Creatine - Yay or Nay?

What is the general consensus on creatine supplements? I've gotten a lot of conflicting information from a lot of different places.

Other than being linked to rare cases of lower leg compartment syndromes, proper use seems to be almost universally beneficial, especially to people who do not consume fresh meat daily (this has become me).

Hydration shouldn't be a problem, given the rate at which I consume water lately.

Amusingly, it is also indicated that consumption with high-GI carbohydrate sources at the same time is most beneficial, and a quick look at high-GI carb food charts place my 'whey Krispies' right at the top.

Creatine can be useful... But then again it can be a waste of money. Claims are it helps you build muscle faster. Way way back, 8 years or so ago, i was in pretty good shape. I started going to the gym with a buddy of mine who was about 20% stronger than me overall. He was on creatine. Over the next 6 months we both made amazing gains. He managed to become about 10-15% stronger. I managed about 20.

Could be that if neither of us were on creatine, he would have gained less. He's half japanese, and well... i'm half scandinavian. I had the genetic advantage, so i'd say our gains were fairly comperable, with him even getting a slight edge. But in the end, if your looking at a percent or two... is it worth the money each month? Thats upto you to decide.

I'm a firm beleiver that if your eating right, sleeping right, and drinking enough water, its a complete waste of time and effort. if one of these factors is missing, it can help you compensate.

Hmmmm, allrighty.

It's on sale, and I'm willing to give it a shot (works out to about $0.26 per day, so it's not a HUGE expenditure).