[Vickie]

Hue, Cell volumizing is really another way of saying cell hydration; not to be confused with water retention which is under the skin (ie: subcutaneous). There is some speculation (but no peer reviewed conclusions) that the volumized muscle may accelerate the synthesis of new protein and help minimize protein wasting or catabolism. But you are right to put the most focus on the fact that you can recover faster between sets and therefore, presumably, you can train harder for a greater portion of your workout. More work means more muscle, period. The rapid loss of some size when you stop taking creatine monohydrate is the loss of the cellular hydration and therefore the loss of the volumized appearance. But if you use the product well and train hard enough you will retain the muscle you created, as long as you keep it up. Typically, once you've increased your aerobic threshhold with the supplement you can continue to train at that level. Many bodybuilders never go off the supplement because they don't want to lose the pump. Sounds like you think along the same lines as I do; I want to know the results of the training and am not so glamorized by the pump. To each his own. What say you Dr Dave? Vik