long you can take creatine. The clerk said this was "old school thinking."

The issues of concern I have with his plan is 1) if he cycles off creatine just before the climb won't he feel a dip in performance and 2) if he stays on creatine will he retain water and endanger himself to pulamary and/or cereberal edema - the main causes of death in high altitude climbs?????
 
From my understanding of creatine, it would be of little to no benefit on a climb of that duration. If anything, I've found that the added water weight has hindered me in the past when doing endurance events. 10k+ distance runs specifically. This is by no means science, just what I've observed my own body do, and my personal thoughts on creatine
 
Agreed with the above. Creatine will only hurt his endurance. I too have seen this personally. And from a logic standpoint, it makes no sense to add it for such an endevour.
 
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