When Is The Best Time To Take Creatine? (2024)

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that’s predominantly stored within muscle tissue and plays a vital role in energy production. The body creates approximately 1 gram of creatine per day, but it’s also obtained through dietary sources, such as red meat and seafood.

Creatine is a popular dietary supplement due to its ability to enhance muscle mass and improve physical performance, especially during resistance training and high-intensity exercise. Creatine is available in various forms, but creatine monohydrate (consumed orally) is the most commonly used and studied version.

Creatine supports the regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy storage molecule often referred to as the energy “currency” of cells. ATP serves as the source of energy for numerous crucial processes in the body, including muscle contraction. The body relies on creatine for rapid regeneration of ATP as it uses energy stores during high-intensity, short-duration activities like weightlifting or sprinting.

“Creatine acts on energy provision, quickly resynthesizing ATP, ensuring the rapid energy provision necessary for high-intensity efforts,” explains Hamilton Roschel, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and sports medicine and head of the applied physiology and nutrition research group at the University of São Paulo in Brazil.

Supplementing creatine increases the amount of creatine available to be stored in the muscles, thus enhancing the cells’ ability to produce ATP more rapidly than when solely relying on creatine naturally produced by the body or obtained from one’s diet, according to Dr. Roschel.

The impact of creatine supplementation is most profound for anaerobic activities, which require immediate expenditures of energy provided by ATP created in what’s known as the phosphocreatine system. Meanwhile, aerobic exercises rely much more on oxygen to synthesize ATP, which is why creatine has less of an impact on endurance activities like long-distance running.

Creatine supplementation offers well-accepted benefits for fitness performance. In fact, the International Society for Sports and Nutrition (ISSN) describes creatine monohydrate as “the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”

Specifically, the rapid resynthesis of ATP enabled by creatine supplementation is associated with:

• Increased low-speed strength
• Maximal work output
• Increased high-speed strength
• Improved sprint performance
• Improved recovery time between intervals of intense exercise

Emerging research also suggests creatine may have positive effects in the treatment of conditions like concussions, depression and anxiety disorders, according to a recent review in Nutrients^[1]Forbes SC, Cordingley DM, Cornish SM, et al. Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health. Nutrients. 2022;14(5):921. . Further studies are required, but these findings hold promise for the broader therapeutic applications of creatine beyond exercise performance and recovery.

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

Partner Offers feature brands who paid Forbes Health to appear at the top of our list. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services

Transparent Labs Creatine HMB

• Contains zero artificial sweeteners, colored dyes, unnecessary fillers, or harmful additives.
• Creatine monohydrate and HMB enhance strength, increase endurance, decrease fat mass, and prevent lean muscle loss.
• Added BioPerine increases bioavailability and absorption.
• Gluten free and Non-GMO

Shop Now

Transparent Lab's Website

In the ongoing debate about the best time to take creatine, two contrasting viewpoints exist. “One revolves around creatine intake in close proximity to the workout session while the other disregards any advantage of timing,” explains Dr. Roschel. Nevertheless, research indicates that regardless of whether a person takes creatine before or after training, the results appear to be similar.

There are specific creatine supplementation protocols that have been tested and proven to increase creatine stores in muscles, regardless of the timing of the supplement intake. However, it is crucial to understand that each person has a maximum threshold for creatine storage in their muscle tissues, according to Dr. Roschel. “Ultimately, modifying timing [of consumption] shouldn’t change this threshold [nor be] advantageous,” he adds. In other words, taking creatine before or after a workout cannot change this upper limit and therefore won’t change results in the long run.

Similarly, while some studies suggest that combining creatine supplementation with carbohydrate consumption may enhance creatine uptake, doing so cannot increase one’s maximum threshold, explains Dr. Roschel.

The literature promoting the benefits of timing is challenged by limitations of its methodologies, according to Dr. Roschel. The few existing studies fail to include a placebo-only group or measure intramuscular creatine content in their design. What’s more, comparing results between studies is challenging due to variations in the training and supplementation protocols used.

Creatine supplementation has numerous potential benefits, but more research is needed to validate the limited evidence suggesting that taking creatine close to training sessions improves its effectiveness. Additionally, it remains uncertain whether daily supplementation is more advantageous or if taking it only on training days can provide similar benefits. Ultimately, “convenience should dictate when you take your creatine,” advises Dr. Roschel. “As long as you keep it up routinely, you’ll be fine with whatever timing you choose.”

Creatine supplementation is considered safe and generally well tolerated for most healthy individuals, though there are some gaps in the existing research.

“In short, other than individuals with pre-existing kidney disease (with whom we don’t have studies), creatine appears to be safe,” notes Dr. Roschel. “Also, for those at risk of decreased glomerular filtration rate [the rate at which a person’s blood is filtered per minute], such as some older individuals or those with certain clinical conditions, monitoring kidney function while supplementing with creatine appears to be prudent.”

Other limitations include insufficient research on long-term creatine use (exceeding 16 weeks) and the use of multiple supplements in conjunction with creatine, which is common for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The following precautions regarding creatine supplementation are recommended by Dr. Roschel:

• Avoid creatine supplementation if you have a pre-existing kidney condition or a very low glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
• Don’t exceed recommended dose instructions on product packaging.
• Monitor your kidney health if you have risk factors for kidney disease.
• Use novel types of creatine (alternatives to creatine monohydrate) with caution, as their safety is yet to be established.
• Only choose supplements with verifiable pure ingredients, as manufacturers sometimes use fillers that can have harmful side effects.