Been taking Huel Vanilla for a total of four weeks today. I take 3 scoops with water in the morning after the gym for breakfast five days during my working week. It doubles up for me as a protein drink and heathy meal replacement. I’m not overweight and am pretty healthy I think I had a two week delayed reaction to Huel as I have been getting stomach cramps on and off during the day.
Some worse than others, today as I am writing this is the worst cramping as I feel light headed and nauseous. Like I mentioned above it’s been a total of four weeks today since I started and the last two weeks is when the cramping started. Any advice to what it could be would be appreciated. I have no known allergies to food I know of at the moment.
Hiya, what’s your daily calorie intake? A severe deficit can cause stomach cramps. I think it’s odd for you to have symptoms after 4 weeks, is it possible its unrelated?
I’ve come to the realisation from other forums that Huel can cause stomach cramps if not ingested with plenty of water throughout the day.
Although I do drink enough, my subsequent creatine intake which also requires at least a gallon of water seems to be the problem.
The combined water intake needed to take creatine and Huel together is an unrealistic amount.
I feel as Huel is not just targeted at people who want to lose weight, but also at people who want a quick healthy alternative and convenient way to a meal and consequently a protein source for avid gym goers such as myself, it should be made more apparent not to take in conjunction with creatine.
I actually started my cycle of creatine at the same time as I started Huel. For me it takes two weeks to creatine to take effect which would explain the two week delayed effects of stomach cramping.
It’s a no brainier for me, I’ve stopped my creatine intake all together. I feel Huel is a great product but like I stated above, as Huel is also targeted at gym goers who take certain types of supplements such as creatine in this case, it should be made more apparent not to be taken in conjunction.
I use huel (3 scoops per shake 3 x per day) and add protein powder and creatine as required. I have experienced no issues and see no issues in taking creatine with Huel.
So what your trying to say is because you don’t have any issues that other people wouldn’t either? Because in text format that’s what it comes across as. Just saying.
How much water are you drinking each day if I may ask? How often do you work out and take Huel and creatine?
I just realised that seems like an unhealthy amount of protein to be taking, especially if you are eating solid foods that contain protein too. And not to mention your fibre levels. Wouldn’t like to walk in a bathroom after you’ve been in it.
To clarify my experience: I have experienced no issues when mixing Huel with creatine (or other whey supplements, when I require these supplements). My experience of using creatine mixed with Huel, or, taken additionally to Huel, has led to no adverse side effects. Therefore from my experiences as both someone who has tried this, and, who has an academic background in sports, exercise and nursing, I can see no reason for Huel + creatine to cause stomach cramps. Creatine however is shown to have unwanted side effects of cramps. The cramps are more likely due to creatine.
Regarding my water intake, I drink about 1L/day of tap water, plus water from the Huel mix, plus 0.5L/day from hot drinks. My exercise involves a variety of cycling, squash and I use the gym for sub max full compound lifts at 80%max twice per week. I also enjoy a pint most nights of the week.
The evidence base for protein ‘excess’ is rather poor and therefore the term ‘unhealthy’ should be used with caution. My fibre does not appear to cause any unwanted or uncomfortable effects.
Just to clarify you are drinking 3 Huels a day that contain around 35 grams of protein each and eating solids and adding protein powder and creatine? And you are drinking a total of 1.5 litres a day as well as playing sports? Creatine a lone would require you to drink at least a gallon of water or else you would most likely experience stomach cramps, muscle cramps kidney pain and constipation. And unless you are 350lbs your protein intake is far to high. The recommended daily intake is dependent on your body weight, 0.8 grams per KG you weigh.
Your daily intake of water doesn’t even constitute you sitting around all day doing nothing let alone playing sports.
People have clarified that you unless you drink a good amount of water on Huel you may experience stomach cramps. I experienced stomach cramps, drank over 3 times the amount of water you do and only drank one Huel a day containing 3 scoops. For that reason alone I cannot take your post reply seriously and neither should others.
Hi dude welcome to the forum, maybe your drinking too much water? There is a condition called hyponatremia which means drinking too much water drops your blood sodium levels. Possibly with your symptoms thats maybe what you have.
On the days I play sport I increase my fluid content accordingly. Usually water, but sometimes red-bull or lucozade. On an average day I consume 1L/day. I know this is adequate because my urine is clear and my urinalysis dipstick shows no abnormalities.
Creatine does not require ‘a gallon’ of water. It requires the user to be in a hydrated state. These are 2 subtle differences. An individual can increase their hydration through diet, which may include drinking water. I use additional protein as required, maybe about 2 or 3 shakes per week. I don’t exercise everyday either. I don’t count cycling as exercise, because its how I commute, either on road or off but it is still a form of activity.
The Huel shake I consume is about 100g in a shake (3 scoops) which is 30g of protein. I also use other products on different days. My evening meal is usually accompanied with a pint.
As I mentioned earlier the evidence base for protein intake has no national or international agreement and the current recommendation was from the ACSM, adopted by DoH but little current research is done in this area. Secondly, dietary and food intakes are a recommendation; this means an amount based on an quantitative research of a general population and is generalised to that population. As individualism in health and wellbeing is now a paradigm in research, we tend to say an RDA is a guide but each person will require their own amount of nutrition based on individual physiologies which differ according to age, health and activity to name but a few factors.
The ‘clarification’ is not a fact or opinion, it is a (lived) experience; a lived experience is how that person feels and when taken qualitatively is non-generalisable, An experience is individual and owned by that person. So to re-state, I have not experienced stomach cramps with huel and creatine. I have been using Huel since August 2018. My creatine use cycles throguht the year, usually 6 weeks on and 12 to 16 weeks off.
Please have the courtesy to not imply I am a liar. I am sharing my experiences and knowledge and this should be applied mutually not critically.
I’ve been drinking a good amount for a while now and had no problems until I combined Huel and creatine. I would continue to do so but I feel for me that would be an unhealthy amount of water needed for the reasons you state above. I’ve decided to quit creatine and stick to Huel.
So your saying each person is different, and should quantify whatever supplement etc they are taking to suit what is correct for their body type. Well that’s what I am attempting to do. After all what’s right for one isn’t always right for another.
Your current intake would be ill advised by any . But you obviously know your body and are one of the many few that wouldn’t have any side effects from what I consider for my body an obscene amount.
As you are in the medical field and a professional copy and paster maybe you should think twice about giving advice what is clearly only advisable to very low percentage after you analyse them on a face to face basis through various medical procedures.
It’s been one day where I have not drank Huel and not had stomach cramping. When the creatine has left my system I will continue with Huel once a day and report my findings. I still believe the mixture of creatine and Huel together is what’s causing my stomach cramps.
I’ve used Huel with creatine for around 4 years now. Only experienced issues when adding whey and milk at the same time, think that’s what caused my stomach issues (see my other thread…).
Creatine itself hasn’t ever caused me an issue, but I make sure to drink about 2L of water a day on top of my Huels.
I found I need at least 3.5-4 litres of water on creatine alone otherwise I get muscle cramp, kidney pain and constipation. 2 litres wouldn’t cut it at all with me. I load for two weeks,week 1 15 grams a day
Week 2, 10 grams a day
Week 3&4, 5 grams a day then a month off and repeat. Cutting it out all together now though.
You have cast aspersions that I have plagiarised information and I consider this to be an affront to my character; The information I have posted is my knowledge in the field. I am a healthcare researcher, lecture in this field and have also a RMN background.
Furthermore you stated I have given advice which I have not done. I have retold an experience. You appear also to have mis-understood my comments about generalisability. I will now no longer engage in this conversation.
Hey Chris, as everyone is different I would suggest trying Huel when you are not cycling. Alternatively, you could have less Huel per serving and see by maintaining your current water intake if that makes a difference.
