Creatine

I am a guinea pig - actually for the second time. Last year I volunteered for a research study that Dr. Darren Candow was conducting and for that study I was given something that may or may not have been creatine and was expected to do some resistance training - weight lifting for the uninitiated - three times a week for 12 weeks.

This year I am also volunteering for one of Darren's studies. He is studying the effect of resistance training and creatine on strength, muscle mass and bone mass amongst the "ELDERLY." I guess I am elderly now!

Darren received a grant that got him a whole bunch of equipment and a private gym just for us. For the last few weeks I have been practicing - learning how to do use each of the machines - and getting tested for baseline information. I have been measured, probed and scanned.

Yesterday I was given the 'stuff' - white powder in a bag. Every day I have to take 6 teaspoons of the white powder. On the days that I work out - Monday, Wednesday and Friday -= I actually have to take half of the stuff just before I work out and the other half as soon as I am done. The powder dissolves fairly well in water but it has a gritty taste - not bad - but you know you're not drinking pure water.

Three days a week for a year I will be doing this workout under supervision in this private gym. Its kind of cool but then again it isn't easy. We're expected to use proper technique - and we are being watched - and we are expected to be very fatigued by the end of the third set on each machine. This translates into being extremely fatigued at the end of the workout.

Today I came home and slept for two hours!

By the end of the year I am going to be the strongest, healthiest 'elderly' person around!!!