When Is the Best Time to Take Creatine?

Creatine is a popular supplement for exercise performance.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that this increases strength and muscle mass.

It's also safe to consume , according to extensive research.

Although you might already know that creatine works well, there is still confusion over when it should be taken.

This article will tell you everything you need about creatine.

Creatine: Why To Take?

Creatine is a natural molecule found in your cells.

It is also a very popular dietary supplements that has been extensively studied.

Creatine can be taken as a supplement to increase its concentration in cells. This can lead to many health and performance advantages.

These benefits include enhanced exercise performance, and improved muscular health. There may also be neurological benefits such as better mental performance for the elderly.

Creatine can be used to increase strength in weight training programs by around 5-10% according to studies.

These performance benefits could be due to creatine’s crucial role in cellular energy generation.

It's worth looking into if you want to improve your muscular strength and overall health.

SUMMARY

Creatine is an effective and safe supplement that offers many health and performance benefits.

Supplementing with Days You Exercise

There are three options for when you should take creatine on days that you exercise.

It can be taken before, during, or after exercise.

You can also split your daily dose to take it throughout the day.

Do You Have to Take it After You Exercise?

Many researchers tried to determine the best time to consume creatine supplement.

One study looked at whether adult men should consume five grams of creatine prior to or after exercising.

Participants were required to exercise five days a week, and they also had to weight train.

After exercise, creatine-taking group showed greater lean mass gains and a greater reduction in fat mass.

Other research shows no difference in the effects of taking it before or during exercise.

Based on limited research, it is not clear if there are any significant differences in creatine intake before and after exercise.

It is best to take a supplement shortly before or after exercise

Supplementing right before or immediately after exercise is better than supplementing for a long time.

A dietary supplement with creatine, carbs, and protein was provided to overweight adults in a 10-week study.

The participants were split into two groups. The supplement was taken in two groups. One group consumed the supplement shortly before and after exercise. The other group received the supplement in the morning, and the evening.

The supplement was taken close to exercise and the participants gained more strength and muscle.

This research suggests that it might be more beneficial to take creatine right after exercise than any other time.

You could, for example, take the entire dose after exercising , or you could split it and take half before you start to exercise .

SUMMARY

Although it is not clear when creatine should be taken, it is likely to be beneficial to do so close to your exercise.

Supplementing Rest Days

It is less important to take supplements on rest days than on exercise days.

Supplementing on rest days has the goal of increasing your creatine content.

A “loading phase” is recommended when starting creatine supplementation. This phase involves taking approximately 20 grams of creatine for five days.

Over several days, this will quickly increase the creatine in your muscles.

A lower daily maintenance dose, of between 3-5 grams, is recommended.

Supplementing on rest days when you're taking maintenance doses is only necessary to maintain high creatine levels in your muscles. It doesn't really make any difference if you take this dose.

It may be beneficial to take the supplement with food, as we will discuss next.

SUMMARY

Creatine should be taken on rest days. It may be a good idea, however, to take creatine with a meal.

Do You Need Anything Other?

Supplementing with creatine has many benefits, but many people are unsure how to make them more effective.

To increase the effectiveness of their products, researchers have added protein, carbs and amino acids to them.

Numerous studies have shown that carbs containing creatine increase the amount of it being taken up by your muscle.

Other studies however have shown that carbs do not increase performance.

Furthermore, some studies used almost 100 grams of carbohydrates, which is about 400 calories.

These extra calories can lead to weight gain if you don't really need them.

Although there are some benefits to taking creatine and carbs together, you could be consuming too much calories.

One practical strategy is to take creatine while you eat carb-containing meals, but not extra carbs.

It is also a good idea to eat protein along with this meal. Protein and amino acids can help increase your body's ability to retain creatine.

SUMMARY

Creatine can sometimes be enriched with ingredients to improve its effectiveness. This could be caused by carbs, so it is a good idea to take creatine after you have eaten a meal with carbs and protein.

The bottom line

Creatine can be used as a safe and effective supplement. However, it is still controversial to what time is the best.

Research shows that creatine may be more effective when taken right before or shortly after exercise.

It may be more beneficial to have it with food on rest days. However, timing is not as critical as it is for exercise days.

Taking creatine along with carbs or protein can help maximize its benefits.