Creatine is a chemical compound produced naturally in your body from three amino acids: methionine, arginine, and glycine. About 95% of this compound is found in your muscles. Athletes often use creatine to boost strength and muscle mass. Other benefits of creatine supplements include greater training strength, increased work capacity, and faster recovery after training.
Creatine is possibly safe and well-tolerated when used long-term. Although its benefits have been established, there has been debate on the best time to use creatine to maximize its benefits.
There are limited studies on creatine use before working out, but taking creatine before working out can have positive effects on your training session. Typically, 5 grams of creatine takes about 1-2 hours to peak and can last for about four hours.
Some researchers believe that when you take creatine before a workout session, your blood creatine levels start to rise around the time your muscles begin to pump blood.
The increased blood flow may help you uptake and retain creatine, which means more creatine gets to your muscles than when you use it after a workout session.
Many researchers consider the period after a workout session, known as the anabolic window, as the most important window for timing the nutrients you eat. After working out, the muscle fibers are damaged, and energy stores are depleted. Researchers believe that supplementing with the right nutrients during this time helps rebuild damaged muscle and restore energy reserves.
Using the right nutrient mix after a workout can also send your body into a “super-compensation mode” that enhances exercise performance and body composition. Because of its effect on body composition and strength, some researchers believe taking creatine after a workout is better than taking it before a workout.
In one review, researchers found that taking creatine after exercise led to a 3% gain in lean body mass and a 7.5% gain in bench press strength. When creatine was taken before exercising, it led to a 1.3% increase in lean body mass and 6.8% in bench press mass.
The exact timing of creatine use for people looking to maximize creatine benefits remains unclear. The available evidence is contradictory, making it difficult to determine whether taking creatine before or after a workout is more effective.
New studies suggest that taking creatine supplements close to your workout session—either before or after—is ideal for individuals seeking to optimize creatine use. Taking them close to exercise sessions seems to increase creatine loading in the muscle, compared to taking them farther from your workout sessions.
People who took creatine supplements around their workouts had a greater increase in creatine in their muscles and greater gains in strength and lean mass than those who took them at random times of the day.
Consistent creatine use also appears to be more important than timing in maximizing benefits. Instead of focusing on the timing, it may be better to use creatine regularly, even on rest days, to keep your muscles well-saturated.
The general recommendation is to take creatine daily, regardless of whether you trained that day or not. Taking creatine daily and the duration of use affect how quickly and how much your creatine stores increase. Higher creatine stores can lead to increased muscle mass and performance over time.
If you are worried about cost, you can take creatine only on days you train. One study found that taking creatine only on training days also produced significant gains in strength and endurance.
If you are just starting to introduce creatine to your workout routine, you can optimize creatine’s benefits by taking about 20 grams daily for about 5-7 days. You can also use creatine in divided doses. Some experts recommend 5 grams four times daily for 5-7 days.
After the loading phase, when the muscle creatine stores are fully saturated, you can move on to a lower maintenance dose of 2-5 grams daily. People with larger body sizes may need to consume about 5-10 grams daily to see results.
You can take creatine with or without food. However, studies have found that taking creatine with carbohydrates and protein can increase creatine accumulation in the muscle compared to taking it alone.
As for timing, using creatine a few hours before or after a workout session can help maximize creatine use. On rest days, the timing is not important.
Creatine is a well-known supplement with many benefits, from enhanced muscle gains to more effective workout sessions.
Current evidence suggests using creatine a few hours before or after your workout session to maximize its benefits. Consistent use seems to be more important than timing. Taking creatine with carbohydrates and protein can increase the effects.