It used to be that creatine was a supplement strictly used by bodybuilders and people looking to gain muscle mass fast. But recently, the popularity of creatine has moved past these circles of weightlifters and into other wellness communities, where people are using the natural chemical for everything from increasing their energy levels to sharpening thinking and boosting mood, in addition to improving workout performance. If you’re considering adding it to your routine, it’s smart to know the best time to take creatine to maximize the potential benefits. <\/p>\n
Meet the experts<\/strong>: Angie Asche, M.S., R.D., nutritionist and founder of Eleat Sports Nutrition<\/a>; Steven K. Malin, Ph.D<\/a>., an associate professor and researcher in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Tara Collingwood, R.D.N., C.P.T.<\/a>, a sports dietitian and certified personal trainer<\/p>\n Before you start taking a creatine supplement, speak with your doctor or a healthcare professional to determine if it’s a good fit for you. If you decide it is, they can also help you choose the right form (creatine comes in powders, tablets, capsules, liquids, and even energy bars). Read on for the best time to take creatine, plus other tips that can help you get the most out of it. <\/p>\n What does creatine do for the body? <\/strong><\/p>\n Creatine is a chemical that\u2019s found naturally in your body, but it\u2019s also in red meat and seafood, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. <\/p>\n Creatine helps to make energy for muscles, and about 95% of creatine is found in your skeletal muscles. \u201cCreatine is stored in your muscles as phosphocreatine,\u201d explained Angie Asche, M.S., R.D., nutritionist and founder of Eleat Sports Nutrition<\/a>. \u201cFrom there, it can be used as a quick energy source for short bursts of high-intensity exercise.\u201d When your muscles contract, they break down adenosine triphosphate (ATP), explained Steven K. Malin, Ph.D<\/a>., an associate professor and researcher in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. \u201cIn order for muscles to continue contracting, we need to continuously have ATP available,\u201d he said. When creatine is converted to phosphocreatine, it can increase and preserve ATP levels in the muscle, Malin said. \u201cThis helps keep ATP levels plentiful in muscle for continued contraction and delaying the onset of fatigue.\u201d<\/p>\n Creatine supplements help to increase the stores of phosphocreatine in your muscles, allowing your body to work at a higher intensity for a longer period of time, Asche said. <\/p>\n In general, creatine is used for people who do high-intensity, explosive, or strength moves to help them exercise longer, Malin said. \u201cHowever, there is also thought to be benefit for endurance athletes,\u201d he added, as well as potential benefits for weightlifting<\/a> and exercise recovery. \u201cAll in all, it seems good for many athletes,\u201d Malin said. <\/p>\n There\u2019s a solid amount of research to support the use of creatine for performance. Most recently, a study in Current Developments in Nutrition<\/a> found that taking creatine increased sprint performance in cyclists. A review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition<\/a> also found that taking creatine may help support performance in older adults. <\/p>\n In addition, newer research has found that creatine may even help boost cognitive performance<\/a> and ease symptoms of depression<\/a>. Per the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, it may also offer benefits for people with neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes<\/a>, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n When is the best time to take creatine?<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t necessarily need to take creatine at a certain time but rather make sure you\u2019re staying on top of it. \u201cTake it at a consistent time of day, and if possible, consume it with food including carbohydrate,\u201d Malin said. \u201cThis will help foster creatine uptake into cells for conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine.\u201d<\/p>\n A 2021 Nutrients<\/a> study on creatine and timing concluded that data on when to take it is \u201climited,\u201d making it hard to offer a definitive answer. Another 2022 Frontiers in Sports and Active Living<\/a> study that followed male and female athletes who took creatine over eight weeks found that timing for the supplement didn\u2019t make a difference in how effective it was. <\/p>\n \u201cConsistency matters more than timing,\u201d Asche said. \u201cI tell my athletes the best time is when you\u2019re actually going to remember to take it.\u201d<\/p>\n How much creatine to take to maximize benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s best to check in with a healthcare provider when it comes to figuring out dosing. But the recommended daily dose is usually between 3 to 5 grams<\/a> a day.<\/p>\n Some people will also do what\u2019s called a \u201cloading phase\u201d to try to quickly saturate the muscle stores with creatine before shifting to a lower daily dose, but Asche said it\u2019s not necessary for many people to go this route. (Doing a loading phase also comes with a risk of bloating, Malin added.)<\/p>\n According to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, creatine is safe to take at appropriate doses for up to five years. If you want to take more, it’s worth a chat with your doctor to determine what dosage is best for you. <\/p>\n Should you take creatine before or after a workout?<\/strong><\/p>\n Again, research hasn\u2019t definitively said that the timing of when you take creatine matters. If you want to get really specific, there might be a slight edge to taking creatine after a workout. \u201cTiming is less important than consistency, though some evidence suggests post- Do you need to take creatine on rest days?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s a good idea to continue to take creatine on rest days. \u201cIt\u2019s still helpful to supplement on rest days, as the goal is to help increase the phosphocreatine stores in your muscle,\u201d Asche said. <\/p>\n So, even if you\u2019re planning to take it easy on any given day, continuing to take your creatine supplement will be helpful toward reaching your goals.<\/p>\n Creatine side effects<\/strong><\/p>\n Creatine is generally considered safe when it\u2019s taken as recommended. \u201cIn some individuals, it may cause a slight increase in weight, which is due to water retention, but this is temporary, and staying well hydrated is important to help manage this as well as any other potential yet rare gastrointestinal issues,\u201d Asche said. <\/p>\n Other potential side effects may include dehydration, bloating, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and muscle cramps, Malin said. Splitting doses (like taking 1.5 grams in the morning and 1.5 grams in the evening) may help reduce side effects, Collingwood said. Creatine isn\u2019t for everyone, though. According to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, there isn’t enough evidence to know if it is safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease. It may also increase your mania if you have bipolar disorder. Creatine may also interact with caffeine<\/a>, per the Mayo Clinic<\/a>\u2014combining the two may decrease the efficacy of creatine or worsen the progression of Parkinson’s disease. <\/p>\n The bottom line<\/strong><\/p>\n Creatine has a lot of potential value as a supplement, but it\u2019s crucial to talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. However, the timing of when to take this supplement doesn\u2019t seem to be as important as remembering to take it every day. <\/p>\n Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It used to be that creatine was a supplement strictly used by bodybuilders and people looking to gain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97113,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[277],"tags":[1273,62249,343,18,135,19,17,590,508,62248],"class_list":{"0":"post-97112","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-content-type-how-to-service","9":"tag-contentid-a61e4a4a-a0cf-4e0b-8c06-f1bd94a36eeb","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-locale-us","16":"tag-nutrition","17":"tag-shorttitle-experts-say-this-is-the-best-time-to-take-creatine"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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workout may be slightly better for muscle growth,\u201d said Tara Collingwood, R.D.N., C.P.T.<\/a>, a sports dietitian and certified personal trainer.
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