Question about gaining weight, alfalfa, and creatine...

September 13, 2006 11:48 PM

When trying to gain weight, does taking alfalfa supplements counter act the effects of creatine?

I am trying to gain weight and in addition to weightlifting, I am taking alfalfa, protein, and creatine. Alfalfa is suppose to stimulate the appetite, help digestion, and reduces water retention. Creatine hydrates the muscle tissue and increases water retention. Do the counterproductive water retention effects of alfalfa and creatine make it useless for me to take both supplements at the same time?

Also, any suggestions on any other supplements for an increase in appetite or to air weight/muscle gain would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

It's my understanding that one of the best ways to gain weight is to go on a diet. You'll lose weight for a bit, and gradually your body will dial down your metabolism. This can be, from what I understand, a permanent change, so when you go off the diet, you will stabilize at a higher weight than before.

Whether or not you want to do it this way, I don't know, but I've read a number of recommendations from doctors that say this. I am not, however, a medical practitioner of any type, and you should speak with one before doing any such thing. :)
posted by Malor at 12:52 AM on September 14, 2006

Creatine might help you "gain weight" (water weight) temporarily, but that's not why people take it. The idea is that it increases the energy supply immediately available to your muscles while lifting, allowing you to lift heavier weight, which will in turn lead to the muscles using food you eat to get bigger and heavier.

If the alfalfa really helps you feel hungrier, than this would be helping achieve the same goal.

If it really does decrease the amount of water you're retaining, well, then I could imagine how that would prevent your muscles from holding onto as much creatine when you drink it, due to the need to maintain osmotic balance... but that seems like overthinking it, especially if you don't have really hard evidence to suggest this.

The best way to stimulate appetite, in my opinion? Throw in a little cardio once a week. It might be a little counterproductive in terms of gaining weight, but for me at least, it always gives a huge appetite boost.
posted by rxrfrx at 4:36 AM on September 14, 2006

I have to ask why you are trying to gain weight. Are you significantly underweight? Have you been told to do this by a doctor? If so, then you should follow their advice. If not then I'm guessing that what you really want to do is to 'bulk up' rather than gain weight (I understand that this is really just a difference of terminology, but bear with me) therefore it's important to know your height and your present weight.
posted by ob at 7:34 AM on September 14, 2006

Do the counterproductive water retention effects of alfalfa and creatine make it useless for me to take both supplements at the same time?

I don't have any direct data on this, but I will say that if you are trying to increase your muscle mass, you need to eat. Eat and eat and eat. Bodybuilders in a bulking phase eat so much that a lot of them get tired of eating. I have only done one bulking phase in my lifetime and by the end of it I wanted nothing to do with food. Everything else is secondary to lifting your ass off and eating until you are ready to vomit.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 8:08 AM on September 14, 2006

I would like you to be a little bit careful with alfalfa supplements; the linked text points out that consumption of large quantities of alfalfa seeds causes a lupus-like syndrome in monkeys, and that at least two people with long-inactive lupus had flares attributed to alfalfa consumption. Also, alfalfa in some forms has estrogenating properties, which could conceivably interfere with putting on upper body muscle mass.
posted by jamjam at 12:04 PM on September 14, 2006