Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBefore ExerciseAfter ExerciseWhich Is Better?Rest DaysTake It With Food?Other SupplementsQuantitySide EffectsWho Should Take It?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Before Exercise

After Exercise

Which Is Better?

Rest Days

Take It With Food?

Other Supplements

Quantity

Side Effects

Who Should Take It?

Creatineis a common supplement best known for improving muscle mass, performance, and recovery from workouts. There is also evidence that creatine supplements can benefit older people and those with certain health problems.

Taking Creatine Before Exercise

When you take 5 grams (g) of creatine, your blood creatine levels peak one to two hours after consumption and remain high for almost four hours. Depending on the kind, intensity level, and volume of exercise you perform, blood flow to your muscles may remain increased for at least half an hour afterward.

Creatine and Hair Loss: Do Supplements Cause Baldness?

Supplementing After Exercise

While there is evidence that muscles may be able to absorb more creatine before and during exercise, research also indicates that there may be benefits to taking creatine after exercise. This view contends that exercise primes your muscles to take up more creatine.

Research indicates that muscles are likely to be more receptive to creatine uptake during and after exercise since the increased blood flow supports the presence of specific “transponders.” These transponders help maintain a proper balance of creatine and prevent oversaturation within your muscle cells. In a resting muscle, the transport might be less efficient since creatine molecules cannot diffuse through cell membranes alone but need a dedicated transporter protein to enter your muscle cell.

The results of some research indicate that taking creatine after working out may have a bigger impact on strength and body composition than taking it before exercise. However, trained athletes may be more likely to have these types of results versus untrained adults who consume creatine after working out.

While the use of creatine has been heavily researched, it is unclear whether taking creatine before or afterresistance trainingprovides better results. The existing evidence is somewhat contradictory.

A review of research indicates that creatine consumed before exercise—ranging from several hours to immediately before resistance training sessions—can effectively increase measures of muscle mass and strength. However, researchers found that creatine consumed postexercise—in the period immediately following or several hours after training sessions—can produce similar muscle benefits in young and older adults.

While it’s unclear whether taking creatine before or after exercise provides better results, research indicates that taking creatine close to the time of your workout provides optimal results. In addition, taking creatine consistently, which keeps your muscles well-saturated, is more important to achieving results than the timing of creatine supplementation.

What About Rest Days?

Taking creatine on rest days helps to keep the creatine content of your muscles elevated. Whether you take creatine on rest days depends on your goals.

Do You Always Need to Take It With Food?

You don’t always have to take creatine with food. However, you may be able to better increase creatine stores if you take the supplement withcarbohydratessuch as fruits, fruit juices, and starches, or with bothproteinand carbohydrates rather than taking creatine alone.

The ISSN advises that adding a carbohydrate or carbohydrate and protein to a creatine supplement appears to increase the muscular uptake of creatine. However, the effect of this combination on performance measures may not be greater than using creatine alone.

Should You Take Anything Else With It?

How Much Should You Take?

The amount of creatine you take depends on factors like your age, gender, body size, and fitness goals. You may also have to consume creatine if you have a deficiency. Your healthcare provider can help you determine the best way to introduce and maintain creatine supplementation.

However, you can begin taking creatine without a loading dose. The ISSN advises that you take creatine in the following amounts for the fastest of increasing muscle creatine stores:

Larger athletes may have to consume up to 5 to 10 grams of creatine per day during the maintenance phase.Dosing appears to be similar for both older adults and younger adults. Results from one review indicate that older adults also benefit from a loading phase and a maintenance phase when using creatine.

The 8 Best Creatine Supplements, Tested and Reviewed

Potential Side Effects

Creatine supplementation is generally considered safe. There is no evidence that using creatine in doses of up to 30 grams per day for up to 5 years has any detrimental effects on otherwise healthy people or people who take creatine supplements for health conditions.

While there are no consistent health problems linked with creatine, taking more creatine than directed may increase your risk of side effects. There is evidence that creatine can lead to the following problems in some people:

Is Creatine Right For Everyone?

You should not use creatine if you use the following drugs. Using these drugs with creatine may increase your risk of kidney damage:

Be cautious about using creatine if you use caffeine. Taking creatine with caffeine can increase your risk ofdehydration. Combining creatine with caffeine and the herb ephedra, or ma huang, may increase your chances of having a stroke.

You should not take creatine if you have a risk of kidney damage or have one of the following conditions:

The use of creatine among females is understudied. While there is extensive research on the safety and efficacy of creatine, most of the studies were conducted on male athletes.

The gap is notable because females store 70% to 80% less creatine stores than males. This difference in metabolism may also impact how females metabolize creatine before and after menopause and during periods such as menstruation, pregnancy, and postpartum (after childbirth), which has not been studied.

Summary

While it is generally accepted that creatine is safe and effective, there is no agreement on the best time to take it. Research shows that taking creatine right before or tight after working out gives better results than taking it long before or after.

Talk to your healthcare provider before taking creatine or any new supplement. While it is safe for most people, taking too much or in combination with some drugs or health problems may cause side effects.

12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Gualano, B., Jagim, A. R., Kreider, R., et al. (2021).Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.2021;18(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNational Institutes of Health.Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance.Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?.Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, Roy BD, Antonio J, Smith-Ryan AE, Rawson ES, Gualano B and Roschel H.Creatine o’Clock: does timing of ingestion really influence muscle mass and performance?Front. Sports Act. Living2022;4:893714. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.893714Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H, Saunders B.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?Nutrients. 2021 Aug 19;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Antonio, J., Ciccone, V.The effects of pre versus post-workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.J Int Soc Sports Nutr.2013;10(36). doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-36Houston Methodist.Creatine: how does it work, is it safe & when should you take it?Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14(18). doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zMount Sinai.Creatine.Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al.Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNaderi A, de Oliveira EP, Ziegenfuss TN, Willems MT. Timing,Optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016;20(4):1-12. doi:10.20463/jenb.2016.0031Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG.Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi:10.3390/nu13030877

12 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Gualano, B., Jagim, A. R., Kreider, R., et al. (2021).Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.2021;18(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNational Institutes of Health.Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance.Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?.Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, Roy BD, Antonio J, Smith-Ryan AE, Rawson ES, Gualano B and Roschel H.Creatine o’Clock: does timing of ingestion really influence muscle mass and performance?Front. Sports Act. Living2022;4:893714. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.893714Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H, Saunders B.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?Nutrients. 2021 Aug 19;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Antonio, J., Ciccone, V.The effects of pre versus post-workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.J Int Soc Sports Nutr.2013;10(36). doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-36Houston Methodist.Creatine: how does it work, is it safe & when should you take it?Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14(18). doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zMount Sinai.Creatine.Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al.Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNaderi A, de Oliveira EP, Ziegenfuss TN, Willems MT. Timing,Optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016;20(4):1-12. doi:10.20463/jenb.2016.0031Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG.Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi:10.3390/nu13030877

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Gualano, B., Jagim, A. R., Kreider, R., et al. (2021).Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.2021;18(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNational Institutes of Health.Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance.Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?.Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, Roy BD, Antonio J, Smith-Ryan AE, Rawson ES, Gualano B and Roschel H.Creatine o’Clock: does timing of ingestion really influence muscle mass and performance?Front. Sports Act. Living2022;4:893714. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.893714Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H, Saunders B.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?Nutrients. 2021 Aug 19;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844Antonio, J., Ciccone, V.The effects of pre versus post-workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.J Int Soc Sports Nutr.2013;10(36). doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-36Houston Methodist.Creatine: how does it work, is it safe & when should you take it?Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14(18). doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-zMount Sinai.Creatine.Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al.Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-wNaderi A, de Oliveira EP, Ziegenfuss TN, Willems MT. Timing,Optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016;20(4):1-12. doi:10.20463/jenb.2016.0031Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG.Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi:10.3390/nu13030877

Antonio, J., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Gualano, B., Jagim, A. R., Kreider, R., et al. (2021).Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.2021;18(1). doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

National Institutes of Health.Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance.

Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, et al.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?.Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844

Candow DG, Forbes SC, Roberts MD, Roy BD, Antonio J, Smith-Ryan AE, Rawson ES, Gualano B and Roschel H.Creatine o’Clock: does timing of ingestion really influence muscle mass and performance?Front. Sports Act. Living2022;4:893714. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.893714

Ribeiro F, Longobardi I, Perim P, Duarte B, Ferreira P, Gualano B, Roschel H, Saunders B.Timing of creatine supplementation around exercise: a real concern?Nutrients. 2021 Aug 19;13(8):2844. doi:10.3390/nu13082844

Antonio, J., Ciccone, V.The effects of pre versus post-workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength.J Int Soc Sports Nutr.2013;10(36). doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-36

Houston Methodist.Creatine: how does it work, is it safe & when should you take it?

Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL.International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14(18). doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z

Mount Sinai.Creatine.

Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al.Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w

Naderi A, de Oliveira EP, Ziegenfuss TN, Willems MT. Timing,Optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition.J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016;20(4):1-12. doi:10.20463/jenb.2016.0031

Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG.Creatine supplementation in women’s health: a lifespan perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi:10.3390/nu13030877

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?