Your muscles store a molecule called creatine, which is converted into creatine phosphate to provide the energy you need for short, intense bouts of exercise like sprinting, jumping, weightlifting and team sports.
Foods like red meat, poultry, fish and milk contain creatine, and your body also makes it from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine.
During intense sports activities, creatine phosphate is consumed in large quantities. This can lead to the body not producing enough creatine to meet demands and performance decline. Taking creatine improves muscle mass, sports performance, post-exercise recovery and injury rehabilitation.
Creatine is one of the most popular sports supplements among gym-goers and athletes. It comes in many different forms, but the most widely used and studied is creatine monohydrate.
Individual differences, timing of creatine intake, and dosage may affect efficacy and safety.
There is limited research examining the timing of creatine supplementation, however, several physiological mechanisms suggest that supplementing with creatine before exercise may be superior.
When you exercise, blood flow throughout your body increases up to 100 times compared to when you’re at rest, meaning your muscles can potentially absorb more creatine while you’re working out.
After taking 5 grams (g) of creatine, blood creatine levels peak 1-2 hours after ingestion and remain elevated for approximately 4 hours. Depending on the type, intensity, and amount of exercise, blood flow to muscles can remain elevated for 30 minutes or more after exercise.
So, if you are exercising for 40-90 minutes, you can take creatine before or during your workout.
It is hypothesized that muscles may be able to absorb more creatine during and after exercise. Some molecules passively cross cell membranes, while others require specific carriers called transporters. These transporters help maintain balance by exchanging molecules between cells and their environment.
During exercise, certain transporters become more active and regulate the molecular exchange induced by movement, which may affect creatine transporters and increase creatine uptake by muscles.
In one study, older adults were given creatine supplements or a placebo immediately before or after strength training for eight months. Those who took creatine before and after training gained more muscle strength than those who took the placebo. Participants who took creatine after training gained more muscle mass.
The same researchers designed a study that lasted just three months: all participants increased muscle mass and strength, regardless of whether they took creatine supplements before or after exercise, or a placebo.
More recent studies have shown the same results: 34 athletes took 5 grams of creatine either one hour before or one hour after exercise for two months. All participants experienced significant increases in muscle mass and strength. It is important to keep in mind that these studies were small in sample size and included a variety of supplementation methods and participant ages.
Although more evidence is needed to determine the optimal time to take creatine, pre- and post-exercise creatine supplementation can improve various aspects of sports performance, including muscle mass, repetition maximums, and weight lifted during exercise.
The recommended protocol is to take creatine on both training and rest days, however there is research showing positive effects from supplementing with creatine only on training days.
One study demonstrated that taking creatine supplements only on five training days per week improved leg press, chest press, and total body strength performance in young adults.
Another study had older adults take creatine supplements three days a week on training days. Participants increased their muscle mass and strength. However, the study was small and only targeted a specific demographic.
Taking creatine supplements only on training days reduces cost and unnecessary usage. The effect on efficacy is unknown, so you may or may not see a difference in results.
Creatine can be taken with or without food. Taking creatine with carbohydrates or with both carbohydrates and protein can increase creatine storage in muscle more than taking creatine alone.
Beta-alanine (an amino acid) may enhance the effects of creatine supplementation, while caffeine may interfere with the effects of creatine. But the evidence is not clear on either side.
Your muscles already contain a certain amount of creatine, and taking a creatine supplement increases muscle creatine stores by 20%-40%.
There are various protocols you can use for creatine supplementation. The most common is taking a high dose followed by a maintenance dose. The first step is to build up your stores with a high dose of creatine, and the second step is to take a lower dose and maintain it for a longer period of time.
- Loading Dose: To build muscle creatine stores, a high dose of 5 grams of creatine taken four times per day is recommended for a total of 20 grams per day for the first 5 to 7 days. You can also calculate your daily intake as 0.3 grams of creatine per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
- Maintenance Dose: The recommended intake of creatine for maintenance is 3-5 grams per day. The daily intake can also be calculated as 0.1 grams of creatine per kilogram of muscle mass, meaning if you have 40 kilograms of muscle mass you should take 4 grams of creatine per day.
Another recommended protocol is to take 3 grams of creatine daily for 28 days. This method will gradually increase muscle creatine, but may increase the time of muscle creatine loading, slowing the effect on sports performance.
Please note that many aspects of creatine supplementation need to be further investigated, including its efficiency and safety. Concerns include creatine’s effects on water retention, dehydration, kidney health, hair loss, muscle cramps, and its effectiveness in women.
Creatine can improve muscle mass, strength and recovery. Currently, there is no strong evidence to suggest a specific timing for creatine supplementation. It can be taken before or after exercise and still see benefits.
The benefits you get from creatine will vary depending on many factors, including your age, sex, general health, diet, supplementation method, and the type, intensity and amount of training you do.
