When to take Creatine | PlanYourVitamins.com

What is creatine good for?

Short answer: Creatine has potential benefits for athletic performance, muscle recovery, energy levels, blood sugar levels and brain health.

Creatine is a molecule used primarily for energy production, especially in high intensity physical activity. In addition to that, creatine is also involved in the process of muscle recovery, assisting in the repair of the micro-tears that occur during exercise. It actually boosts the formation of the proteins that determine the size of muscle fibers.

Benefits for physical exercise

These combined properties have made creatine extremely popular in the world of exercise in recent years, and it is often taken as either a pre-workout or post-workout supplement (more on that later), especially by athletes, in order to improve physical performance, endurance, and recovery.

Our body actually produces its own creatine in the kidneys and liver after eating animal-sourced foods, such as meat and fish. In fact, the word creatine is derived from the Greek word "kreas", which literally means "meat". I grant you permission to casually insert this impressive piece of trivia into a conversation the next time you are at the gym.

Role in blood sugar regulation

Physical performance is not creatine's unique benefit. Further research is starting to reveal that creatine can help regulate blood sugar. For example, one 12-week study revealed how creatine affects blood sugar levels following a meal rich in carbohydrates. Specifically, people who combined creatine and exercise showed better blood sugar levels than those who only exercised.

Role in mental health

Creatine is also thought to aid brain function by increasing dopamine levels, and animal studies have shown that creatine supplementation exhibits antidepressant effects.

When should I take creatine?

Short answer: Creatine is best taken with a meal, at any time of day. For workouts, it can be included in your post-workout routine.

While there has been a lot of talk about creatine supplementation in recent years, most of the literature concerning when to take creatine generally revolves around whether to take it before or after exercise, and doesn't really touch upon the best time of day, or whether to take it with food or without food.

Creatine before or after exercise?

That said, as far as exercise is concerned, one four-week study revealed that greater increases in muscle mass and muscle strength were observed in the group that took creatine after exercise, as opposed to the group that took creatine before exercise.

Another study showed that taking creatine closer to the time of exercise had more impact than taking it at a different time of day entirely.

So, if exercise is your primary concern, you would be advised to include creatine in your post-workout routine, as opposed to your pre-workout routine, although you would certainly achieve benefits either way.

Creatine with or without food?

Alternatively, if you are taking creatine for its other potential health benefits unrelated to athletic performance, it may be advisable to simply take it with a meal, in order to avoid any potential stomach upset, at least until more data becomes available.

What does creatine combine well with?

Short answer: Creatine has been shown to work well together with beta-alanine and L-glutamine.

Creatine with beta-alanine for muscle growth

When combined with beta-alanine, creatine has proven to benefit exercise performance, strength and muscle mass even further. One study compared the efficacy of a combination of creatine and beta-alanine on strength performance, compared with taking creatine supplementation alone.

It was found that the combination of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation appeared to show the greatest improvement, not only in muscle growth, but also in body fat composition.

Creatine with L-glutamine for muscle recovery

Another interesting combination is creatine with L-glutamine, which seems to enhance creatine's effects in muscle endurance, recovery and growth, with creatine focusing on the endurance side of things, while L-glutamine focuses on the recovery aspect, and both of them working together to promote optimal muscle growth.

What should I avoid taking creatine with?

Short answer: Avoid taking creatine supplements at the same time as alcohol, caffeine or diuretics.

Alcohol, caffeine & other diuretics

Alcohol is known to work as a diuretic, which means that it causes water to exit muscle tissues in your body, resulting in dehydration, which leads to muscle cramps, pain, and poor muscle performance.

One of the primary functions of creatine is to pull water into your muscle cells to build them up after exercise, and this means that alcohol will negate the benefits of creatine, as it will reduce the amount of water it can utilize.

For the same reason, it is also advisable to avoid combining creatine with anything that contains caffeine, as caffeine acts as a diuretic and could likewise lead to dehydration and suboptimal muscle performance and recovery.

Likewise, any diuretic medications should be avoided when taking creatine.

What are natural sources of creatine?

If you are interested in achieving your daily creatine intake through your diet, rich sources of creatine include:

Beef
Pork
Salmon
Cod
Tuna
Chicken
Turkey
Seeds
Nuts
Milk
Cheese
Yoghurt

Creatine data sources & further reading

Last updated by Asklepios on 30th January, 2025