Creatine is an amino acid, not a hormone, and that's what separates it from steroids.
Were you referring to Mark Mcguire, loki?
Creatine monohydrate is a supplement that serves as an energy reserve in muscle cells. Muscular contraction is powered by the breakdown of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to ADP (adenosine diphosphate). When all the ATP is broken down, creatine phosphate in the muscle donates a phosphate group to ADP, and further energy reactions can occur. Creatine monohydrate is a precursor to creatine phosphate. By supplementing with CM, CP levels in muscle apparently are maximized, and more muscular work can occur, since there are greater energy reserves to use. That is why its recommended for high energy anaerobic workouts that deplete your ATP levels sufficiently enough that it will be of use to you. If you're not draining your ATP reserves enough in your workouts, then you wont notice the creatine really helping your workouts...maybe you'll have some more energy, but you wont be using it to its potential.
Creatine also helps with resistance training by bloating the muscle with creatine rich fluid. This allows for greater leverage and requires the muscle to move less and lift more weight. While this may seem kind of trivial, some researchers today think that one of the stimulating factors of steroid use is water retention. Anabolic steroids may actually work in part because of cellular fluid retention in the muscles. The swelling action and the related stretching of the cells may in and of itself cause a reaction which stimulates the muscle cells to grow. So in some respects creatine might be as good as steroids, minus the hormonal impact. Its not good to take on a continual basis though, better to cycle on and off...here's more info...
http://www.sportsci.org/traintech/creatine/rbk.html
http://www.rugbycoach.com/nutrition/creatine.htm
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1999/05_99/juhn.htm
Steroids are just NOT good. There are much better ways to feed your body!
Anabolic steroids -- or more precisely, anabolic-androgenic steroids -- are the synthetic derivatives of the naturally occurring male anabolic hormone testosterone. Both anabolic and androgenic have origins from the Greek: anabolic, meaning "to build," and androgenic, meaning "masculinizing." Testosterone's natural androgenic effects trigger the maturing of the male reproductive system in puberty, including the growth of body hair and the deepening of the voice. The hormone's anabolic effect helps the body retain dietary protein, which aids in the development of muscles.
When your body is supplemented with a hormone like this on a more continual basis, it will start to forget the organ that produces it...I'm sure no man wants his package to be affected!!!
Side Effects....
Men - Although anabolic steroids are derived from a male sex hormone, men who take them may actually experience a "feminization" effect along with a decrease in normal male sexual function. Some possible effects include:
- Reduced sperm count
- Impotence
- Development of breasts
- Shrinking of the testicles
- Difficulty or pain while urinating
Women - On the other hand, women often experience a "masculinization" effect from anabolic steroids, including the following:
- Facial hair growth
- Deepened voice
- Breast reduction
- Menstrual cycle changes
With continued use of anabolic steroids, both sexes can experience the following effects, which range from the merely unsightly to the life endangering. They include:
- Acne
- Bloated appearance
- Rapid weight gain
- Clotting disorders
- Liver damage
- Premature heart attacks and strokes
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Weakened tendons
Lesson? Feed your body well, but only mess with hormone levels when you have problems and the doc says its necessary!!!
